I talked about this last week. 
The topic: the narrowing of U.S. political debate. 
The culprits: Democrats and the Republicans. 

Although it's really the two party system in general.  Watch how beautifully they orchestrate their symphony.

"A weary and sharply divided US Senate headed toward a showdown vote yesterday on an apparently doomed Democratic plan to withdraw US combat troops from Iraq by the end of next April."- http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/front/archives/2007/07/19/2003370218

There's drama and tension in there for the rubes.  Rube: somebody too stupid to notice that they are being baffled by bullshit.

"While a majority of lawmakers back the plan, the Senate seemed several votes short of the needed 60 to clear the roadblock and allow a vote on passage. Democrats have only a 51-49 majority over Republicans."

Here's the crux of the issue.  The Democrats pull the same stunt when Republicans are in the majority in Congress.  It's called a filibuster and it's a commonly accepted practice in the U.S. Senate.  It's a rule built into the system to ensure that a tiny majority cannot tyrannize over the large minority.

Republican Senators do not want to vote on withdrawing troops from Iraq, because as long as they don't have to vote on the resolution they can continue to blame President Bush for the War in Iraq.  That's what was accomplished after spending all night in the U.S. Senate last night.  The bill they debated all night didn't get voted on.

The only reason someone wouldn't want to vote on an idea is because they don't want people to know where they stand.  More than likely they would stand on the wrong side and they know it.  However, the Democrats don't push this line of reasoning and call Senators out by name.  Instead they pick up an oldie but a goodie from a year or so back.

"Republicans will need to choose whether they want to protect the president or protect our troops," Senate Democratic leader Harry Reid said.

It's the same type of argument Republicans throw at the Democrats when they challenge their patriotism.

It's a verbal hand grenade.  Depending on current cultural conditions and depending on where you say it, you've immediately got the other person defending themselves.  You've in effect determined the argument that is going to follow.

You're weak on the war and you hate our troops.  Go!

Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell answered: "The Democrats, unfortunately, are trying to undermine the efforts of our troops and restrict the ability of our generals to carry out their mission."

In all of this nothing was accomplished.  The president is still waiting until September to receive a progress report on the war and we'll get to go through this all over again in about two months (because Iraq isn't earning any of the ten missing progress points with the Iraqi Parliament on recess for August.)

Some establishment is being served by all of this and it probably resembles a military industrial complex.  Maybe a company like Haliburton.  Someone is cashing in big on the U.S. spending patterns in the world and they have been cashing in for quite some time.

This is all able to be done with relative ease, because the Democrats and Republicans weave an intricate dance.  They have no real clear objectives other than to cause problems for the other party. 
Therefore, sleep tight America.
Nothing's getting done.