For years politicians, especially Republican one, have been bad mouthing government and Washington simply as a crude way to get to Washington. So the simpleminded have been conditioned to see federal employees as a bunch of useless office workers.

But the truth is that while politicians grandstand and gridlock it is patriotic government workers who keep the country afloat, as food inspectors, air traffic controllers, national heath scientist, law enforcement personnel and fill a thousand other vital jobs.