Nothing Changes in Washington but the Climate

Nothing ever changes in Washington. No matter what party holds the majority in Congress, there are never enough votes for real change. I think in November, we will see a landslide victory for the Democrats, I mean, how can the Republicans possibly win in November, when the country can clearly see the damage from the last 8 years of a Republican Administration, and the last 10 years of a Republican majority in the Legislative Branch? Democrats will surely have a larger majority in both houses in November, and we will most likely have Obama as President, and if we don't, well, I'm sure it can be blamed somehow on Hillary Clinton and her bitter femi-nazi supporters like me. It's okay, I am quite used to taking the blame for lost elections, in 2004, John Kerry lost because of his gay supporters, and wasn't 9-11 a punishment from god, for I'm not sure what, but something to do with gay people? Even my mother blames me for the state of the economy, and for the war in Iraq.

What I don't understand about lawmakers in Washington is how they can ignore the very real threat of climate change. For the last three days, it has been so hot and so humid in the Capital, that you can't really go outside for any reason other than the short walk to the car. We have had torrential rains, which have produced these huge freaking mosquitoes, and tornadoes, which is something new to the Mid Atlantic, and quite a shock to the long-time residents of the District. For me, tornadoes are not scary, I am proficient from Midwest Catholic school tornado drills, where the nuns would usher us into the hallways, and order us to put our heads down and pray. The power has been out 3 out of 7 days this week, I have turned my air-conditioner down to 66, the lowest setting it has, and still, there is no relief from the heat.

And it's only June 8th.

What I don't understand, is how law-makers can stall action on a climate change bill that should have been passed 20 years ago. They live in the same city as I do, are they somehow immune to the discomfort that is making all of our residents completely miserable? Do they not see the fallen branches in the middle of the street after these severe storms? Do they not understand that all of this rain has damaged the corn crop in the Midwest, and that the price of corn has risen already this year to 6.75 per bushel? My hair has swelled from the humidity, and I can no longer make it look remotely tamed, so I will have to take some sort of drastic action, and remove the majority of it. I'm not sure if that will make me feel cooler, but at least I won't have to go about looking like a graying version of Bozo the Clown. Don't Senators Sweat? Don't Republicans feel heat? Are Republicans so insulated from everyday life, that they can't see what the rest of us see? Have they made some sort of deal with the Devil, they have damned the rest of us to this sweltering city, while they enjoy the cool black limo, the black tie receptions? Do Senators and Congressmen leave their humanity at the door of the Capital before they are sworn in? Why don't they feel the same pain as we do? It is so painfully obvious to every citizen in this country that the climate is a threat to humanity.

But the people who can actually do something about it remain comfortable, oblivious to the threat that faces the rest of us.

Nothing Changes.

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