“The West Wing” on the debt ceiling

The debt debate is settled--for now, anyway. President Obama signed into law a bill that raises the debt ceiling. The law puts to rest a bitter back-and-forth that left politicians exhausted and ordinary Americans incredibly annoyed.

While the debate and down-to-the-wire bickering may have seemed unprecedented, it's worth noting that at least one high-profile TV show predicted the fiasco almost to a T. "The West Wing," which ran on NBC for many years, had a bit that sounded almost as if the actors were describing the current-day troubles.

In the clip, various members of the White House staff explain why the debt-ceiling debate has gone down to the wire and what will happen if nothing is done.

"Is it routine or the end of the world?" one asks. "Both," another responds. Sound familiar? Now that an epic fiasco has been averted, take a look at this and laugh (or maybe cry).