The prospect of a partial government shutdown is not bringing out the best in our politicians. Independent Senator Angus King, who caucuses with the Democrats, said “right wing extremists” are “guilty of murder” for trying to get rid of Obamacare. No Republican went quite that far in their invective, but Harry Reid came in for some namecalling at a Capitol Hill press conference by Republicans yesterday.
The reason, of course, is the scrum over the continuing resolution to fund the government through December. It appears that the immovable force has met the irresistible object — or however the saying goes. Conservatives in the House refuse to deliver a “clean” bill without either defunding or delaying Obamacare. Democrats in the Senate refuse to accept any changes to the health insurance reform law. And the president has made it equally clear that he won’t sign a bill that would mean the death warrant for Obamacare.
Eventually — days, weeks, or even months from now — the federal government is going to be funded. In the end, one side or the other is going to have to cave in completely to the other side. There is no compromise that either side would accept, no deal possible as long as both sides insist on getting their way.
The Hot Topic question for today is: Which side will blink first in the budget showdown?
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