Naples, Italy: We are docked today in the legendary home of pizza, apropos of which I shall have it for lunch. It's a treat I rarely allow myself.
On the BBC World Service this a.m. It was announced that the much-anticipated government shut-down has actually come to pass. The Beeb rarely gets stories of this magnitude entirely wrong so let's assume it has happened.
Some of you are likely worried/frightened/angry about this outcome. I'm none of the above. It is a game of chicken in which both sides have demonstrated their courage.
If you insist, we can talk about blame, as in who is more at fault. You won't like my answer: they are equally at fault. House Republicans are fully willing to fund a CR or continuing resolution for everything the government does EXCEPT Obamacare, in fact have done so.
Senate Democrats and the President are unwilling to pass a bill that avoids funding Obamacare. The result - impasse. Nobody blinked.
The President will, I expect, instruct his cabinet secretaries to make the so-called "shut down" as painful as possible for as many voters as possible. That is gamesmanship in practice.
Nobody really wants the government to shut down. A clear majority of us don't want Obamacare.
I thought the House Republicans had a good compromise, to stall Obamacare for a year and fund the rest of government. Following the 2014 midterm elections the GOP hopes to control the Senate too, and have a reasonable chance if they can avoid self-inflicted wounds.
