Perception, and the Government Shutdown

By Douglas V. Gibbs

The Democrats say the Government Shutdown is the fault of the TEA Party Republicans in the House of Representatives because they refuse to present a bill to fund the government with funding for the Affordable Care Act (Obamacare) attached to it.  The Republicans say that the Government Shutdown is the Democrat Party's fault because they, and Barack Obama, refuse to accept a bill that funds everything except their Obamacare program.  The GOP says that they are willing to fund the entire government, except for Obamacare, if the Democrats would just let that bill pass, and then come to the negotiating table for a reasonable conversation over the government intrusion into the health care industry.

To convince voters that the big bad Republicans are hurting America with their government shutdown, the Democrats are doing whatever they can to make sure everything they can muster is actually "shut down."  They have shut the gate at the World War II Memorial in Washington DC.  They have rejected any and every continuing resolution (including saying so in the White House memo that says Obama will veto any and all piece-meal funding by way of resolution) that would fund things separately, and the State of Arizona has even volunteered to use their own funds to keep the Grand Canyon open - and the Democrats in the federal government rejected the offer.

If memorials, national parks, and Veteran's Affairs got funded separately, people might not panic that the government shut down.  In fact, they might not even notice there is a shutdown. . . and the Democrats just can't have that.

It is all about perception, and the Democrats, armed with their relationship with the mainstream media, seek to ensure people come to the conclusion they need big government.  They want you to believe the Republicans are playing games and that the GOP is doing what they can to make people miserable over an ideological argument over Obamacare.

In reality, to end all of this, all the Democrats need to do is approve the entire government without Obamacare funded, and then come to the negotiating table with the GOP and hash it out regarding their health care law.

The Liberal Democrats would rather you think you are suffering, and then blame it on their opposition, rather than compromise on their effort to move us towards socialized medicine.  As many Democrats have said, "We won the election."  In other words, they have the "power", and how dare you offer any dissent.

Never mind that when Bush was President, Hillary Clinton said, "Dissent is Patriotic."

-- Political Pistachio Conservative News and Commentary

WWII Memorial Barricade Wired Shut - Weekly Standard

White House: Obama Would Veto Any More CRs That Don't Fund Entire Government - National Review Online

Arizona Governor Brewer, local businesses, fight to reopen Grand Canyon - Fox News

Democrat's Shutdown is Refusal to Face the American People - Red State

Flashback 2003: Mrs. Clinton Screeches That Dissent is Patriotic - Rush Limbaugh