On several levels, this shouldn’t be complicated.
Republican White House + Republican Senate + Republican House = Republican Shutdown.
Everyone knows that Republicans have all the power in Washington at the moment. Given that R’s control the White House and both chambers of the legislative branch, they have a responsibility to, you know, actually govern, the barest minimum requirement of which is to find a way to keep the damn lights on. If the government shuts down under their watch, under the watch of the party which hates government and is cheering its its ongoing dismantling by an unelected Neo-Nazi sympathizer and his band of unelected 20-something incels, and which has indeed fought for government shutdowns many times in the recent past, it really, really, really shouldn’t be difficult to blame that party which is responsible for governing,.
Yes, I realize it’s a tricky look since all R’s will have voted in favor of the continued lawless destruction of the government while all Dems, save 1 in the House, will have opposed it. But the bottom line is that Rs have the majority and that Dems don’t. If R’s can’t get the votes to keep the government open, that is on them and no one else. We have learned time and time again that few people know — or care about — the intricacies of legislative process, like the fact that you need 60 votes to pass things in the Senate and thus, the fact, that Dems really do have some power here.
Sen. Dems should vote against this shitty, corrupt Continuing Resolution (CR) en masse. If the government shuts down, so be it.
I realize this goes against every fiber of our being — we are the party that believes that government can and does work, that it can and does provide a large number of incredibly valuable services across the entire spectrum of issues, — and that it has been staffed by more than 2 million qualified people, the vast majority of whom have been performing well or exceptionally well. Watching Republicans shut down the government isn’t who we are in normal times.
But, news flash, these aren’t normal times. And as many people have noted, unelected, treasonous Musk and treasonous Trump have effectively already lawlessly shut down parts of the government — and this farce of a CR would enable them to keep operating unchecked, and continuing too dismantle the government. What exactly would Dems accomplish by agreeing to a CR whose words are absolutely meaningless when the Administration has made it abundantly clear it will keep on freezing / cutting previously congressionally appropriated funds it doesn’t like, in open defiance of the separation of powers and the Constitution. That resolution wouldn’t mean shit to these lawless traitors who have nothing but contempt for democratic values and the rule of law.
The idea that Senate Dems have wavered on this, and ultimately may very well cave in the end, despite some encouraging signs late today, is maddening. At some point, Dems need to grow a pair and stand up and actually fight for something.
Could Dems actually wind up being blamed for a shutdown? Sure. Shitty media coverage amplified by right-wing media and social media networks that Dems don’t have at their back will be tough to overcome. I have no doubt. But I believe that doesn't mean we shouldn’t try. This is one of the very, very few opportunities that Dems will have over the next couple of years to have some real leverage. They shouldn’t wave the white flag and give it up meekly. A shutdown would also highlight the many services that government does provide that people really do like — and that, yeah, maybe we shouldn’t be destroying it.
Even if Dems do get blamed for a shut down — far from a given the simple equation we’re talking about --the absolute worst case scenario is that Dems get held accountable in…. the fall of 2026? Highly, highly highly unlikely that Dems will lose seats because of this issue in an election a year and a half way — we all know the remarkably short memories / attention spans that the American public seems to have. In any event, some things are worth fighting for.
Of course, this incarnation of the Democratic Party being what it is, its messaging on this so far has been muddled, lowkey, quiet — in short, absolute shit. One would think one of our town major political parties would be more skilled at this messaging stuff. One would be wrong. Dems should have been messaging on the looming Republican shutdown weeks and weeks ago, R WH + R S +R H = R Shutdown. This is not advanced calculus or Einstein’s Theory of Relativity. Given the current power structure in DC, if Dems can’t at a bare minimum muddy the waters on the blame issue, they’re even more incompetent, messaging-wise than I had thought.
But what’d done or was undone is in the past, Going forward, Senate Dems, please stand for something. Fight for something. Block this shitty CR.
Having said all that, I do have one MAJOR concern about a shutdown. The idea that a shutdown would potentially make it easier — legally — for treasonous unelected President Musk to fire hundreds of thousands of more federal workers. That is a real concern. And I don't know enough about the legalities to speak directly to that concern. I am also acutely conscious of the pain that federal employees who would be furloughed / hurt by the shutdown for the duration..
But I keep coming back to the simple fact that these treasonous bastards are going to try to fire hundreds of thousands of federal employees anyway. Agreeing to this truly shitty CR won’t do a damn thing to prevent any of that.
So yes, I still say Senate Dems, please stand for something. Fight for something. Block this shitty CR.
