The Ominous Omnibus, a Favored Washington Vehicle

"Fiscal fights fade as Congress backs huge omnibus budget bill"

Noun: A vehicle carrying many passengers; used for public transport.

In this particular case, the ‘vehicle’ drives off with your tax money and leaves you standing at the curb, required to reach deep into your pockets to pick up the tab. Requirements:

A bill that must be passed, a deadline too short to consider the details and an up-or-down vote without discussion are the preferred ingredients of this legislative stew. The carrot is favored funding for each legislator's personal district and the stick is time run out. Salt and pepper to taste.

Congress whizzed this high and inside fastball past the public just in time to adjourn itself for the Christmas holiday. Merry Christmas to all and to all a good night.

To be fair to the unfair, this is nothing very new in our panting and wheezing Congress. Omnibus legislative ‘packaging’ goes back to the 1980s. Ah, the ‘good old days’ of yesteryear, when we patched up so many small and e…