Retaking the Senate no longer seems like the cinch that Democrats imagined...and now they’re responding with budget obstructionism that could end with a government shutdown. If they can’t win on the merits, they can attempt to provoke a fake crisis.
The last budget deal runs out...and the Senate will vote Tuesday on a “clean” continuing resolution... The bill also includes $1.1 billion to fight the Zika virus... funding for the recent heroin and addiction bill; and $500 million in disaster aid for Louisiana...
This is exactly what Democrats...said they wanted. “If they want to get out of here,” Democratic leader Harry Reid said... "Do a clean CR and they can leave in 10 minutes...” Naturally, Democrats have responded to a clean CR by synthesizing outrage about something else.
The new wild goose chase is that the bill is...against Flint, Michigan, because it doesn’t include disaster relief for that lead-water crisis. Michigan Democrat Debbie Stabenow pronounced the measure “unacceptable”...
But wait... Sept. 15, Ms. Stabenow...put out a press release declaring that “I am extremely pleased that the Senate has finally passed urgently needed help for families in Flint.” Yes, the Senate has already passed—95-3—a $9.4 billion bill...the House will pass this week, with at least $100 million earmarked...for Flint...
Democrats have gone from demanding no vexatious riders to opposing the bill because of the lack of a multiyear policy rider that is about to become law anyway. Their calculation is that a gridlock scenario will heighten voter antipathy to incumbents...
If that’s the calculation, they shouldn’t be so transparent... Montana’s Jon Tester [said] that his strategy is to “show the fact that the Republicans really haven’t done anything.” What he means is that if they can make Congress look dysfunctional, maybe low-information voters will reward Democrats for promoting the dysfunction.
(Excerpt) Read more at wsj.com ...
