Yesterday, I had a third interview with a large company. It went well. I was expecting a job offer this week. Today, I followed up and was told the company has put the "brakes" on hiring. They aren't calling it a freeze, but are slowing down and being cautious. The reasons given were the debt ceiling "issue", the volatility of the stock market, and the uncertainty created by the new debt commission.
I did my best to make the case why they should hire me now, rather than later. Frankly, I think it is out of the hands of the guy who, so far as I could tell, was ready to offer me the job.
Of course the Tea Party would relish this news. If companies are balking at hiring due to concerns about the economy, an economic slowdown will become a self-fulfilling prophecy, and the Tea Party will be all too delighted to blame the President's failed policies.
There was much angst and gnashing of teeth among Kossakcs surrounding the Obama "grand bargain". I was a critic myself. Had Republicans accepted it, which they surely would have if they cared one whit about the deficit, Standard and Poor's would have been happy, the stock market might be less maniacal (although I think that is debatable), the "Super Congress" would not exist, and I'd probably be going to work next week.