Think outside the ballot box

The government is shut down because 30 Republican members of the House of Representatives – and the conservative groups that back them – have enough power not to defeat a budget bill by voting, as per the sacred Constitution – no, they have enough umph to keep John Boehner from bringing the bill up for a vote.  Which would probably pass.

I have no idea how the Speaker feels about shuttering the government.  I’m betting, after 22 years in the House, he wanted to keep things open.  His concern is that the Tea Party 30 can sway enough other congressmen to unseat him if he strays from their side.

The Speakership is an open selection.  The Democrats can vote for anyone they want.  The Speaker doesn’t even have to be a Congressman.  If the pretzel cart guy got the majority of votes, he could be Speaker.  If Democrats pledge their votes to Boehner, he’s immune from coup d’etat. 

And everyone could get back to work.  Even those that don’t want to, because they’re getting paid regardless. 

Government fall

It’s not a shut down.  It’s falling and missing the ground.  That’s what this government shut down is like.  Our leaders couldn’t even mess up right.  If you’re going to use the supports of our society as pry bars, put your backs into it.  Shut it all down.

The military, FBI, FEMA – they are all at work today.  People aren’t going to hit the dash until a week after Congress hit the breaks.  And even then there’s a whole bunch of people in the back seat who won’t feel the impact for years.

So, if you really want to know if the American people think shutting down the government is worth it to fight health care – as opposed to, I don’t know, giving the law a chance and seeing if it really is terrible enough to warrant repeal – then really do it.  No meat inspectors.  No Coast Guard.  No Federal courts. 

No air traffic controllers.  That’s the big one.  If your Fed Ex packages don’t cross the country, if the Dallas Cowboys have to bus it to New York, if some little girl can’t get her kidney transplant – well, then we might see some movement on the issue.  Washington would become very grounded very fast.  They would learn how to fall.