The supercommittee roars to life

Those wondering when the Joint Select Committee on Deficit Reduction — a.k.a. the Supercommittee — will get up and running need wonder no more.

A press release from Sen. Patty Murray and her Supercommittee Co-chairman, Rep. Jeb Hensarling announced the panel will have its “organizational meeting” next Thursday, Sept. 8. Members will “make opening statements and consider proposed committee rules.”

Sept. 8. Hmmm. Why does that date seem familiar?

Oh yeah, that's when House Speaker John Boehner invited President Obama over to the Capitol to address a joint session of Congress on jobs. So look out recession. Between the Supercommittee and Obama, all this speechifying is sure to do knock you for a loop.

The committee also has a hearing scheduled for Sept. 13, which will feature the head of the Congressional Budget Office and focus on “The History and Drivers of Our Nation's Debt and Its Threats.” 

Hopefully, this will consist of more than “We've been spending more money than we take in, for a very long time, and it's not a good thing to keep doing.”