Instead, after much delay and speechifying, Congress mindlessly extends the subsidies en bloc.

FORBES: Is House Review Of Tax Breaks A Donation Shakedown, Or Could We See Reform?

The federal government, after much delay, has put road improvements out for private management, but its insistence on low tolls has deterred investors.

ECONOMIST: Efficiency drive

After much delay, the SEC has finally issued new rules mandated by Congress to open up the marketing of shares and other securities issued by private companies seeking capital.

FORBES: Floodgates Set to Open for Private Securities Offerings (and Hedge Funds are Included!)

On February 2nd, after much delay and brinkmanship, the education department finally admitted that it had killed off the state 11-plus exam but was unable to come up with a replacement.

ECONOMIST: Grammar schools

The merger between Glencore and Xstrata was finalised on 2 May after much delay, mainly due to opposition by Qatar Holdings, Xstrata's second largest shareholder, against the multi-million pound "golden handcuffs" plan to retain Xstrata's board members.

BBC: Xstrata logo

As in 1996, the Likud happens once again to be led by Binyamin Netanyahu, who after winning that election did much to delay and ultimately derail the Oslo peace process.

ECONOMIST: Israel without Sharon