TGIF was cancelled in Washington yesterday. Nobody was celebrating the end of the work week on Friday afternoon; instead legislators were negotiating an eleventh hour stop gap funding bill that would avoid an expensive shutdown of the federal government. John Boehner may be the ultimate winner in this legislative dance. He managed to get two things done: Democrats moved beyond the Republican starting point for cuts; and he got the GOP freshmen to see the reality that they have to compromise if they want to get anything done. They only control one of the levers of government.

TGIF was replaced by a wake in Denver yesterday, because on Thursday, the GOP voted to deny people living together, without benefit of marriage, some of the legal rights of married couples.  After listening to eight hours of testimony, Colorado Senate Bill 11-172 was killed, with the GOP voting against and the DEMs voting for a civil unions bill. The GBLT community is still a community of second class citizens. Read the link below to see some of the passion that was exhibited in the eight hours of hearings.

Meanwhile, back in Wisconsin, election officials are investigating the sudden appearance of just enough votes to give a conservative Wisconsin Supreme Court Justice another term on the court without a vote recount. What I can’t figure out is why the county clerk in Waukesha County stays in office. It seems that she makes huge human errors frequently, and is always having to apologize for getting the initial results wrong. She was even once granted immunity in a criminal case. She sure sounds like the kind of person I want responsible for counting my votes. NOT.

Who needs soap operas when one can just watch politicians tie themselves in knots? If it weren’t so early, I think I’d pour myself a drink…

Homework

No Shut Down

Colorado Civil Unions Bill Dies

Wisconsin Election