In Congress, the Senate put a delay on the confirmation process of Samuel Alito to the US Supreme Court. Not for any sound reason, mind you, but because they could. In the state of Texas, legislators are prepared to go back to Austin in April or May to bring school finance back to the table despite five failed special sessions to do the same and a deadline of June 1 imposed by the state Supreme Court. There's a lot of nothing going on at every level by politicians who are hard at work disregarding the constituencies that elected them.

I have a solution to these problems (besides "vote 'em out of office come november, ALSO a suggestion of mine). We need a law that will allow us to sequester these policy makers. No per diems, no contact with friends or family until these issues are resolved. Make 'em live in Chinese takeout and food from vending machines at their own expense. Allow couriers to deliver changes of clothing and toiletry items, but nothing else. When this "Real World times 50" scenario plays itself, these men and women wll have forced them to come face to face with political ideologies that oppose their own, and possibly, quite possibly, the changes will represent the best interests of their constituents.

Either that or they'll be stealing the cafeteria cutlery and, like the Highlander, keep infighting until there's only one. Either way, we win!