Everything that everyone loathes about Washington was present in the “fiscal cliff” bill just passed by Congress. It is 153 pages long; most members probably hadn’t read all of it before voting on it; it was delivered in the middle of the night; it was loaded with pork — the mother’s milk (to mix a metaphor) of politicians — and while the country is already swamped with massive debt, it contains massive giveaways to satisfy interest groups and campaign contributors.

Did I mention the bill raises taxes, on top of the coming Obamacare taxes, but does nothing — nothing — to address the debt problem?