The dishonesty and cynicism underlying the House GOP’s new tactic of passing “piecemeal” appropriations for very popular programs and then acting like it’s Democrats who thought of this whole shutdown thing are so stunningly obvious that some observers (myself included) haven’t taken the time to point at the demagogues who are deploying this cheap trick and cry: Shame! Shame!
So here it is: Shame! Shame!
The only way I can understand this ploy is as an appeal to the lowest of low-information voters, who really don’t have much of an idea how the government shutdown occurred. This is different, and more appalling, than the parallel GOP effort to convince weary Americans that whoever did or didn’t cause the shutdown, both sides should make compromises to end it as quickly as possible. No, the “we want to keep the parks and memorials open and the mean old Democrats don’t” BS is consciously aimed at voters who don’t know a “clean CR” from a tooth-cleaning. I’m not blaming the voters here; they undoubtedly think they have better things to do than to become budget process experts. But that may have to change between now and the next election.
