Watch CBS News

Keller @ Large: 'Super Committee' Off To Bad Start

BOSTON (CBS) - Only three of the 12 members have been named yet, and they won't even begin meeting for a few more weeks, but already it's looking like that new "super-committee" -- charged with hammering out the reasonable budget-and-debt-reduction plan the full Congress couldn't accomplish -- is going to need a new name.

Something like: super-fiasco.

I hope I'm wrong.

Listen to Jon's commentary:

Podcast

But when Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid kicks things off by nominating the likes of John Kerry and Patty Murray, who've spent much of the past week demonizing the opposition with harsh partisan rhetoric; and Nancy Pelosi, who will nominate the rest of the Democrats on the super-fiasco, goes on the road to tell audiences the Republicans don't even care about deficit reduction, but are just using that as cover to "destroy" Medicare, Medicaid and Social Security; can anyone doubt that the GOP leaders will respond in kind?

They've already tried to claim that taxes are off the table for committee discussion, so their appetite for compromise was dubious even before this ruinous display of spite by the Democrats.

Like I said, I hope I'm wrong.

But for now at least, Washington appears to me to be a hopeless cesspool of partisan selfishness, personal narcissism, and ideological obsession.

Weak, unimpressive leaders, whipsawed by narrow-minded, self-serving underlings and special interests, justifying their failure by pretending they're really standing up for principle when they've all seemed to forget the underlying principle of a functioning democracy -- you've gotta find a way to compromise.

There are good people in DC, who care about our country more than themselves, I'm sure of it.

All I can say to them is, speak up now, or forever hold your peace.

You can listen to Keller At Large on WBZ News Radio every weekday at 7:55 a.m. and 12:25 p.m. You can also watch Jon on WBZ-TV News.

View CBS News In
CBS News App Open
Chrome Safari Continue
Be the first to know
Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting.