People often lose sight of the important while looking at the urgent.
IOW, "When you are up to your butt in alligators it is hard to remember that your original objective was to drain the swamp!"
I'm going to steal your turn of phrase...
119 posted on 12/23/2011 7:24:40 AM PST by null and void
(Day 1066 of America's ObamaVacation from reality [Heroes aren't made, Frank, they're cornered...])