Why Congress will never compromise on taxes, deficit

Check out the chart - it's revealing and a bit scary:

From WSJ columnist David Wessel:

Contrast the twin-peak charts from the Congress of the 1960s to those of the 1980s and late 2000s, and two things leap out. Once there were some Democrats who voted to the right of some Republicans. No longer. Once there was substantial overlap at the center, where coalitions formed. No longer. This analysis is increasingly relevant to economic policy. "If you want to understand the debt-limit debate this year and the ongoing gridlock we are likely to experience for years, study [these graphs]," says former White House budget director Peter Orszag.

Wessel points out that at the end of the year Congress will have to do something with the Bush tax cuts, Obama payroll-tax holiday (assuming it's extended next month), and yes, the debt ceiling. Gulp!