Friday Funday: Reasons To Applaud

If you'd told us a year ago that - in an non-election year - we'd be as busy as we've been this past week, most of our staff would probably have looked at you with a good bit of skepticism.

If you'd told us Priscilla in the mailroom was going to win this year's NCAA office pool? That we'd believe.

It's been anything but a slow news week, and the next seven days also look busy, both personally and professionally. The Supreme Court will be taking up the arguments next week against both DOMA and California's Proposition 8. The President will return from his Middle Eastern trip - which seems to be going impressively well - and begin finalizing the White House's version of a budget.

Congress? Well, they'll be on vacation again, for another two weeks - their annual 'Spring Break' recess - when they'll return to take on the fight over gun safety laws.

We suppose we can't just make fun of Congress today, even if it is easy and fun. After all, both the Senate and the House passed a Continuing Budget Resolution this week, which will keep the Federal government from shutting down - at least until the end of September. It may not be much - but considering Congress' recent track record of getting less than nothing done, we'll give them a small measure of applause today.

Large sweeping applause is certainly due to the Colorado State Legislature. Just this week, the Colorado legislature passed three gun safety laws, including a universal background check law - all of which Colorado's governor has already signed. The Colorado legislature also passed a law legalizing civil unions for same sex couples on Thursday, which deserves even more applause.

Speaking of applause, we're certain to hear a bit of that this weekend, when we attend one of the performances of of the play we wrote about on Thursday, The River And The Mountain.  If you're in the Washington, DC or Baltimore areas, we highly recommend you come see the show at some point this weekend.

While Mother Nature's recent performances haven't exactly been getting rave revues, the calendar does officially say that it's spring, so even if it feels a bit nippy at times this weekend, remember - this too will pass.

Frankly, we're ready for a thaw, both in the weather, and in politics all over the country.

As evidenced by Sen. Harry Reid's overnight turnaround on gun safety legislation, it now seems even some of the most cynical members of our government, at all levels, can be pushed to do the right thing by the voters. When enough Americans work together to push our elected officials to get something done - like the 91% of Americans who want universal background checks - almost anything is possible.

If you want to know the best thing about spring, it isn't the return to warm beach weather in South Florida, or Husker spring football practice in Nebraska, or even the cherry blossoms blooming in Washington, DC.

It's the return of the feeling that once again, anything is possible.

Hope springs eternal.