What's Next?

"Begin with the end in mind."
---Stephen Covey, "The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People"

Coming Soon to a Theater Near You (It could happen):

President Obama is likely to sign the debt ceiling package House Republicans hand him, which includes the privatization of Social Security and Medicare, spokesman Robert Gibbs said today.

"We don't have the luxury of playing partisan politics," President Obama said. "The 2011 extension of the Social Security tax cut has more than doubled the size of Social Security’s projected long-term shortfall."

With fellow Democrats balking, President Barack Obama declared that a reform of the system was necessary to help the economy and address the concerns of deficit-weary Americans. He passionately defended his record against Democrats who complain he's breaking campaign promises: "To Democrats, I would caution you that just saying no to everything may be good short-term politics, but it’s not leadership."

The President also reminded Americans what is at stake if we do not move forward with changing the rules of the road. "We can ill afford to allow shortsighted partisan politics to keep the future of this nation and the future of our children at the cliff's edge," the president said. "If we don't step forward, we'll always be in the same place. We can still come out ahead if we put our head down and push forward."

In the agreement, the president gave up a key goal. But he said the deal would prevent the major crisis of unimaginable proportion that was bound to ensue if the unthinkable were permitted to happen and the U.S. defaulted on its debt.

"It's a good deal for the American people," Obama said.

Mum mum mum mah . . .