Major League Baseball's All Star break starts after today's games have been decided. For the next few days, those players voted in by the fans or chosen by the big bosses will put on a display of their skills in a relatively meaningless endeavor. Coincidentally this week also marks the beginning of the time Congress is in session between their July 4 recess and their extended August recess. Think of it as the All Star Game for our government.

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While hot-button issues like illegal immigration, cap & trade and card check won't be resolved during this abbreviated session, there are at least three spending items that will be seriously debated and probably decided in the next few weeks. Democrats and Republicans will be putting on a display of both their skills and their ideologies as they determine whether our government should go even deeper into debt extending programs that help the states, the unemployed and needy families or if they should apply some fiscal responsibility and find a way to actually pay for these programs:

Aid To States: Governors have asked Congress for a six month extension of federal funding for Medicaid. Estimated cost of the extension: $16 billion.

Unemployment Insurance: Extending the deadline to file for federal unemployment insurance would provide funds for the over 2.1 million people who have lost their weekly jobless checks.

Aid To Needy Families: The$5 billion emergency fund created for the Temporary Assistance to Needy Families program will expire on September 30 and any unused money must be returned to the federal government. A bill is pending that would extend the emergency fund for a year and add another $2.5 billion to it. (source)

Contrary to what you will hear from Democrats and their accomplices in the mainstream media, Republicans are all for providing the aid these deserving groups need. The difference lies in whether or not the nation should go further into debt or if these measures can actually be paid for.

As most Americans understand, when an emergency occurs that necessitates an unexpected payout, the family budget needs to be tweaked so that the new expense can be paid. Going deeper into debt, especially when you already owe more than you are able to pay, should not be the first course of action. Yet that is what most Democrats are arguing should be done on these issues while they try to demonize the Republicans as uncaring and unwilling to help those in need.

Luckily that tactic will not be used for long as once this mini-session is over, most Democrats will be wary of supporting any more deficit spending that could hurt their already slim chances in the fast-approaching midterm elections. Just as the outcome of MLB's All-Star Game decides which league gets home field advantage in the World Series, the battle between those who favor more deficit spending and those who are demanding fiscal responsibility in government may offer an advantage to politicians participating in their own fall classic this year.