You're forgetting something. The Tea Party winners are being shown for their true colors. When the governor of Ohio did the same thing to public workers in that state that was done in Wisconsin, he claimed to be paring the budget. But when members of HIS staff were shown to have salaries approaching $200K he said that high salaries were needed to attract talent from the private sector.

This is the same line of reasoning that was used to justify huge bonuses to failed bank execs.

Just as the Democrats had their partisanship exposed, the Republicans are headed to that as well.

Bush and Obama bailed out GM to keep six figures worth of jobs from making a tsunami of unemployment - and jobs are actually on the increase. GM is in better shape now. As much as I don't like bailouts, this one seems to have worked (like the Chrysler bailout and the Conrail situation).

Now, there are some 800K federal workers - of which I'm one. I took this job for the security, though it was a bit of a pay cut. Because of the security, I made bets that I could hold on to my house through my divorce and I succeeded. Long term, I'm in far better shape than I was when my ex was 'out to get me'. The upshot is that I *am* mortgaged out. Defending myself has meant hardship for our younger daughter in that college is less attainable but she's working her tail off to make it happen.

I do my job and I do it well. I'm paid LESS than comparative positions in the private sector. The Republicans are trying to convince me that it's for the best if I'm furloughed and NOT paid (as some Republicans are beng quoted in some articles)?

Since neither party is really attacking the deficit, I don't support either one of them. You can't sit there and cry over NPR/PBS funding when you're still trying to produce a jet fighter engine that WE AT THE AIR FORCE DO NOT WANT. You can't claim that it's all the other guy's fault when a budget was supposed to be passed by October 1st - A MONTH BEFORE THE OPPOSITION PARTY WON ELECTIONS AND THREE MONTHS BEFORE THEY TOOK OFFICE!