Bills, Bills, Bills.

A Moment of Clarity. 

words.

"See, this is what I like about the farm bill. The agriculture parts harken back to the golden era when Republicans and Democrats could work together to promote stupid ideas that benefited the special interests in their districts. And then go out and get inebriated in bipartisan drinking sessions. Now everybody is in the gym and then shutting down the government.

Or trying to eliminate food stamps. By far the biggest argument between the House and Senate on the farm bill is about the food stamp program, which the House Republicans want to slash by $39 billion, mainly through new screening programs to guarantee that every single recipient is working, drug-free, needy and in general totally and completely worthy of government assistance. Even if that means inadvertently emptying a lot of deserving cupboards along the way.

...There was a time when we dreamed about a Congress in which the members voted on principle. Did not imagine the principle would involve figuring out new ways to funnel more federal money to the people who need it least."

THE NEW YORK TIMES: Missing the Bad Old Days