Schumer and the almost shutdown

I think Senator Schumer did the right thing by voting to keep the government open. The other Democratic Congressmen and Senators lashed out at him, saying that they were not afraid of a shutdown. Of courae they aren't ... their lives would continue on as normal during a shutdowm. But their vulnerable constituents may well have been doomed by shutting down the government.

Chris Hayes argues that the pain of the shutdown for voters would be a good thing, showing voters how really bad the situation really is. 'Cuz we stupid voters don't realize yet that a dictatoeship will be a bad thing. I guess this is the "let the kid slap his hand onto the acrive stove burner" method of teaching. I prefer not to destroy people in order to show them the light.

The Democrats in Congress are so desperate to prove, both to their voters and to themselves, that they haven't been neutered, that they have some power. They want to show they can fight, that they aren't useless. But where was all this fighting spirit when Trump's Cabinet was being confirmed? Instead of obstructing the votes, some Democratic Senators actually voted for Trump's picks.

Democrats in Congress just do not really have the power to do much of anything right now, aside from obstruction, being in the minority. That is the truth they must accept in order to figure out what they still can do, not for themselves, but for their voters and for the country.