Congress just found the dumbest way to avoid a government shutdown

• Congress now appears likely to avoid a government shutdown this week.
• The plan to do so would trade a large shutdown now for two potential ones later on.
• If this sounds dumb, it's because it is. 

Government shutdowns are dumb. It is genuinely good news that the nation is likely to avoid one this coming Friday. And yet, this being Washington, America's elected officials have found an exceedingly idiotic way to fulfill one of their basic responsibilities.