Congress is caught up in another partisan showdown, another mindless contest of budgetary chicken. The stakes are enormous, with cuts of $100 billion looming for defense and non-defense spending.

Is it even conceivable that our national lawmakers would put vast budget cuts on autopilot for January? Well, yes, and short of what everyone expects in the way of a reprieve — a continuing resolution that postpones cuts — the threat looms. Crazy.

The National Association of Manufacturers is the latest panicked voice to sound the alarm. Predictions forecast a million jobs lost, with three states — California, Virginia and Texas — accounting for a third of them. Washington is on the chopping block for an estimated 25,000 positions.

Could it happen? Maybe. For now the better question is how voters will react as the campaign season heats up. They ought to be disgusted, asking hard, direct questions about how the conduct of public policy reached such a nadir. Better yet, the candidates need to speak up.