It almost seems like deja vu, didn't we just do this last October, and the October before that? Oh wait we did. It seems that our Congress has no time during the year to actually work on the Government's budget until the day it is due, October 1st. Actually what is happening in our Congress is a whole lot of wasting time and then waiting to the last minute to blame each other for not getting their jobs done.
Now depending on who you get your news from you may have a very different idea of what is actually happening with our Senate and House over the budget. Here is the jist. Our fiscal year ends/starts October 1st every year. The Senate and House have to pass a budget each year in order to fund the government for that year. This year, like the last two, each party - republican and democrats have delayed, blocked or simply not done their job of getting a budget done. If a budget is not passed by Monday October 1st at midnight there will be a partial shutdown of non-essential agencies until a budget is passed. So if you read WSB's Washington Reporter, Jamie Dupree's blog or editorials you will have gotten as much of a non-biased approach to the budget crisis
Jamie Dupree's unbiased middle of the road reporting-
http://www.ajc.com/weblogs/jamie-dupree/2013/sep/29/budget-mess-congress/
If by change you read Reuters' you are more likely to blame Republicans for this entire mess. While they do point out that the agencies that will be shut down are non-essential, they also note that they have to close their doors for the first time in 17 years and refer to this as the Republican government shutdown.
Reuters' left leaning bias reporting-
http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/09/30/us-usa-fiscal-idUSBRE98N11220130930?feedType=RSS&feedName=topNews&utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=twitter&dlvrit=992637
And for some more media perspective on the budget issue we look at the more right leaning Washington Post. While it gives the facts in a decent manner, much as Jamie Dupree's, it paints the democrats as stalling and causing the trouble. It also points out that somehow President Obama leaving on a week long trip to Asia, is a problem. While yes he needs to sign it, just like he did before he can use technology to do that.
Washington Post's more right leaning reporting-
http://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/house-republicans-to-propose-one-year-delay-in-obamacare/2013/09/28/1e884de6-2859-11e3-9256-41f018d21b49_story.html?Post+generic=%3Ftid%3Dsm_twitter_washingtonpost
So who is controlling the story, the politicians or the media? I would have to say this goes for a win in the media's column. Washington no matter how they want to try and spin this, are not controlling this story. The media, no matter how bias, does not like that they aren't doing their jobs. So we will see how they get this done and when.....
I find this a tremendously unbelievable as you do. It seems as if we do this every year without coming to an agreement until the very last minute but this year we, more than likely, won't reach a compromise. I find this irritating because regardless of which party you identify with we are debating funding the government based on a specific law. Whatever your opinion is of the Affordable Care Act this is the law of the land. I think it is a bit childish to say that if you don't defund a law that a certain political party doesn't like, then we won't fund the government. This is not how we should govern the country. What is your particular take on this?
ReplyDeleteErnesto my particular take is that Congress is not doing its job. If they spent the same amount of time that they do on blaming each other- on actually doing their jobs maybe they would have a higher approval rating.
DeleteI honestly had not thought about this problem until reading your post. After reading just a few lines my mind immediately went back to this same issue last year. It is unbelievable that the same problem continues to happen in our government from year to year. Although I have not followed the budget issue this year, looking back to last year I would have to say I agree with you on the issue of the media controlling the story. The budget is a very contentious issue and each year I feel that the media, both left and right, try to blame the other side for things not getting done. I really liked how you included all sides of the story in your post to give the most honest view of the situation. Unfortunately, the situation is how biased the media can be on important issues. I'm also looking forward to seeing how they get things done this year...
ReplyDeleteWhile I agree with your assertion that the media is in charge of the story, I think it is easy enough to say that it is a team effort! It is, like you said, embarrassing that we are right back here with this budget crisis, and it really makes you wonder what the heck our people are doing on Capital Hill. Even further, I think it would be a lot more responsible of the media to enlighten the people to the general lack of uniformity in Congress, and explain that as the reason why this job isn't getting done, instead of pointing fingers at one political party or another. Yet another example of the media having a great opportunity to responsibly report the political situation of this country and letting it slip right through their fingers.
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