Boehner has already nominated himself as the Republican Party's sacrificial lamb. But on his way out, he could also be a very effective scapegoat, thus sparing both his party and the country at large a whole lot of needless drama and economic instability.

I know reporters don't have time to hook every national political development to our humble locale. But they should give it their best shot, because the stakes are so high.

A Republican Senate is pretty much an iron-clad guarantee of the return of "fiscal cliffs" and "government shutdowns" and "hostage-taking" and all the rest of the budgetary games Republicans are known for playing.

The homebuyer of tomorrow should not be asked to pay for the fleeting temporary tax reduction and unemployment benefit extension of yesterday.