A government shutdown in the fall of 2016. Really?

Another shutdown? Where did that come from? Haven’t we (they) learned?

Congressional Republicans (aided and abetted by some naughty-but-politically-clever Democrats) may be heading the nation toward another government shutdown. If it happens — big IF — it would take place just weeks before the first Tuesday in November, the date of the presidential election. An election where two of the most unpopular candidates ever submitted by the two major political parties will be looking for votes from a hostile, angry majority of voters who think Washington is Disney World without any of the fun, clever, stuff.

While a shutdown didn’t seem possible even a few weeks ago, it is now a very real threat. And it is a threat to lots of people ranging from simple-to-substantial taxpayers, tourists and members of the federal workforce who are the automatic pawns in any shutdown.

If you read this as an editorial for or against one political party you are dead wrong. Your perception meter needs to be readjusted. You’ve been watching the Hillary & Donald (or Donald & Hillary) show too long.

This is meant to be as offensive as possible to Republicans who allow themselves to be caught, again, in the government shutdown quagmire AND equally to Democrats who, love ‘em or hate ‘em, know just which buttons to push to get GOP members of the House to, once again, drink from the fountain of stupidity.

Since the Bill Clinton administration of the ’90s, Democrats have managed to come out of government shutdowns (which they often helped set up ) as the winners, if not statesmen/women. Republicans have, shutdown after shutdown, taken the heat for closing down national parks and curtailing vital services — real and perceived — and causing hardship for many people. Can you say Newt Gingrich?

During the last shutdown non-emergency, government workers were sent home and locked out. But at the end of the day they got paid for doing nothing. At least during the earlier furloughs agencies didn’t pay people not to work. Although the trigger for the furloughs (sequestration) was designed and built at the White House, Republicans took most of the heat for both the unpaid furloughs and the paid shutdowns. That is likely to happen again.

Washington, during pre-shutdown-talk times like this, is like a school yard. You have certain naughty/sneaky boys (played by Democrats) setting off firecrackers, which self-proclaimed purer-than-snow Republicans egg them on, or allow it to happen, then take most if not all of the blame for the noise and disruptions. Again and again. Repeat as necessary. Continue to strike self in head with hammer until the pain stops.

P.S. Had a great vacation. And it is genuinely nice to be back.

But in time for another shutdown, really?

Nearly Useless Factoid

By Michael O’Connell

Trigger, Roy Rogers’ horse, was born in San Diego, California.

Source: Wikipedia

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