Shutdown Showdown Update

After a day of fearfully anticipating the apocalypse the war on women the bombing of innocent civilians a new civil war the government 'shutdown', where do things stand now?

First off, it's a good thing the Democrats are being completely reasonable about this. Second, even the Chicago Tribune asks Democrats where their plan is:

“Paul Ryan and his allies aren’t waiting for a perfect moment that, in Washington, never comes. On Tuesday, they did what real leaders do. They risked their necks.”

Yep, that's leadership. Something Barack Obama and the Democrats aren't capable of right now. The rhetoric from Democrats becomes more and more obviously empty the longer they refuse to put forward their own alternate plan and instead insist upon a course of action that any reasonable person can plainly see is unsustainable.

So, the shutdown appears to be increasingly likely. Top Democrat Senator Harry Reid is expecting it, anyway. Remember, the Dems refuse to give up abortion and reckless overspending, but the GOP have so far matched their determination. But, in an attempt to buy some more time to protect Americans who would inevitably be harmed by such a shutdown, the GOP-led House passed yet another temporary (1-week) continuing resolution that would do the following:

1. fund governmental operations for 1 more week

2. fund the Department of Defense (including our troops overseas and their families here at home) through September

3. cut another $12 billion

The Democrats' response? Nah:

This bill is a distraction from the real work that would bring us closer to a reasonable compromise for funding the remainder of Fiscal Year 2011 and avert a disruptive Federal Government shutdown that would put the Nation’s economic recovery in jeopardy.

A distraction?! Funding U.S. troops overseas fighting three wars is a distraction?! Never mind the ludicrous assertion that there is any kind of economic recovery going on, or that the White House has done any kind of compromise on the budget.

Then Obama vowed to veto the bill.

And this incredible disregard for the men and women of the armed forces is completely deliberate and intentional. Just because the government shuts down doesn't mean the military can't get paid and their families taken care of. Just ask Bill Clinton, who did precisely that during the mid-90s shutdown. Barack Obama simply doesn't care enough to protect the military and provide for those families, and his disdain for American military power could not be more clear.

The bottom line here is that it is the Republican party that is trying to protect American citizens and members of the military; it is Democrats who have refused to present their own budget plan for the past year, and who have vowed to defeat any efforts to fund the military while the rest of the mess gets sorted out.

As of now, there is no deal, and the shutdown looms just a few hours away.

But, in a sign of their trademark style of 'leadership', the Obamas are really enjoying their vacation in Williamsburg, Virginia.