While we were bickering over spilled milk, as always, the hostage takers have unceremoniously killed today.
The following is the ransom letter signed by all 42 hostage takers.
We write to inform you that we will not agree to invoke cloture on the motion to proceed to any legislative item until the Senate has acted to fund the government and we have prevented the tax increase that is currently awaiting all American taxpayers. With little time left in this Congressional session, legislative scheduling should be focused on these critical priorities. While there are other items that might ultimately be worthy of the Senate's attention, we cannot agree to prioritize any matters above the critical issues of funding the government and preventing a job-killing tax hike.
Emphasis added.
While we were bickering over spilled milk, as always, the hostage takers have unceremoniously killed today:
Defense spending bill endangering our warriors in harm’s way
$250 assistance to seniors in lieu of the canceled cost-of-living increase in 2010 and 2011
Well deserved and long overdue health care for 9/11 first responders and heroes
DADT
The DREAM of 2 million young people
I've said before that I felt that the middle-class tax cuts were being held hostage to the high-end tax cuts. I think it's tempting not to negotiate with hostage takers, unless the hostage gets harmed. Then people will question the wisdom of that strategy. In this case, the hostage was the American people, and I was not willing to see them get harmed(President Obama).
Emphasis added.
The hostage has already been harmed. I am just saying.
Update: I changed the title from "Today’s collateral damage report" to lure more traffic.