This is brilliant strategy by President Obama's staff.
All public White House tours are being canceled, as of Saturday, due to sequestration cuts.
Just as the busy spring and summer tourist season begins in Washington.
According to this story,
"Due to staffing reductions resulting from sequestration, we regret to inform you that White House Tours will be canceled effective Saturday, March 9, 2013 until further notice," according to a cancellation notice that was sent to congressional offices.
Tourists go through their local representatives to arrange visits to the White House, which means every member of Congress will feel the impact of these cuts as they explain the cancellation to their constituents.
And, gee, could this be political payback to Congress?
Yeah, this is going to piss off DC visitors. I'd sure be unhappy if I had wanted to do take this tour on my long-planned visit to the nation's capital.
But, let Congress take the heat on this. Let the poor overworked and underpaid staffers deal with irate constituents.
Let those Congressmen and Congresswomen explain, then, that they cannot help arrange such visits because of "shared sacrifice."
Hey, as long as government tours in DC are being minimized and reduced, how about shutting down the many beautiful and wonderful public museums and branches of the Smithsonian?
That would sure get people's attention.