At least one top official in the Obama administration believes that a government shutdown could be inevitable, nay, necessary if Democrats and Republicans can’t agree on a long-term spending deal. From Talking Points Memo [emphasis added]:
A senior Treasury department official told reporters Thursday that a brief government shutdown may be unavoidable as the only feasible way to de-escalate the confrontation over government spending dividing Democrats and Republicans on Capitol Hill. The official said the administration still hopes to avoid such a flashpoint because of the impact it would have on the economy, but added that President Obama will not sign short-term stop-gap government funding measures in perpetuity.
The comments were made in a briefing with reporters conducted on deep background, meaning no direct quotes could be attributed to the official.
The official’s remarks represent the most serious indication yet that the administration is willing to endure a short term shutdown despite the unknown political costs, to focus congressional leadership on brokering a long-term deal. But they also come at a time of ongoing negotiations between the White House and congressional Republicans, and are a signal that the administration isn’t resigned to getting rolled by the GOP. Whether that’s tough talk designed to move negotiations, a bluff, or an indication that the White House is prepared to go the brink on this remains to be seen.
In other words, Obama might be willing to pull the plug himself, and soon, if Congress fails to iron out a compromise. House Republicans are about to unveil a 3-week spending resolution (with around $6 billion in spending cuts) to keep the government running after the current resolution expires on March 18.
Another example of what Sen. Jeff Sessions (R., Ala.) described to NRO as the “post-modern, through the looking glass” leadership style of this president.
Obama could simply join the debate, publicly, as Republicans and Democrats are now begging him to do. Instead, he is literally threatening to shut the government down — after months of spouting doom-and-gloom rhetoric about the potential consequences — as a way to de-escalate the conflict. Go figure.
Shut it down! As I recall, even with the government shutdown there were some "essential" government workers who had to work. Make a list of those folk, then fire all the rest as they are "non-essential." That would save a few bucks.
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseI suppose if the Republicans were smart, they'd be able to concisely repeat as a mantra that cutting federal spending from $3.7 trillion to $3.64 trillion (i.e. the $60 billion cut) is not a catastrophe and that Chuck Schumer et al reveal their dishonesty when they try to portray it as such. Oh, and $3.64 trillion is still about $1 trillion more than was spent just before the crisis hit so the GOP is not even cutting enough. But nobody ever accused Republicans of being smart.
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseSounds to me like by "shutdown", we mean "downsizing to proper dimensions".
I say let's shut it down, then add back any employees and/or functions that actually turn out to be essential.
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseThey're already having a hard enough time negotiating anything without the President's presence or astand on any budget issue, and now he says that he will arbitrarily veto bills in which he has intentionally withheld input. It doesn't make sense, unless....
Someone in the White House thinks that forcing a government shutdown no matter what will favor the President politically. Obviously the same bone-headed group that thought the same thing of Obamacare 'no matter what'.
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseYou know what could have prevented this? If the Democrat controlled Congress of last year had passed this year's budget instead of leaving it so that here we are 6 months into the fiscal year and only 3 months into the new Congress without a budget.
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseObama let Congress write Obamacare, the stimulus and almost everything else. Where has he actually showed any leadership? And why would anyone expect him take the lead on the budget issue?
This is what happens when legislators, especially legislators who liked to vote "Present" are given the reins of power. They just don't know what to do.
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseGo figure? Are you kidding. President Obama wants this fight - the liberal base want this fight. Republicans need to attack and hit them first and hard. Make President Obama defend Obama care spending now by calling him out on the 105 Billion that was fraudulently and deceptively appropriated in the bill. But with wimps like Erik Cantor probably no chance of winning anything in this fight.
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseMy question is: what Executive Orders would Obama sign into law during the "crisis" of the government shut-down? Possibly having no one around to hinder his pen would be a grave mistake.
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseThe question to ask is "What does he gain by doing this?"
And "How does this advance his goals?"
Since we don't know what his real goals are, this proposal can help further reveal his goals.
"What happens if the government shuts down for a few weeks?" "A few months" "Half a year?"
"Is it possible that could happen? "
"When does it become a state of emergency?"
"What level of cuts will the president accept and therefore will sign a spending bill?"
Sounds like he means to force the republicans to capitulate. If the dems won't move in the senate and do not embrace even the minuscule cuts voted and approved by the House, how long will the POTUS keep the government shut down?
I thought they said it would be the "end of the world" if that happened. The worst thing possible.
No, sorry...I am cynical. If The White House now wants this, there is a trick involved, a trap. I don't like it. I don't trust it.
What is the end game?
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseIt's sad to watch thinking citizens and pundits time and time again go through mental gymnastics to find reason and logic behind the decisions made by this administration when Occam's razor suggests we are simply witnessing the most incompetent, inept, and careless administration in modern history.
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseIt's not the government workers' fault; it's not the public school teachers' fault. It's my fault and your fault. I voted for President Bush, who failed to veto even one spending bill in his first four years. It's your fault for electing President Obama (whom we knew nothing about) because he had charm. As taxpayers, we have been ill served by our elected representatives in Washington and "sowed the wind." Now, as taxpayers, we will "reap the whirlwind."
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseMs.Nobody: I think "the end game" is fairly apparent. Obama believes that the smoke-and-mirrors will be sufficient to mislead people into thinking that he is proposing something real, and that by letting the GOP take the lead on making actual cuts he can play defense all the while castigating the GOP as the Blue Meanies. With all that, he can do nothing and come out ahead going in to 2012.
The GOP needs to keep the budget issue front and center and refuse meaningless gestures and trust that with the time available we can show the American public what is needed and who is able to do it.
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseObama knows that signing a continuing resolution bill every two or three weeks does nothing to make him “look like a leader.” His only remaining options are to actually lead on the issue and negotiate with Republicans on some meaningful budget cuts, or force a showdown in the hopes that GOP leaders will blink and the assumption that the media will blame them if they do not.
He has of course chosen the latter.
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseTo lead is to choose, and to choose is to disappoint, and to disappoint is to alienate.
Better for Obama to just keep his head down and hope nobody notices. Besides, don't you people know Obama has an election campaign to run? Those are really super hard, and are now a primary qualification for the Presidency.
Better that Obama get back to taking care of what Obama cares about most...himself.
I still think the GOP ought to rent out a hotel ballroom in Alexandria, invite Obama, and when he doesn't show up, conduct the whole meeting on CSPAN with cardboard cutouts. It's not like Obama has any idea what to do, so the cardboard will take up less oxygen in the room.
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseObama is still wanting to vote present!
Does he and his admin think its 1995 and the voters will be on his side of this? I guess they do.
How Clinton turned people against the budget cutters in the 1995 shutdown I don't know. But somehow he got the upper hand on it. Which was too bad for the taxpayer.
Will Obama have that kind of luck or political skill? He better not count on it. I think things are far different then in 1995. The economy is far worse, and more taxpayers are finally getting that big government spending is very costly to their livelihoods.
I think a shutdown will hurt him, not the Republicans.
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseA shutdown is wanted by Obama, but not for the reasons anyone here has identified. I also hope someone manages to read what I am about to post and gets it to the leadership of the Republican Party, as it is important.
Mr. Obama does dream of a shutdown to complete what he has been working very hard at daily since being elected.
1. To have oil traded in a currency other than the US dollar. This would force American's to pay upwards of $10 a gallon for gasoline the next day. The Volt would skyrocket in sales, but more importantly it would bring America to it's knees.
2. To have the world reserve currency change from the US dollar to another currency. This would also destroy America as then we could no longer print dollars to cover the interest payments on all of our debts.
Everything this President has done while in office has been a decision that puts us closer and in more danger of one or both of these two events. Everything he has done has been to prop China up and tear America down. Republicans need to keep doing what they are doing, but do not shut down the government, or give a reason for these two events to ever occur. Get rid of Obama, and Reid, and then fix this crises over the long term in a rational responsible way and make very sure the Socialists never gain power in a meaningful way again.
George Soros is old and fortunately for us will be gone soon. However all of his little seeds still exist and need to be identified and driven out once and for all, or history will repeat itself.
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseI felt it important to note, the brains of the whole operation is Nancy Pelosi though, believe it or not. President Obama has the easy job.
Americans voting to deny her the House was the most important vote in this countries history, that will prove to be a hard learned fact.
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseObumma wants a shutdown, and he wants it to last awhile.
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseDeclaring an emergency, enables him to declare Marshall Law.Then,there will be no 2012 election, and he will be
your president till he decides the emergency, is over.
The man has a plan,and unless impeachment intervenes,he
will see this plan to it's end, to our detriment.He does not like to not have control.
Here's what I expect to happen: Harry Reid and Barack Obama will frown crossly and Mr. Boehner & Co. will shed a few tears, pick up their skirts and run away from any real fight.
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