Republicans Really, Really Want To Shut Down The Government

Via TPM:

Republican and Democratic leaders are now engaged in a brinksmanship that could result in a temporary shutdown of the federal government. After the election, Republicans voted among themselves to eschew all earmarks for two years, and now they have to make good on their pledge. Yesterday, Democrats’ chief appropriator, Sen. Daniel Inouye (D-HI) unveiled what’s known as an omnibus spending bill — a bundled up package of appropriations legislation, earmarks, and other measures — which would keep the government running for a year.

In response, most Republicans — even those whose multimillion dollar earmark requests are included in the legislation — are saying, “Hell no you can’t!”

And how will the GOP achieve their goal?

Sen. Jim DeMint (R-SC), who led the GOP’s anti-earmark crusade, will use the rules of Senate procedure to force the 2000-page omnibus to be read allowed on the Senate floor — a tactic which could eat up enough time to force the Democrats’ hand.

Some Republican appropriators and others are expected to support the legislation. But vulnerable, and anti-earmark, Democrats are expected to defect, and it’s unclear whether the legislation — which was once expected to pass handily — can muster the 60 votes it will need to overcome a filibuster.

Threatening to shut down the government is a silly tactic, actually looking forward to doing it is irresponsible and childish.

I hope Reid keeps the Senate in session over the holidays.  Let’s see how committed everyone is.