"Sure, the government will reopen through January and the 'Barrycades' surrounding the war memorials will be taken down. Furloughed workers will be paid. The debt limit will be raised through February. America will avoid becoming a deadbeat nation, at least for now, by not defaulting on its debt or postponing Social Security checks and food-stamp benefits.
"But let's not kid ourselves. This was merely another round in a long title fight between President Obama and Senate Democrats in one corner and Tea Party Republicans in the other. And more is coming.
"The House and Senate passed the legislation late Wednesday, ending a brawl with Republicans who tried to use the must-pass legislation to mount a last-ditch effort to derail the president's landmark health care law and demand concessions on the budget.
"The White House directed all agencies to reopen promptly and in an orderly fashion. Furloughed federal employees across the country are expected to return to work Thursday.
"'There was no economic rationale for any of this,' Vice President Joe Biden said as he greeted workers returning to the Environmental Protection Agency with hugs, handshakes and muffins. 'I hope everybody walks away with a lesson that this is unnecessary and I hope we can regain the trust of the American people.'
"The agreement doesn't resolve partisan disputes over Washington's budget but funds the government temporarily while lawmakers try to work out a broader deal to cut deficits and ease across-the-board spending cuts. That leaves the possibility of another stalemate in coming weeks."
At least for the moment, Chief TeaBagger Ted Cruz has been muzzled:
"U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, said Wednesday he won't delay a vote on a bipartisan budget deal that would reopen the government and avert a financial default.
"Cruz forced the shutdown by demanding that President Barack Obama gut his signature health care law in exchange for a bill to keep the government running, but he told reporters Wednesday that while he will would vote against the bipartisan bill, he won't use delaying tactics to stall the legislation.
"Cruz clearly wasn't happy about the deal.
"In a statement Wednesday, Cruz slammed the U.S. Senate and Washington in general for not doing more to shield Americans from the nation's new health care law and praised the U.S. House for its 'bold stance' during the government shutdown and debt-limit fight."
If you think Cruz and his soggy minions are going to skitter into the shadowy corners of their offices and disappear forever, then you don't know anything about cockroaches. He'll be back -- with a legion of others, dragging the same old dirt to smear our nation once again.