Crunch Time – The Washington Redskins kept their playoff hopes alive with a come-from-behind victory in sudden-death overtime over the Baltimore Ravens on Sunday. Policymakers in Washington also look to be headed into overtime as the fiscal cliff negations almost certainly will cause the House of Representatives to go beyond its original target adjournment date of December 14.

Blue Christmas? – December can be a depressing time for many. Shorter days and the stress of the holidays affect many of us. Unfortunately, the news out of Washington won’t give any cause to perk up. Following fiscal cliff developments lately has been more depressing than watching the Washington Wizards play. Little progress has been made and earlier projections that a deal could be reached before Christmas now appear sanguine. With each passing day an 11th hour deal looks to be the best case scenario for avoiding the fiscal cliff.

Putting the Turkeys Behind Us – We hope everyone had a good holiday weekend! As we all recover from the annual turkey-induced coma, we are especially thankful for our growing network of supporters who are demanding fiscal responsibility of their leaders. That message is especially important as lawmakers return this week to address unfinished business such as the fiscal cliff and possibly an appropriations package for the rest of the fiscal year.

Racing to the Cliff – The NASCAR season ended on Sunday with Brad Keselowski claiming his first Sprint Cup championship. But fans of seeing things going around in circles can get their fix by watching the action in Washington. Congress is not in session this week for a Thanksgiving pit stop, but the posturing for position continues regarding the looming fiscal cliff. The thing about this race is that it isn’t clear how many laps it will go.

Answering the Call – Today is the federal government's observance of Veterans Day, the day the nation honors those who have served in the armed forces. CRFB salutes and thanks all veterans for their service. We hope our elected leaders and the rest of us can be inspired by the example of our veterans and strive to serve as best we can to make this nation stronger.

Decision Time – Election Day is tomorrow and the stakes are high. Not only is control of the White House and Congress at stake, but the election will also have repercussions for the federal budget and national debt. Although it will be the current group of policymakers that will address the fiscal cliff (or not) in a post-election lame duck session of Congress, the results of the voting will no doubt play a role in the deliberations, which could very likely spill into next year.

Storm Brewing – The Northeastern U.S. is being impacted by the freak concurrence of several major storms that has caused major population centers like Washington and New York to effectively shut down. The economic impact from the so-called “Frankenstorm” is expected to be substantial. Not far off is another tempest that is brewing that also represents numerous events coming together.

Up for Debate – Election 2012 is entering the final stretch and it is still up for grabs. The presidential contest has been marked more by missteps than by anyone stepping up and observers are waiting to see who will mimic the Washington Nationals and Redskins and give it away at the end. The third and final presidential debate is tonight at 9 pm Eastern Time and is the last time the contenders will go head to head.

Decisions, Decisions – Washington waits with bated breath for the Supreme Court to rule Thursday on the constitutionality of the Affordable Care Act, the 2010 health care reform law. Not only will the decision have repercussions for politics and health care, it will also impact the federal budget significantly. In a blog last week, we laid out how the federal budget will be affected in different scenarios.

Playing Dead – Lawmakers face several deadlines in coming weeks as the number of days that Congress will be in session dwindles. Deadlines loom at the end of the month for highway funding and student loans.