Bicker, Kicker, or Schticker?

In an unprecedented move following another unprecedented move, the President has capitulated to Speaker Boehner on the scheduling of the jobs speech before the joint chambers of Congress.

The President had wanted to unveil his jobs plan next Wednesday--the first day Congress returns from the August recess--but has agreed to delay by one day, in a bow to the Republican Debate in California, also set for Wednesday night, in which three members of Congress are involved.

But as Thursday night is the big kickoff of the 2011-2012 NFL season, with a much anticipated opener featuring the New Orleans Saints against the Green Bay Packers, one wonders is the President will have much of an audience outside of the confines of Congress.

And therein lies just one of the difficulties in creating jobs in America. Attention span. Sure, we're interested in the behind-the-scenes workings of two of our branches of government and we should be, but if it is this daunting of a task just to discuss our biggest trial as a nation, how can we expect to ever begin to address the problem?

The President has a job. The members of Congress have jobs. The NFL players have jobs. And we'll spend our attention discussing all of them rather than take the time to hear what (if any) decent plan anyone has for all the people out there who do not have jobs. I'm guilty of it myself--just read last night's posting.

Blame the 24-hour news cycle. Blame bloggers. Blame our polarized politics. But somewhere in the detritus of all that blaming, we need to start laying claim to the problem: Folks are hurting and need to know that Washington has a plan to help them in their suffering.

So is it bicker, the kicker, or the schticker? Who will garner our taxed attention span? If all were scheduled on the same evening, at the same time, Vegas odds would likely be on the side of the NFL. Nielsen ratings would no doubt bear that out. All the politicians would be pretty far out of the running.

Football and politics are my two favorite games, so I am somewhat invested in this argument. The GOP contenders have their views. Michele Bachmann explains the conundrum this way: "Either he (the President) wants to distract the American people so they don't hear him or he doesn't want them to hear what the next President of the United States is going to say about (his) job plan." Jon Huntsman calls it "political theatrics" maintaining that if you "don't have a plan you fall back on political theatrics." Herman Cain referred to the situation as first being "political mischief", then postulates that the Administration "sat back and said 'What if our ratings are less than the Debate's?'--I don't think they wanted to play that card."

And I have my view: I want it all. I want to see the Republican Debate. I want to hear the President's plan. I want to watch the Saints play the Packers. And I have a DVR to facilitate all of that. But do I/we have the attention span to take it all in without mixing it up? (Jobs? You mean Steve?)

Well President Drew Brees will, hopefully, go big with his debate package before halftime. And if it comes down to overtime, my money's on the Elephants' kicker going wide right.