The Stimulus Deal

Putting together a minimal stimulus deal and authorizing enough funding so the government won’t have to “shut down” for a while should have been a simple and uncontroversial task for Congress to conclude before adjourning for holiday break, but given the extremist tendencies of Republicans in Congress, this unremarkable accomplishment was elevated into a great breakthrough in constructive government and bi-partisanship. 

It’s flawed and short of what is needed. Yet it struck a happy note and injected hope into the collective consciousness and seems likely to improve the country’s mood at the end of this doleful year.