It is the Republicans’ Shutdown but it will be the President's Default

            Senator Cruz and the Tea Party bear full responsibility for the government shutdown.  To attempt to alter Obamacare using the measure of putting hundreds of thousands of people out of work was wrong.  However, the President owns the financial default – should it actually occur.  The President also owns any credit downgrade that will most likely occur whether or not we default.  The recession that will follow will also be the President’s recession.

The President should not have been fear mongering over the possible default.  Instead he should have stated, long ago, that he would issue a Presidential Order to assure that the 14^th Amendment of the Constitution is not violated (that amendment requires that all debt and obligations of the United States shall “never be questioned”).  Yes, the Tea Party would have yelled “Constitutional Crises” but the American people would have backed the President.  The House of Representatives probably would have gone so far to impeach the President.  But the Senate would not have ratified such an impeachment.  In the end, the President would have saved the United States from the embarrassment that is playing out across the world.

The President also owns the default and/or credit downgrade because HE IS THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES.  He should be a leader that, when necessary, slaps heads to get things done.  The President deliberately chose not to lead so that the Republicans could dig them selves such a large hole that they will be rendered impotent in future negotiations.  The President will most likely succeed in his political motives of splitting the Republican Party.  It is a near certainty that Speaker Boehner will allow the senate bill to be brought to the floor of the House for a vote.  The Speaker will courageously break the “Hastert Rule” that a majority of the majority must support a bill in order to bring it to a vote.   Then, the senate bill will pass with all 200 Democrat House members and some Republicans; but with no Tea Party members.  The split in the Republican Party will be etched in stone by this vote.

Congratulations, the Republicans are in retreat.  No thank you for America’s retreat.  Americans are now looking forward to all of this repeating during the Christmas holidays.