So, the budget battle.
Seems as if the penultimate reason both parties have settled upon to justify why, despite their ideological preferences, they cannot bring themselves to allow the government to shut down is the effect a shutdown would have on our soldiers. Seems as if the fact that our soldiers may miss a paycheck or two was more than either party could stomach.
I'm a cynic and nothing brings out my raging cynicism more than when a politician invokes the best interest of our soldiers.
According to the Army's own website, the average enlisted soldier is paid a yearly salary of $29,380.
So, let's get this straight, when folks like Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison get all high and mighty and makes statements like "The men and women who serve our nation each and every day at home and in operations across the world deserve our full support," (my emphasis added), here is what she means: as long as we pay a soldier $29,380 in exchange for risking his or her life, limbs and/or long-term mental health (plus the effect on their families), she's cool with it.
It sure seems that if anyone was truly concerned about ensuring the men and women who serve our nation receive our "full support," the issue ought not be whether they miss a couple of paychecks. The issue ought to to be the pitiful support folks like Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison are content provide them.
Our capacity for mass delusion never ceases to amaze me.