Out to Pasture

The state of Washington is a land of extremes and double-speak.  In the rain shadow (actually a "sunny place") of the Cascade mountain range, the east side of the state spreads out like a sparsely populated patchwork quilt of farms, vineyards, orchards, and arid plains. The west side of the Cascades was best categorized by a local radio station's "give us a slogan" winner which said: "Living in Seattle is like being married to a beautiful woman who is always sick." The west's lush greenery (visible in sunlight for an average of 93 minutes per year) is the natural by-product of relentless drizzle and environmental protection born of man's inability to construct roads and houses on land that is as wet and cold as a sponge left in yesterday's dishwater.
Just about half of the state's population lives in three counties that rim the Puget Sound and they are unequivocally ruled by the Democratic Party. Though the east side of the state has a much greater land mass and a more right-leaning philosophy, the west side sends their left-leaning picks to the Senate each election cycle. One of the winners of the lifelong term award (since 1992) is Senator Patty Murray. In keeping with the passive-aggressive nature of western Washington, Murray has worked tirelessly throughout her career to not offend most people.  She has taken just enough of a stand on social and liberal issues to maintain her re-election coffers. At the same time, (to her credit) she championed the health care causes of veterans and made sure those "itchy fingers" of the far right stayed closer to the metaphorical safety and not the trigger. Over the years, Murray's longevity and party loyalty has won her prominence in the other Washington; and, in August 2011 she was tapped to co-chair the debt reduction super committee. This symbolic 12-member panel was created after the debt-ceiling showdown threatened to shut down the federal government. The committee was charged with the unenviable task of creating $1.5 trillion deficit reduction plan before automatic cuts took effect. Whether the answer to the problem was solved by generating cuts, taxes, or both, the panel was to formulate a strategy that the broader government could implement. Upon the date of deadline, Murray's super committee produced a whopping...
Nothing. Zilch. Zero. Not a thing except a statement of blame aimed at the other party, rich Americans, and the George Bush tax cuts.  Murray reportedly told CNN's "State of the Union":
"There is one sticking divide, and that is the issue of what I call shared sacrifice, where everybody contributes in a very challenging time for our country... That's the Bush tax cuts. In making sure that any kind of package includes everybody coming to the table and the wealthiest of Americans, those who earn over a million dollars every year, have to share, too. And that line in the sand, we haven't seen any Republicans willing to cross yet."
So, let's dissect this statement.  (sic) "We are politicians and it is our job to talk about problems and come up with collective decisions based on our superior ability to negotiate and reason. However, after several months, we failed to do our job because we drew an imaginary line and demanded that the folks on the other side of this discussion jump over it." Way to negotiate, Team Nada.
As long as everyone in the nation's capital are more interested in protecting their moss-covered posteriors than in working for the collective good, nothing will get done. Regardless of party affiliation, our elected officials seem to be playing at work. Perhaps this can be taken in an economic context.  After all, we are still suffering in the throws of the Great Recession.  Even though the unemployment rate reportedly decreased in December 2011, over eight percent of the workforce is temporarily sidelined while a quiet army of people equaling approximately ten percent of the potential workforce either took early retirement, went to school, or just quit looking for a job. Who in the world would want to be thrust out of office and into such a daunting job market? Obviously a person who knows no life outside of granite columns would fare poorly in an economic climate of low-wage, low-skilled jobs that require real people to do real work. Without re-election, they would have to join the early retirement crowd.
Many Americans would like to see their current stock of leaders in retirement.  By all appearances, many politicians already have given up working and have opted for weeks of restfully laying about like obstructive road humps. This practice is periodically punctuated by moments of excited finger-pointing and squeals of "your fault!" which can hardly be defined as "work."
It is 2012.  A new election cycle looms large on the horizon. I think it is time for voters to overturn that dusty, old box that we call Congress and dislodge its useless cargo.