Isn’t there something better to debate in federal politics?

Here the country is fighting two wars and dealing with a struggling middle class facing high health care costs and insurance rates and a lot of people out of a job, and the TV comedians and commentators are flipping out over the use of teleprompters and hand scribbles.

Let’s end this matter right here:

OK, Republican supporters, you have no right to slam President Obama for using a teleprompter. A generation ago, President Reagan was lauded for using teleprompters extensively. Some Democrats didn’t like the extent to which he used them, but Republicans defended the practice.

And, Democratic supporters, you have no right to slam former Republican vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin for writing her notes on her hand. Everyone has written notes on their hand at some point in their life. Maybe she had last-minute ideas and didn’t have time to track down a piece of paper before going on stage. If Democrats want to embrace the common man, they need to be less snooty about such matters as palm notes.

Yes, yes, indeed, all of this banter makes for great humor on “The Daily Show” and gets ratings on CNN, Fox News and MSNBC.

But there just has to be some grown-ups out there in American who know to turn off the TV when the pundits end up on topics like this.

No, it’s not the politicians slinging mud this time. It’s the TV people making a mud mountain out of a molehill.

And the viewers deserve blame for eating it up.

Hey, television, can we all now get back to important matters?