Your news channel of choice has told you there is a government shutdown.
You have no idea what that means, but a lot of jerks,
(mainly on FOX news and wingnut radio shows)
are telling you who to blame. They’re probably lying to you.
IGNORE ALL THAT CRAP.
Here’s what is really happening:
Months ago, the Senate passed a “clean” CR (continuing resolution) Discretionary Budget to keep the government running.
It was a GIGANTIC gift (a huge compromise) to the Republicans
(as you will see from the graph below),
as it keeps the sequester in place and goes even lower than that,
both of which will continue to drag the economic recovery.
This CR bill was a bi-partisan effort in the Senate.
Additionally, the Senate invited the House months ago to come and participate in the budget negotiations, but Boehner said no EIGHTEEN times.
Now, after 40+ times trying to repeal the ACA, the House refuses to pass the Senate’s ‘clean’ CR unless they get the NON-discretionary ACA law de-funded.
It doesn’t belong in a bill for Discretionary funding,
but since the Tea Party is a bunch of cry-babies about Obamacare,
they won’t let any other government business happen unless they get their way.
If the Senate caves to this behavior, it will set a dangerous precedent that will allow a small faction of 1/3 of the government to hold the entire country hostage just so that Eric Cartman can get his new iPad or whatever the hell it is that they want (they don’t even know anymore).
All of the posturing that Republicans are doing right now in front of the cameras and the piece by piece funding bills they’re passing in the House are just a sad attempt of Republicans to seem reasonable while anyone who’s been paying attention knows they’re completely disingenuous (AKA – full of crap).
So the Tea Party Republicans continue to throw a tantrum until they get their way.
Every day or two, Ted Cruz does his best impression of Bizarro Superman (sans super-powers) with a blatant attempt to project his own faults onto the Democrats.
You can’t let bullies get away with that crap. Sometimes you have to hit back.
Image via ThinkProgress