How closely are you watching what’s going on in Wisconsin with Governor Scott Brown and his standoff with the public employee unions? How closely are you following the battle in Congress regarding the Republicans’ demand to immediately cut spending as a condition of keeping the government funded beyond Friday?

I still go work and show up at my daughter’s soccer games and otherwise live my life, but I’m nonetheless following the stories very closely. And my fear is that the Republicans will wind up caving in to the howls of protest that are an unavoidable part of delivering on the promises of the campaigns that got them elected.

I have this very strong feeling that we are at a critical crossroads. Cave in, and the country’s fiscal collapse becomes only a question of when. Stand up to the demagoguery and withering pressure, and maybe we have a chance to save ourselves. The Republicans have a decidedly mixed record when it comes crunch time. And November elections notwithstanding, I admit that I won’t be totally shocked if they cave.

What about you?