And In The Center Ring

It is probably no coincidence that the first American circus opened in Philadelphia in 1792 only three years after the first 1789 Presidential Election. This later expanded to New York City and Boston, and politics being politics, the circus bought a horse from George Washington. To this day, Congress is more of a circus than Ringling Brothers. At least at Ringling Brothers, all the dangerous animals are kept in cages.

The Pelosi led Congress is starting with a bang, lots of good rhetoric and wonderful feel good moments. Whether or not they can keep George from playing Cowboys and Indians is a whole other matter. It is even open to question as to whether they will really want to since his failure is their election issue. When you have a clown in the White House, the acrobats have to do a high wire act on the Hill

The only thing the American public can do is to keep an eye on all three rings at once because it is a sure thing that the one you aren't watching is going to contain something that will bite you.

As P. T. Barnum noted:

There is a sucker born every minute
Each time the second hand sweeps to the top
Like dandelions up they pop
Their ears so big, their eyes so wide
And though I feed ‘em bonafide baloney
With no truth in it
Why you can bet I’ll find some rube to buy my corn.
'Cause there’s a sure-as-shooting sucker born a minute
And I’m referrin’ to the minute you were born.

1871 William Cameron Coup and showman P.T. Barnum opened an enormous circus in Brooklyn that they dubbed "The Greatest Show on Earth." Ten years later, Barnum went into business with James Anthony Bailey; the "Barnum and Bailey" circuses were so large they required simultaneous performances in three rings.

1884, the five Ringling brothers staged their first circus, and they soon were buying out other circus companies, including Barnum and Bailey, which they purchased in 1907. During the next three decades, the Ringling Brothers and Barnum & Bailey Combined Shows grew into the largest touring organization in the world, with hundreds of tents and an army of workers and performers. The Ringling Brothers and Barnum & Bailey downsized after World War II but continues to tour today.