Grave government shutdown leaving us all adrift a la Gravity

Will Capitol Hill and the White House come to an agreement on raising the debt ceiling and reopening all federal offices?

A meeting had been scheduled for this afternoon — actually as I type — between the White House and Senate Democratic and Republican leaders who are working on a deal. The word now, however, is that the confab has been pushed back, possibly into tomorrow.

If Congress, including Speaker John Boehner and the House Republican Party's recalcitrant Tea Party wing, can't be coaxed into a deal, we all will be left flying blind.

That feeling of fear and hopelessness was spoofed this weekend by Saturday Night Live with Taram Killam and Cecily Strong portraying astronauts left stranded a la the Sandra Bullock/George Clooney movie Gravity.

But in the television skit, the pair is left adrift without NASA's help because of the government shutdown. The only essential employee in Houston is a janitor, portrayed by Kenan Thompson.

It was funny late Saturday night. Monday afternoon, no so much.

Here's hoping we all have enough air to make it through this politically manufactured ordeal.

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