Dems Anxious For Government Shutdown, Want It Badly In Hopes Of Damaging GOP/Tea Party, Don’t Want Continuing Resolution
Apr 5, 2011 12 Comments ›› Pat Dollard
Th Dems want to use a government shutdown to destroy the Tea Party. A dubious plan, indeed. Either Boehner or Obama will choke, and their troops will follow, case closed. The Dems also will win if the GOP blinks, as far as the Tea Party goes, because then they will be able to say that the Tea Party has no real influence anymore, the limits of their power have been reached, and that they are now a dying thing of the past having been rejected by their own embraced party. And so, the fate of the Tea Party’s power, at least until the 2012 campaign kicks into high-gear, lies in the balance of this entire budget showdown.
What I’ve said in the headline added to what I’ve said above, is my take on all of this.
WASHINGTON, April 5 (Reuters) – Washington braced for a shutdown as Republican and Democratic lawmakers headed to the White House on Tuesday in an attempt to reach a budget deal that would keep the government running beyond Friday.
With only four days to cement a deal, the two sides have yet to resolve major differences in a long-overdue budget plan that would slice a record $33 billion from current spending levels.
The White House directed government agencies to prepare for a shutdown if the U.S. Congress does not pass a budget plan before funding runs out at midnight on Friday. [ID:nN05100992]
Republicans have floated a new plan that would push the deadline back by a week and impose another $12 billion in cuts, but Democrats have called it unacceptable.
The shutdown talk could merely be posturing before the 10:15 a.m. (1515 GMT) meeting between President Barack Obama and congressional leaders, or it could be a sign that a deal may be out of reach for the time being.
“I don’t know if we will need divine inspiration or divine interjection into this matter, but whatever it might take, I hope people of good will can come to an agreement,” Democratic Senator Dick Durbin said.
Observers said a shutdown still appeared less than likely at this point, as neither side would benefit if their inaction closed everything from passport offices to bankruptcy courts.
“Our odds remain above 50 percent that the government will not shut down on Saturday, though it is close to a jump ball,” wrote MF Global analyst Chris Krueger in a research note.
REPUBLICANS UNVEIL 2012 BUDGET PLAN
Congress is struggling to complete an overdue budget for the fiscal year that ends Sept. 30, even as lawmakers wade into wider budget battles. Republicans are eager to fulfill a campaign promise to scale back the size of government, while Democrats say the cuts they envision could push the economy back into recession.
A spending cut of $33 billion would lead to sharp cutbacks at government agencies, but would do little to plug a U.S. deficit that is projected to hit $1.4 trillion this year.
Amid the fight, Republicans laid the groundwork for wider budget battles.










