Using the old playbook, the GOP was ready to cast blame, initiating a full court press against Democratic congressional members, accusing them of not caring about veterans and military families, and being weak on national security, hoping the president would bear the brunt of their attacks.
What came next were a dozen or so Tea Party members staging a press conference in front of the WWII Memorial, with Rep. Steve King (R-IA) claiming “this was a spiteful decision ordered by the White House to keep veterans from being able to visit the memorial.”
{mosads}What I find so outrageous is that King and his Tea Party companions, who have vowed to camp out in front of the memorial every day until it re-opens, are the same party responsible for the memorial’s closure and voted to shut down the federal government.
It seems that the Tea Party members will continue a tradition embraced by too many politicians in Congress: wringing their hands of a problem rather than rolling up their sleeves and fixing it. Kicking the can down the road and holding the American people hostage while the GOP tries to unsuccessfully defund the Affordable Care Act isn’t the solution. This is not democratic governance. This is extortion, plain and simple. These actions have consequences that will only continue to hurt our economy and national security.