Republicans Want to Close It Down

The lead article in today’s New York Times, “As U.S. Shutdown Looms, Obama Rejects a Stopgap,” clearly shows that the blame for any government shutdown will rest squarely with the Republicans in the House of Representatives and their Tea Party cohorts.

The Republican attempt to pass additional continuing resolutions with ever increasing budget cuts ground to a halt yesterday with President Obama’s refusal to play the game any longer. What the Republicans don’t seem to realize is that these numbers have real effects on real people. They involve cutting funds for Head Start, for lunch programs for poor children, for helping disabled veterans. Meanwhile, they want to lower corporate tax rates even more, “to help the American people.”

This blog has remained fairly non-partisan in the past, but I am fed up with Republican shenanigans and the attitude that it’s my way or the highway. It’s time for them to start acting like adults and realize they can not get everything they want in negotiations. Some of their proposed budget cuts can at best be described as cruel. What happened to the so-called “compassionate conservatism” of the Bush era? I never thought anyone could make George Bush look good, but they’re giving it their best shot.

So, it should be clear. If the government shuts down, it is the Republicans’ fault and their pre-determined desire to do so. All the additional hardships this causes will rest squarely on them.