Dangerous duels with citizens caught in the middle

After spending a couple of days last week in Washington, D.C., I wonder how Congress and President Obama will settle their differences without hurting the taxpayers or crippling our struggling economy.

There is a high-stakes duel going on inside the Beltway.

House Republicans have approved a continuing resolution that provides stopgap funding for the federal government after Sept. 30, except for Obamacare.

Their position is that Senate Democrats and the president can avoid a government shutdown if they approve the legislation. In return, Republicans would reluctantly support raising the debt c...