No, seriously. I made an on-line bet 3 days ago the government would shut down at midnight tonight. The divide is just too broad to cross so perhaps the government should shut down. Just not for the reasons supported by the Tea Party.
We should not bow to ideological, strong arm tactics from either side. If the Republicans want more cuts they can come from sources beholden to them as easily as they can come from Planned Parenthood or Medicare. Say, defense contracts and oil subsidies. If the Democrats are truly interested in compromise they should be prepared to give up funding for a many of their pet programs as well. The dollar amount cut from one sides program should be given up by a program supported by the other side.
The idea that one side alone is going to get to dictate how much the cuts should be and where they should come from is ludicrous. That is where the Tea Party fails: unwillingness to accept any loss for pet projects on their side or engage in compromise. I may vote for a moderate Republican in some upcoming election. Never a Tea Party candidate. They’ve shown what they’re made of just when we thought Washington couldn’t smell any worse.