Today's the day: the debt limit Satan Sandwich is on the verge of being passed in the United States Senate, after which it will be sent to President Obama's desk for his signature to become law.
The vote is expected around noon eastern time, but the outcome is not in doubt. The only detail left to be determined is what the final tally will be.
There's a bit of drama on the GOP side, as Mitch McConnell is rumored to have told Republicans that any GOP senator who votes against the bill will not be eligible to serve on the Super Congress. McConnell dutifully denies report. To prove he wasn't lying with his denial, I suspect that means he'll have to appoint Jim DeMint, Rand Paul, and that crazy fuck from Oklahoma, Inhofe, or whatever his name is. (Yeah, that's right, Jim Inhofe. A real lunatic.)
Even as the Senate is set to approve the debt limit deal, As this bizarro world continues to unfold, the mainstream media is discovering that deficit reduction in the middle of a severe recession is a stupid idea that will harm the economy, put people out of work, and reduce consumer demand.
Meanwhile, Tim Geithner isn't sure whether the debt deal will be enough to avoid a downgrade in America's credit rating. (He's worried that the sausage-making progress was too disgusting for Moody's to handle it.)
Anyway, here's a live video feed for those of you who are brave enough to follow the debate minute-by-minute: