Frederica Freyberg:
Finally tonight, our own government watchdog, singing commentator Peter Leidy, gets the last word on the budget news. Peter says the work on the budget so far has happened out of the public eye, and that's what inspired him to rewrite the 1970s country hit, "Behind Closed Doors." Here is he with Mark Whitcomb on bass and Dave Adler on keyboard. It's tonight's "End Insight."

Peter Leidy:
My legislature makes me proud.
Lord, don't they make me proud.
Meeting in secret, wouldn't want to deal with a crowd.
‘Cause if people could see them,
Lord, we'd be wondering how,
With a huge deficit,
They could add all these earmarks right now.
But when they get behind closed doors,
And they turn the lights down low,
Argue over who's going to bring the bacon home,
Oh, no one knows what goes on behind closed doors.
A half a million bucks, oh, for the opera house in Oshkosh.
Makes the taxpayer in La Crosse or up in Eagle River say gosh.
Fifty thousand dollars, Lord, for a shooting range in Eau Claire.
Four hundred thirty thousand dollars for Chippewa County's highway excise square.
But when they get behind closed doors,
And they turn the lights down low,
Makes me wonder just what they're trying to hide.
Oh, no one knows what goes on behind closed doors.
The Dems are in control.
Lord, how they run the show.
Like the GOP did not so many years ago.
Seems whoever has the power,
Lord, they're going to grab all they can.
Bring it home to their district, mm-hmm,
Fry it up in the pan.
And when they get behind closed doors,
And they keep the talk down low,
Pass the pork all around,
Oh, no one knows what goes on behind closed doors.
Behind closed doors.

Frederica Freyberg:
Peter Leidy, Mark Whitcomb and Dave Adler. Peter's songs are musical opinions, opinions that are his and not necessarily those of "Here & Now."