Why Is The Government Shut Down?

Political Realities ^ | 10/02/13 | LD Jackson

[LD Jackson]

It's a simple question. Why is the federal government of the United States shut down? A simple question that has a simple answer. The mainstream media will not tell you the truth about the government shutdown. All you will hear out of them is how the Republicans are causing trouble for everyday American citizens by their refusal to compromise their right-wing ideology. It sounds bad when it's said like that, but it gets even worse when you finally understand just how much of a lie that statement really is. The Republicans are not to blame for the government shutdown.

The Democrats took control of the House of Representatives and the Senate in 2007. Since that time, the federal government has relied on continuing resolutions to fund operations. Even after the Republicans regained control of the House in 2010, that process continued. This is mainly due to the lack of compromise by the Democrats. They have refused to budge on their left-wing ideology that requires more and more government spending. That's the plain truth of the matter.

Let's be clear about this. The Republicans have tried to offer compromises that would fund the government. My feeling is that they should pass a real budget, but that is probably out of the question, at least for the time being. Instead, they have offered up several different continuing resolutions that would fund certain areas of the government. They originally wanted to defund Obamacare and when that failed, they moved to the continuing resolution that would delay the individual mandate and repeal the medical device tax. That offer was refused by the Senate. They didn't even vote on the bill.

Currently, the Republicans in the House are considering three different proposals that would allow veterans benefits to continue, reopen national parks, and allow the government of Washington, D. C. to continue its operations. Those proposals will likely be approved later today, but President Obama and Harry Reid have already said they would reject them, out of hand. The White House called them "piecemeal" and "no way to run a government". In other words, give us all or give us nothing. The government is shut down because the Democrats refuse to compromise.

Why this refusal to compromise? Another simple question that has a simple answer. The government could have continued its operations, unhindered, had the Democrats not been busy filling the airwaves with their lies and rhetoric. Remember how President Obama has portrayed himself as "fighting for the middle class"? Since the time he started campaigning for President, he has consistently harped about the evils of large corporations. I believe that play is one reason he won reelection. As that rhetoric moves into his second term, we find reality to be much different.

President Obama has granted delays and waivers from the rules and mandates to a number of groups and organizations. Unions have found themselves to be exempt. The mandate that big businesses provide health insurance to their employees has been delayed for a year. The most notable delay that is missing, the delay that could help Americans who are hurting because of the mandates of Obamacare, is the one year delay of the mandate that every American buy health insurance. That is a no-starter for President Obama. That seems to be awfully strange, coming from a man who casts himself has a President fighting for the common man. In my view, his refusal to compromise and delay the individual mandate shows him for what he really is; a politician who cares nothing for the constituents he supposedly serves. So much for hope and change.

[newnhdad]

repeat after me.. the democrats shut down the government because they don’t want to have to participate in obamacare like the rest of us.

[Sacajaweau]

National Parks are OUR Parks...We need guides like we need a hole in the head. And closing the Memorials in DC? Absolutely no reason to close them.

[BCW]

the majority of uninformed idiots voted this guy in...and the ones that could have stopped him in 2012 - didn't vote at all

[SunkenCiv]

Thanks LD Jackson.

The Democrats took control of the House of Representatives and the Senate in 2007. Since that time, the federal government has relied on continuing resolutions to fund operations. Even after the Republicans regained control of the House in 2010, that process continued. This is mainly due to the lack of compromise by the Democrats. They have refused to budge on their left-wing ideology that requires more and more government spending. That's the plain truth of the matter. Let's be clear about this. The Republicans have tried to offer compromises that would fund the government. My feeling is that they should pass a real budget, but that is probably out of the question, at least for the time being. Instead, they have offered up several different continuing resolutions that would fund certain areas of the government.

[Jacquerie]

Paraphrasing a recent tweet:

The government can’t be shut down; CBS, ABC, NBC, MSNBC, CNN are still on the air.

[al_c]

Simple answer ... because this government can’t operate without a budget. They’ve been trying since 2008 but it’s not working.

[R. Scott]

And closing the Memorials in DC? Absolutely no reason to close them.

My thoughts exactly. Another example is a local national park – Colonial Parkway. It is a scenic road connecting Jamestown, Williamsburg and Yorktown. What would it cost to keep a road open?
The only reason I can think of is that it makes the shutdown visible to the American People.

[silverleaf]

EXCELLENT

[Paladin2]

"...because this government can’t operate without a budget."Dingy needs to be reminded daily.

[Paladin2]

"My feeling is that they should pass a real budget"

That is the bottom lone.

[silverleaf]

The WW2 Memorial is a walkway and stone benches and tablets engraved- yet it was barricaded by 9AM on Oct 1?

The Lincoln and Jefferson Memorials? Open stone structures with steps and walkways

Now some axxwipe is saying you can’t even walk on the National Mall (a sidewalk lining gravel path and dead grass)

The Obamites obviously had a plan in place

they have finally found efficiency- in showing ways to disrespect and “punish” Americans for defying them

I suppose next they will block the streets and sidewalks of DC since they all pass government parks and monuments and therefore fall under control of the lord Obama

or perhaps federally maintained highways and bridges are closed next, just to show us who’s the man

think anyone would get arrested for throwing shoes at the US Capitol?

[Sacajaweau]

Another good reason why ALL parks should be state or local parks and all Federal Highways should be the same. Just another example of the government usurping the powers of the states.

[LibertyOh]

The Secure Fence Act of 2006 passed with strong bipartisan support. Then the Democrats took over in 2007 and have since failed to fund the building of the fence- failed to fund the law. How is this any different? Only difference is the Democrats are willing to shut down the Government to get their way with a Congress that is not willing to fund their law that passed in the dead of night and with such strong opposition throughout the country that they lost Ted Kennedy’s Senate seat.

[wku man]

...and the ones that could have stopped him in 2012 - didn't vote at all."

And if the Pubbies are stupid enough to nominate another RINO/O-hole in 2016, they'll stay home again.

Scouts Out! Cavalry Ho!

[LD Jackson]

I would not disagree with that at all. Especially the part about the people who could have stopped him by voting refused to vote at all.

[Tupelo]

“CBS, ABC, NBC, MSNBC, CNN are still on the air.”

CBS, ABC, NBC, MSNBC, CNN, FOX & ALJEZEERA are still on the air.

There I finished it for you.

[MeneMeneTekelUpharsin]

Huge lie. It is NOT shut down. Federal employees are still receiving pay. What a lie. If it were shut down, all of the regulatory agencies would cease operating and we could have an economy again.

[pennyfarmer]

This weekend is the duck season opener and one of the largest bird refuges here is closed. Apearantly you cant hunt on the kings land when he is upset.