This column is a little more challenging than most because I'm writing this in early October in the midst of the federal government shutdown, knowing that the column will actually be published in January 2014 when things (hopefully) will be back to normal-at least as normal as they can be in Washington, D.C. From my point of view, I thought that the budget standoff would be resolved at the eleventh hour, on Sunday or Monday, September 29 or 30, but before the end of the federal fiscal year at midnight, September 30. Since I was completely wrong with my logic on that issue, take the following prediction with a grain of salt-I think the shutdown is going to last right up until the potential national debt default date of October 17. It is not going to be over in a few days.
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