The names are in.

As part of the pathetic, cynical and inadequate budget deal to raise the nation’s debt ceiling, Republicans and Democrats were called upon to assemble a bi-partisan “super committee” of twelve House members and Senators, chosen by the respective leaders from both parties, to come up with a way to close the deficit. Now that the S&P ratings downgrade has embarrassed the nation, destabilized foreign markets and sent an unambiguous message that the United States has to get serious about balancing the books and fast, have our political leaders responded to the challenge by choosing elected representatives of states and districts who have track records of collaboration, political courage, truthtelling and placing the best interests of the nation over narrow electoral fundraising and ideological objectives?

Naaa.

What, are you surprised? The leaders of the House and Senate have met our lowest expectations, and have chosen a hyper-partisan group to make up the super committee, guaranteeing that it will be super-contentious and super-ineffective. The degree to which this represents an abdication of their duties of leadership and responsible government is impossible to exaggerate.

The twelve chosen for the committee are a lock to produce nothing that will address the problem. You can read a good, if mild, overview of them here. The best of the Senate Democrats is, horribly enough, Sen. John Kerry, feckless and irresolute as always and none too bright, but at least capable of coalition-building. Sen. Max Baucus, who has had ethical problems, was on President Obama’s debt commission, which produced a recommendation that was balanced and did make tough sacrifices. Sen. Baucus refused to support it.  The worst is Sen. Patty Murray, who is responsible for getting Democrats elected to the Senate in 2012. Is there any chance that she would support a compromise that might anger the Democratic base? Harry Reid essentially sabotaged the super committee by her appointment alone.

Not that Republican Minority Leader Sen. McConnell did much better; in fact, two of the Republican three are arguably worse than any of the Democratic Senators. They include extreme partisan Pat Toomey, a Tea Party Senator who can be counted on the refuse any tax increases, and Sen. Jon Kyl, he of the infamous “that statement was not intended to be factual” gaffe. Great. The GOP trio does included the star of the Senate committee member, Sen. Rob Portman, who was once Director of OMB and has shown signs of being pragmatic and capable.

Over on the House side, Speaker John Boehner appointed Rep. Jeb Hensarling of Texas, a hard right ideologue; Rep. Fred Upton, a relative moderate who has a special hatred for environmental regulations, and Rep. Dave Camp, another moderate. But Boehner’s comparatively reasonable and promising appointees are rendered futile by the unconscionable picks of House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, none of whom will accept the fact that U.S. entitlements have to be cut, and cut significantly, if the nation isn’t going to go down the road of fiscal disaster. Pelosi promised such a group, and delivered.

There are four Ethics Dunces on the committee: Pelosi appointee Rep. James Clyburn, Kerry, Kyl, and Baucus. No representatives from the so-called Gang of Six, however, the bi-partisan group of Senators who have reached across the aisle to try to forge budget compromises. That would have made too much sense.

Thus the super committee gimmick is doomed before it even begins, simply serving, as perhaps it was designed to, as a stalling device to allow President Obama to continue his cowardly and almost criminally passive approach to the debt and deficit crisis. A competent President would present a comprehensive and balanced plan after negotiations and consultation in good faith with both parties. He would rally public support, and exercise his own form of “extortion” over the process, as envisioned by the Constitution, by threatening to veto any legislation that doesn’t meet responsible standards for getting the budget out of control…his way.

We don’t have such a President, however; that is one reason we are in the position we are in today. Instead, he has delegated leadership on fiscal issues to political hacks who are unworthy of it, and who immediately betrayed their duties as national leaders for narrow political gains.