It Ain't a River in Egypt

In his New York Post column, Michael Walsh spots “Washington in Denial” — even more so than usual. While unreality has been a hallmark of this administration and its supporters long before they actually took office, as Michael writes, “In the Obama administration’s third year, an air of unreality and disbelief has settled across the nation. Much of the media is focused on the trial of a trashy young woman for the murder of her daughter — even as the economy is headed for the shoals. Majorities think the country is on the wrong track, and 40 percent think the nation has entered permanent decline:”

Now Dems led by Sen. Chuck Schumer are floating the notion that the president can simply ignore Congress, citing section four of the 14th Amendment, which has to do with the validity of the nation’s public debt.

Under this scenario, America would go on running up a tab for as long as anyone will lend us money, paying interest on the debt and doling out appropriations and entitlements without a care — using as its authority a Reconstruction-era amendment primarily crafted to redress some wrongs of slavery.

The administration is taking a similar who-cares tack in foreign affairs. Recently, Congress stamped its little feet over Obama’s ignoring of the War Powers Act of 1973, which requires congressional approval of unilateral presidential military action. But the House voted to disapprove of the US involvement in Libya while at the same time refusing to cut off funding for it — so why should Obama or anybody else take them seriously?

Meanwhile, the Taliban has greeted the announcement of US troop withdrawals in Afghanistan with a lethal assault on a Kabul hotel. Oh, and we’re now flying attack drones over Yemen and Somalia, running the list of countries in which Americans are engaged in “kinetic military action” to (at least) six.

Where does it stop?

Forget the politicians. Their job is to get re-elected in perpetuity, not save the country. They do that by buying votes with other people’s money.

Only an engaged (and suitably enraged) citizenry has the power to turn around the ship of state — to reassert the American values of self-reliance and hard work over those of the European welfare state the Left has been busily trying to impose for decades.

That’s the real meaning of the Tea Party. The only question is whether it can carry its momentum from last year’s elections forward to 2012.

If not, well, we can always amuse ourselves with the Casey Anthony trial.

Breakout the acoustic guitars and put on the DVD of Robert Altman’s M*A*S*H — it’s time for the nation to relearn the chords and lyrics to “Suicide is Painless.”