49th Congress, six months in office

Six months since Inauguration Day, really not much of substance has been accomplished. The 49th Congress continues to deal with the shaky economy, continuing the tax breaks and other economic stimuli passed by the 48th Congress earlier this year, particularly during the post-election lame duck session. But the lack of any substantial recovery (i.e. jobs being brought home from China and a reduction in the unofficial double-digit unemployment rate), has only strengthened the Diet Coke Party and the Swadeshi Ramrajya Movement. Note that Patria does not have mid-term congressional elections, but several Precincts will be electing new legislatures in 2012.

Patria's Congress congratulates its counterpart in the United States for voting to repeal "Don't Ask Don't Tell", allowing gays and lesbians to serve in the armed forces, the objections of the usual Christian America rightist dinosaurs and curmudgeonly homophobes such as Pat Buchanan notwithstanding. This horse left the barn in Patria back in the last century; gays and lesbians have been integrated into Patria's army, navy, air force and coast guard since the 1980s. The last frontier is to repeal the unwritten "don't ask don't tell" in Major League Baseball, the NFL, NHL and NBA -- not to mention the Patrienish Hockey League, All-Patria Football Federation and the Castorian and Lazurian Leagues (Patria's two baseball leagues). Any gay high school or college athlete who hopes for a professional career knows the unwritten rule to stay in the closet until his playing career is over, or even after his playing career if he wants a job as a coach or manager. There are no general managers in any of the major pro leagues who are willing to take the risk that Branch Rickey took in 1947 to challenge a very old so-called gentleman's agreement. Consequently, even in the second decade of the 21st century, an openly gay player would face an even tougher battle than Jackie Robinson.