In Fox News, columnist Liz Peek argues the record 41-day shutdown is finally sputtering to a close and that Democrats orchestrated it, then walked away empty-handed. Peek says Senate Democrats refused a clean continuing resolution that kept spending at levels they already approved, inflicted needless pain on workers and travelers, and then conceded without winning their policy asks. The author is Liz Peek.
Peek also details the progressive pile-on that followed. Ro Khanna publicly called for Chuck Schumer’s ouster. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez is name-checked as a possible future challenger. Eight Senate Democrats broke ranks to start reopening the government. And the centerpiece demand, extending enhanced ACA subsidies, did not materialize. Obamacare’s narrow reach and rising costs are cited as the backdrop for the failed gambit.
The Bullet Point Brief
• Forty-one days, zero wins. Democrats rejected a clean CR, then circled back to the same spending levels they had already signed off on.
• Collateral damage was real. Workers worried about pay, unions fumed, and air travelers got to play Shutdown Roulette at the airport.
• The family feud went public. Ro Khanna blasted Schumer. AOC loomed as a headache. Eight Democrats voted to crack the door open.
• The ask fizzled. No extension of enhanced ACA subsidies, no Medicaid rewrites, no trophy to show the base.
• Moral of the story. Performative politics burns time and trust. Voters notice when the big show ends with nothing but smoke.
My Bottom Line
Americans need to wake up. This was the longest shutdown on record and it accomplished nothing. If your strategy is pain first and policy never, you are not governing. You are auditioning for cable news.
Democrats dragged the country through a month-plus circus to look like they were “fighting,” then voted for what was on the table in the first place. That is a clown show, not leadership. And remember, both Colorado Senators Bennett and Hickenlooper participated in this Democratic circus – and now Bennett wants to be Governor?! Please. Work across the aisle, pass responsible funding, and stop treating families like props. If you prefer theater to results, the voters should replace you.
Source: Fox News
