Reality Check: Thursday's Roundup.

Good morning once again and welcome. It is Thursday, February 25, 2010. Writing blogs can be a challenging exercise. Take for instance the title. I worked in public relations once for the government and one of the drafted service guys was a headline writer who had previously worked for a major newspaper. Fancy that. What do you do for living? Oh, I am writer. Wow! What kind of writing do you do? Headlines. Hello? Talk about your short story! Is that it, is that all you do? Yes, that is it. He told me once about how the headline was super important in drawing people's attention to the story. Once he did his job, the reporter was then on their own, to either keep or lose the attention of the reader. By the way, today's headline has nothing to do with what I am writing about and the same goes for the fact that what I am writing about has nothing to do with the headline. When you are doing a blog filled with the kind of random junk I work on, well, it will take more than a good headline to draw someone's interest. And, I happen to like today's title, so that's how it made it to the top of the page.

Today is the big summit called by the President of the United States to negotiate potential health care solutions with that foreign power called the Republicans. I understand this to be one of those 'beer summit' kind of meetings where much is made of the pomp and circumstance, while little, next to nothing, or nothing at all gets done. They tell me that each side is working behind the scenes to figure out what the other side is trying to accomplish. The President has already laid out his most recent shot at what they are calling a plan and he also is threatening to pass it with or without Republican votes. They can do that with something called the reconciliation provision. That's a provision whereby the Senate can pass stuff without requiring a super-majority, therefore, it would require only 51 votes to pass. They have more than 51 Democrats, therefore, they can pass whatever it is they want to, using this procedure. That makes one wonder why this so called health care summit is even being held. Could it be stage craft? Posturing? How about a good old game of gotcha? I sure hope that foreign group of Republicans know what they are walking into. By most accounts President Obama did pretty well in their last toe to toe meeting and that's pretty much why this one is being held. If he can show that he reached out, real or imagined, and those mean old Republicans refused to pay ball, well, that supposedly might help him a little out there in poll land where he and his administration are taking a beating. That is kind of a reality check sort of report, isn't it? I hate it when I carefully choose a title with nothing in mind and then it ends up being connected.

After the smoke clears there will be an endless array of assessments about winners and losers. Okay, I know this will sound cynical but us amateur pundits have to go there some time. Here goes: At the end of this competition I can tell you who will not be receiving a medal and on the podium: The ordinary citizen of the United States of America. I can also tell you who will ultimately pay for this summit, the bells and whistles, the hoopla, and the horse that it all rode in on: The ordinary citizen of the United States of America. I am very aware that one could easily become a nattering naybob and naysayer of negativity but I can't see myself as being this way. Yes, I am sick and tired of being sick and tired of the antics and shenanigans of those who supposedly represent us in Washington, including all parties and stripes. But, as you well know, we who believe in God and have our faith in Him continue to know that He will work all of these things out according to His will and purpose, in His own good time. That's what keeps me seeking out neat headlines and naybobbing for nuggets of news as I face the blank stare of the page (screen) each day. We can be clear in our discontent with those who would misuse and abuse our trust, while at the same time being positive in our confidence that God is in control. Now that's a reality check we can believe in! Amen. ......More later.