We survived the fruitless deliberations of the congressional supercommittee.

We survived the first harsh taste of winter on Thanksgiving Eve. We survived Turkey Day.

We even survived Black Friday and the hoards of voracious shoppers pushing and clawing in pursuit of early-bird bargains.

Now what?

Back to the bitter business at hand. Coping with the stubbornly bleak economy, the discouraging partisan bickering in Washington, D.C., the relentless budget axe in Augusta, the looming months of dreary skies, biting cold, paralyzing ice and snow.

What, you were expecting something upbeat and cheerful on the Sunday after Thanksgiving? Maybe in a day or two, when the turkey and pumpkin pie finally settle and the thought of eating another meal seems appealing instead of painful.

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Hope springs eternal, but at the moment we’re just too stuffed and exhausted to summon up even an ounce of optimism.

Or maybe it’s not the overeating that’s getting us down. Maybe it’s the thought of Congress returning from a holiday break and resuming the tedious finger-pointing and blame-placing that passes for legislating these days.

Maybe it’s the thought of more Republican presidential debates and the ensuing caucuses and primaries that seem destined to produce a GOP nominee incapable of inspiring his or her own party, much less the country.

Or maybe it’s the thought of a president devoting his time and energy and whatever passion he possesses to running for re-election while doing virtually nothing to show voters he deserves re-election. If only Barack Obama, the commander in chief, could be as focused and effective as Obama, the candidate.

Oh, well. As someone’s grandmother used to say, “Wish in one hand … “

We don’t have to put up with all this, of course. These elected “representatives” who act as though they represent no one but themselves and some narrow ideological base of support actually work for us. We hired them. We can fire them.

In fact, as soon as we shed these November doldrums, why don’t we, the people, start making some demands on our employees who occupy the halls of power?

Those halls belong to us, after all — and the politicians have no power unless we give it to them.


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