An agreement on the deficit would help to restore some prestige to Capitol Hill, proving that lawmakers can grapple with serious challenges rather than merely dealing in pettiness and obstructionism.
The historically unpopular 112th Congress has one final chance at redemption: two weeks to strike the deficit deal that has eluded it for nearly two years.
For the current crop of congressmen, the long-running battle over taxes and spending will culminate in the kind of year-end showdown that voters have come both to expect and fear from Washington.
Read more from The Hill.
