Though west Michigan is home to many in the reality based community, we still have to interact with far too many from the Tea Party. The region that gave us reasonable Republicans like Gerald Ford, Paul Henry, and Vern Ehlers has also sent Pete Hoekstra and Justin Amash to Congress. As the paper of record in the area, The Grand Rapids Press knows which side its bread is buttered on and has endorsed accordingly. The Press endorsed Mitt Romney and John McCain. It endorsed Pete Hoekstra for U.S. Senate. It endorsed Justin Amash because he explains all of his present votes on Facebook. And unless its website was hacked, today's Grand Rapids Press should give the Republicans pause, because this shutdown is not going to end well for them. Join me below the orange squiggly to see why.
The headline says it all: "Shame on irresponsible GOP zealots for causing federal shutdown." And this is not the work of a token liberal on the editorial board. This editorial "reflects the views of the Grand Rapids Press editorial board."
The paper that has heaped praise on the Tea Party for returning the conversatoin to Constitutional principles has this to say:
The government shutdown is an irresponsible way for the Republican-controlled House, driven by a tea party minority, to respond to an intense dislike of the Affordable Care Act, aka Obamacare. This is no way to govern.
The board follows that with this bumper sticker gem:
There’s a better way to react: Win elections.
I am still in shock. Over the last few days I have checked on their site to see what they have to say, expecting to read tales of "A pox on both houses!" There were a few stories on Rep. Bill Huizenga being very upset that the WWII monument was closed to the public, but nothing else until today. And the
Grand Rapids Press gets it:
The shutdown of the federal government will cost the state of Michigan $18 million a day.
And for what?
Political theater meant to score points with zealots. Postponing the health care law for a year accomplishes absolutely nothing. However complex or imperfect, the Affordable Care Act still would be the law of the land.
I have also been surprised by the comments sections of the stories. This is usually the place I go when I can't resist the urge to lose faith in humanity. It's the cesspool of the internet, a place where racists proudly show their stripes. Here a small band of fierce (and they have to be crazy) semi-liberals fight it out against a squadron of the Tea Party. But this has not been the case this week. People have come out of the woodwork slamming the shutdown. Comments have been about 10 to 1 against the shutdown, with most of these comments being logical.
If, as I suspect, this same scene is playing out in other places across the Midwest, the GOP and the Tea Party have much to fear.