In case you’re confused, here is what was happening in Washington as of last Friday: Conservative members of Congress had shut down much of the government, put many people out of work and were threatening the nation with default in order to stop a health care system that requires people to sign up for insurance on a web site that doesn’t work. Let me rephrase that. I should have said, in case you’re not confused.
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A survey last week found that only 7 percent of Americans believe the rollout of Obamacare has gone well. The administration considers this a ringing success, considering this is much higher than Congress’ current approval rating.
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An Associated Press/GfK poll found only 5 percent of Americans approve of the way Congress is doing its job. So much for the idea that Americans no longer can unite behind a cause.
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Ironically, 5 percent of the population just about equals the members of Congress, their families and the special interests who control them.
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I would give Congress a piece of my mind in a letter, but the Postal Service just missed a payment on retirement benefits for the third time and may not have enough money to buy the gas it takes to get it there.
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Postal officials have ideas about what it will take to make the agency profitable again, but Congress keeps marking these “return to sender.” Apparently, lawmakers worry that closing post offices and ending Saturday delivery would reduce their approval rating to something less than 5 percent.
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It’s sobering to think that Greece now has a more functioning government than the United States.
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Last week, the Obama administration allowed Utah to use its own money to reopen national parks within its borders. Given the comparison between budgets in Utah and Washington, they may ask Herbert to fund the military soon, as well.
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North Korea is saber-rattling again, threatening a joint military exercise by the United States and South Korea. Dennis Rodman would help, but he reportedly is trying to choose among offers from Kim Jong-un to be minister of hair coloring, trash-talk interpreter or the captain of rebounding — an important post for when North Korea’s rockets go astray.