Stupor Committee

The power given to the deficit superheroes of the 2011 Super Committee has been, well... anything short of ‘heroic’. 

In an attempt to cut the deficit by $1.2 trillion, the, six Republicans and six Democrats have talked in circles while the other 500 + members of the House and Senate sit idly by.

After watching several months of failed strategies aimed at reducing the nation’s $15 trillion debt, the United States Congress Joint Select Committee on Deficit Reduction has collapsed under the stress of partisan dissonance.

The effects of their failure to agree on a resolution may affect citizens in a myriad of ways, which include a potential payroll tax increase before 2012.

Political Analyst Fareed Zakaria predicted the Committee’s failure, stating “The Democrats are saying no cuts to entitlements. The Republicans are saying no taxes. That's great except we all know the only solution to our long-term debt problem is cuts in entitlements and new taxes”

Obama warns that taxes may go up as much as $1,000 for the average family, due in part to the failure of the Super Committee.

GOP candidate Mitt Romney criticized Obama, saying “Your policies have failed.  Far from bringing the crisis to an end, your policies have actively hindered economic recovery.”

Gingrich-Cain 2012?

Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich and prominent business mogul Herman Cain took part in a one-on-one debate Saturday night, discussing important topics like health reform, fraud and Social Security.

Gingrich and Cain were given 90 minutes to contest issues in greater detail than any previous debate. The difference in format allowed for deeper conversations that, rather than subjugating important topics, gave the candidates ample time to enlighten the public and take the focus off party infighting.

Political commentators have analyzed every aspect of syntax and mannerism to determine a champion. However, there was no bad blood between contenders as in previous Republican debates. The majority of the time was spent discussing legitimate topics and meaningful propositions with a clear level of respect between the two potential GOP nominees. The two assure their party that one can win without tearing the other down.

In all actuality, it seemed less like a debate and more like friendly banter. This time, there were no human punching bags or rehearsed attacks. There were no "gotcha" moments, and the civility kept a cultured and gracious climate. The two agreed on a myriad of subjects, highlighting their shared outlook and quite possibly strengthening the idea of a Gingrich/Cain 2012 ticket.

In the end, the idea that Gingrich is the smartest of the candidates persisted.

Republican pollster Frank Luntz affirmed the GOP tactic, saying "Gingrich will demonstrate why he's brilliant, and Cain will demonstrate why he's likable. And they won't try to score points off each other. They will score points off the president, which is what Republicans want them to do anyway."

The two took a moment to bash the media for their unjournalistic approach to partisanship, sabotage and misappropriation of priorities. This was, no doubt, a stab at how Hermain Cain's alleged sexual harrassment ordeal has been treated by the media.

With more important stories like Operation Fast and Furious, scandals like Solyndra, and all-time high deficits and unemplyment rates, the media is losing focus as to why Americans are scared.