Political Paralysis

Here's my depressing thought of the day:

Regardless of all the high-sounding talk from the President, the Republicans, and the Democrats, things are so paralyzed in Washington that nothing will be done of any significance before the election in 2012 (or barring some kind of radical shift in power, after that either).  Neither the kind of innovation and national investment that Obama says he wants, or the kind of budget cutting and deficit shrinking that the Republicans say they want.

So we'll remain in the worst of all positions: treading water with an unsustainable status quo.  That's why I'm pessimistic, in spite of all the happy talk.  What it will take to change things is something I just cannot envision.