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The Countdown to Sequestration (sounds like the masochistic sex act it is) is nearing its end. The Congress.... The Congress is on break. The President is playing golf with Tiger Woods.  Lincoln had it half right: The government has not quite vanished from this Earth, but it has gone on an extended sabbatical.  I tend to think that the poll that stated the Congress was less popular with the American public than the Communist Party was not all that apocryphal.

Interesting item in today's news:

Florida Governor Rick Scott, who contested the Affordable Care Act all the way to the Supreme Court, announced he would accept the expansion of Medicaid which is part of the law.  As @AlecMacGillis tweeted in reply to @jbarro's questioning why anyone would be surprised at Scott's move,  " Not to mention, we're talking about a guy who got rich thanks to Medicare! He knows it's silly to turn down federal health care $$", a reference to Scott's tenure as CEO of Columbia/HCA. The healthcare giant's Medicare billing practices were problematic to the point that the company pleaded guilty to 14 felonies and paid over $600 million in fines to the Federal government. Scott was unscathed and has survived to become one of the least-popular governors in the country. 

Speaking of Josh Barro, he has a thought-provoking piece in today's Bloomberg View lobbying for a reinvigorated  and- hang on- more reasonable Republican Pary.

Senator Tom Coburn released his annual "waste book" today, highlighting the "most egregious ways your tax dollars were wasted in 2012."  I admire Sen Coburn for his perseverence in publicizing government extravagance. On the other hand, I am frankly amazed that none of his fellow lawmakers of either party are the least bit embarrassed by his shining a light on their more ludicrous legislative accomplishiments. You should know that your tax dollars were spent to promote the consumption of caviar ($300,000), on a study of how golfers might benefit from using their imagination ($350,000), and the promotion of specialty shampoo and other beauty products for cats and dogs ($505,000). These are only the tip of an $18 billion iceberg.

On a sad note, my friend Mike Adams lost his battle with cancer today. He touched many with his music. He was a witty man of unique intelligence. It was Mike who told me that "telecommunications was the field people who never had a career plan end up in."  I am glad I got to see him and play guitar with him one last time.