Nothing grabs Washington's attention quite like a sudden drop in the economy. When the U.S. Department of Commerce reported on Jan. 30 that the gross domestic product shrank at an annual rate of 0.1 percent in the fourth quarter-the first decline since the recession year of 2009-it reminded politicians that the economy is in no condition to withstand more confidence-damaging brinkmanship over spending and taxes.
展开▼
