Democrats’ position on the government shutdown contains no small amount of hypocrisy. Even the corporate media have pointed out that people like Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., were decrying the problems associated with government shutdowns as recently as March.
But the problem with Democrats’ demands, such as they are, goes well beyond hypocrisy. Democrats are insisting on getting their demands met — namely, an expansion of Obamacare, via extension of enhanced subsidies — in exchange for reopening the government. In making that appeal, they’re citing Republicans’ unsuccessful efforts to defund Obamacare, chief of which was the government shutdown in 2013. Viewed from this perspective, Democrats’ position looks even more asinine — they are demanding that they succeed where Republicans (largely) failed.