The day is young, but the least intelligent thing said about the shutdown and we're including man-on-the-street interviews has to be this column by Reasons Nick Gillespie blaming President Obama. Gillespies argument, to the extent that it is possible to detect one amid the poseur hand-waving, runs as follows: <\/p>\n
A couple of points. First, the lack of a conference to negotiate the House and Senate budgets didnt happen for all sorts of reasons. It happened for one reason: Democrats pleaded to hold one and Republicans refused. Senate Democrats have spammed my e-mail in-box pleading for a budget conference on a near-daily basis. House Republicans refused because their strategy is not to negotiate through regular order but to use the threat of a shutdown and debt default to leverage unilateral concessions. This isnt my partisan accusation. They said this themselves, repeatedly! <\/p>\n
Second, blaming the president for failing to kick the asses of leaders of the opposing party is a really dumb way to think about government, and especially so for a libertarian. Your analysis is that the president needs to compel the opposing party to accept policies it doesnt like? Thats a libertarian analysis? <\/p>\n
Third, Gillespies entire rant is beside the point, because the lack of a negotiated budget is not the cause of a shutdown. Budget conferences are designed to set long-term federal budget policy. Keeping the government open doesnt require that. You just need to pass a continuing resolution. Thats it. Pass the CR, and the government stays open, and then you can either negotiate or not negotiate the federal budget. <\/p>\n
Its continually amazing to me that this publication publishes commentary on public policy by a writer who lacks even a rudimentary understanding of the policy process. <\/p>\n
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Confused Libertarian Demands Obama Become Strongman<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" The day is young, but the least intelligent thing said about the shutdown and we're including man-on-the-street interviews has to be this column by Reasons Nick Gillespie blaming President Obama. Gillespies argument, to the extent that it is possible to detect one amid the poseur hand-waving, runs as follows: A couple of points Continue reading