The government shutdown is just one of the many ways in which Congressional Republicans seek to damage America. These people, who used the filibuster procedure over 400 times in Obama's first term to block debate upon pending legislation, now want to hold America hostage to their opposition against the idea that people in America should have affordable medical care.
Their strategy is quite simple. They want to make this administration a failure and then come riding in claiming to be saviors of America. Any number of people are learning to see through this; the result of which is that the Republican House of Representatives has a lower approval rating than does Obama. And it is important that more people, including ones on the Right, see through this treasonous racket.
In 1981, Reagan fired the striking air traffic controllers. And as Bill Clinton is saying, it is worthwhile to call the Republicans' bluff. It is important that people understand who is behind this and what kind of recklessness and irresponsibility would lead these Republicans to try to shut down the government. Obama, Clinton and any number of other people should be in the front lines revealing these people's actual character and actual purposes instead of allowing them to go around posturing that they have America's best interests in mind or that they have character and values. If they would do this to the American people, then they have no interest in the benefit of American people, and they also have no character. Instead they are a bunch of heartless opportunists who would cripple the nation in order to prevent American people from having affordable medicine.
Obama administration should make it clear who is at fault for this. And they should be just as strident as Reagan in showing just how wrong these people are. They need to explain to the public the dangers of this course of action, and then they need to stare down John Boehner and others in the same way as Kennedy stared down Khrushev in 1962.
President Obama: This is your Kennedy moment. Stare down these people and save America.