The budget talks in Washington, D.C., have been alarming.

Not because our country is borrowing money on credit just to pay its regular monthly bills (hey, half of America does that) and not because we're teetering on the edge of defaulting on our loans as a nation. (By the way, we've been playing this way for years... the debt ceiling had to be raised at least four times during the Bush administration, so this isn't anything new.) What astounds me is the degree of immaturity being displayed by our nation's elected officials.

• Walking out of meetings when things don't go their way (do they still slam doors, too?).
• Peer pressure and taking sides (aren't we all on Team USA?).
• Name-calling. (Okay, they do that all the time, I know.)
• And the kind of  stubborn, stomp-your-foot-and-cross-your-arms mindset reminiscent of a roomful of toddlers running high on full-sugar Kool-Aid and Halloween candy.

In the real world where the majority of us live, the grown-ups are expected to act like grown-ups, which means sometimes you have to lay aside your personal preferences  for the greater good. How did that go on Star Trek? "The needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few?" (My Trekkie friends will be correcting me now, but you get the point.)

Ethan, Caitlin & Luke. Josh hadn't arrived yet.

Having raised a houseful of children, and having endured their battles over things like who gets the top bunk, who gets the front seat, the remote control, the VCR, computer time, the first shower, the last shower, the piece of cake in the corner, the piece of cake with the extra frosting, who gets to lick the beater after the batter is mixed, which movie to see, where to go on vacation, which fast food to scarf down for dinner, who mows the front lawn and who mows the back... shall I continue?

I think it's time we call in a mediator of great power and strength. Someone who has demonstrated the ability to manage the most immature individuals of all sizes... It's time we send a strong, capable woman to Washington to bring these immature politicians under control ...


Yep. We need to invite Supernanny to come sit in on these congressional budget talks, because the "big boys" in Washington are acting like they're all still in short pants. Shame on them.