A temporary truce may have been achieved in Washington earlier this week with members of Congress approving a short-term budget deal, but there is no justification for anyone to think the fighting is over and the country can look forward to months of positive, forward-thinking, bipartisan legislation.

The mean-spirited name-calling by Democratic Senate leader Harry Reid, former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and President Obama and his cronies, while apparently successful in shaping public opinion, left many deep scars that will continue to fester among Republicans and will cause pain in the sure-to-come legislative battles.

The government spending issue will surface prior to Jan. 15, and the debt ceiling matter will be addressed by Feb. 7.

Democrats probably are riding high due to the manner in which they pounded Republican efforts to delay various aspects of Obamacare and rejected a number of House bills to free up federal money to open memorials, national parks, etc., during the government shutdown. They also probably are preening about dressing down GOP House Speaker John Boehner.

In fact, Democrats now are talking seriously about winning back the majority in the House in the 2014 elections, whereas only a short time ago, they looked upon this possibility as a fanciful dream.

As soon as the Senate votes were counted Wednesday evening, Obama congratulated those in the Senate who had come together to approve the short-term budget deal, but immediately announced he intends to go to battle to get approval for an overhaul of U.S. immigration policy. He also said the budget crisis and long-term deficit could be averted by the end of the year with bipartisan support in Congress, and a farm bill could be passed.

The fact is, Wednesday’s congressional actions didn’t accomplish anything other than delaying a showdown on government spending and the embarrassing and dangerous national debt challenges while angering and stiffening the opposition of many Republican lawmakers.

Obama talks so much about his willingness to work with anyone relative to differences they may have about various pieces of legislation. And the major media buy this story even though facts and actions show such claims to be hollow. Obama tries to appear reasonable and accommodating but, more and more, his actions show this is a false facade.

He makes it very clear he will not agree to ANY concessions on his health care plan, which is proving to be an ugly, unworkable, costly quagmire. He is driven by partisan politics, doesn’t hide his desire to destroy and/or split the GOP and has never wavered from his commitment to make major changes in America.

Basically, these changes are to create a welfare society, a “nanny state,” where so many citizens are on the federal teat, “bought,” that their vote and support is almost guaranteed. Socialism is knocking at America’s door and, unfortunately, it is becoming increasingly clear that no one in the White House is making any effort to preserve the free enterprise system that has made this country so great and the envy of the rest of the world.

Obama seems more intent on apologizing for America’s success, punishing those who achieve and excel and bringing everybody and everything down, or up, to a certain “average” level. Mediocrity will be the name of the game with no one feeling or looking like a winner or loser.

At this time, it seems ridiculous to believe anything sound, positive and genuinely helpful to the country will be achieved anytime soon in Congress. Likewise, it seems ridiculous to believe there will be any real evidence of courageous leadership for the good of the country coming from the White House.

It’s much more likely that Harry Reid, Nancy Pelosi and Obama will continue to be cheerleaders, with their megaphones accusing anyone who opposes their policies and agenda of taking hostages or using ransom tactics to try to get their way. The mean-spirited name-calling is likely to resume soon after the Thanksgiving holiday as the Jan. 15 and Feb. 7 “deadlines” draw near.

It’s not a pretty picture, and the major media are not giving the public a balanced and fair report of this dangerous but steady effort to weaken what has made this country strong.