Point-Counterpoint

     In the late 1970s, the news program 60 Minutes had a segment called "Point-Counterpoint" with Shana Alexander who would give a liberal point of view, followed by James J. Kilpatrick who would respond with a conservative counterpoint. Saturday Night Live had a parody of the segment with Jane Curtin portraying a controlled liberal viewpoint followed by Dan Aykroyd, who prototyped the right-wing view, and often over-the-top attack journalist slant. She presented the liberal "Point" portion, then he presented the "Counterpoint" portion, often beginning with the statement "Jane, you ignorant slut" to which she would sometimes reply, "Dan, you pompous ass." This was comedy of that era, because everyone knew that serious journalists and politicians didn't speak that way to each other, at least not knowingly on the record.
     Fast-forward a generation. The health care debate last year and the debt ceiling debate this year has brought public displays of vitriole to new - and very low - levels. Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D-FL20) and Allen West (R-FL22), both members of the United States Congress from adjacent districts in Florida, had an exchange that brought back vivid memories of Point-Counterpoint extreme of Saturday Night Live, but with all earnest seriousness. She is serving her fourth term in the House and chairs the Democratic National Committee, while he is a first term member of the Tea Party.
     She criticized him on the House floor for supporting a bill that would cut Medicare and other spending. "The gentleman from Florida, who represents thousands of Medicare beneficiaries, as do I, is supportive of this plan that would increase costs for Medicare beneficiaries - unbelievable from a member from South Florida." Point.
     He responded with an email to her and House Party Leaders. "You are the most vile, unprofessional and despicable member of the US House of Representatives. If you have something to say to me, stop being a coward and say it to my face, otherwise, shut the heck up. Focus on your own congressional district!" Counterpoint!
     While hyperbole is common during heated debate, Ms. Wasserman Schultz made a perfectly valid point in ever so polite manner of the House. Mr. West's response might as well have begun with "Debbie, you ignorant slut" as he called her vile and despicable. This sort of language is what one would expect from a freshman in high school making the first faltering steps in debate, not from a freshman in the US House of Representatives taking a very negative and hard-line stand.
     If the topic of debate weren't so deadly serious, it would be very funny comedy. Unfortunately, there is nothing funny about risking the AAA credit rating of the United States by making such a public spectacle of raising the debt ceiling. The debit ceiling and budget deficit "crisis" manufactured by the Tea Party has been averted, so now all we have left is bad news about the poor economy and the markets are bleeding red.
     The Tea Party has demonstrated their ability to protest the size of the Federal Government, and inability to understand how that same Federal Government serves a very useful purpose with ironic signs like "Keep your Government hands off my Medicare." Town hall meetings last year about healthcare were raucous, so we can hardly wait to see what the Tea Party Protesters do this year about the debt ceiling and budget deficit. Are we headed for a double-dip in the Great Recession, or will the Federal Government finally do something to address the persistently high unemployment and get the economy chugging along?