Editorial Title:
"A U.S. default on its debt would be disastrous";
"A debt-ceiling crisis would be a constitutional disaster. Congress must act."
In language aimed directly at Republican Dave Reichert (WA-8), the editorial opens with:
A government shutdown is a pain, a mess-up, an embarraassment and a disgusting political strategy. A default on U.S. government obligations would be a disaster.
Any member of Congress who champions such a crisis should be publicly shamed and defeated at the next election.
House Republicans are angry...But do not create a constitutional crisis.
http://seattletimes.com/...
Six days into the Shutdown, with only 11 to go until Default, I would hope that every responsible major daily newspaper in America would be trumpeting the irresponsibility of their local Republican member(s) of Congress and the fundamental threat they pose to our nation.
Dave Reichert, R (WA-8), has won four terms to Congress based upon his pose that he is a moderate, independent Republican. This crisis, manufactured by the Republican Party, is exposing Reichert to be the radical, Tea Party extremist he truly is.
It is unprecedented for the Seattle Times to call Reichert or Republicans to account for anything. In fact, the Seattle Times has a long and disappointing history of endorsing Republicans for elective office. Notable have been their endorsements for George W. Bush for President, Dino Rossi and Rob McKenna for Governor, and Dave Reichert for Congress.
But now, the threats to our economy and our our Constitution are too great to be ignored, even by the Seattle Times. So within the last week the Times has scolded Republicans Dave Reichert and Cathy McMorris by name (http://seattletimes.com/...) and now threaten to publicly shame these same Tea Party Republicans unless they unmake this crisis by allowing a vote on the clean C.R.'s to fund the government and raise the debt ceiling.
Will the arousal of an institution such as the Seattle Times, be enough? Will other institutions that have long been pillars of our society join in the call upon the Republican party to drop this threat and conduct themselves responsibly? Will enough of our citizens declare their allegiance to the Constitution and demonstrate their opposition to this Republican threat to our nation?
And will it be enough to avert disaster in the short time remaining to us?