Shutdown strategy

As a political strategy, President Obama and his allies, Harry Reid and the Senate Democrats are holding hostage the following: 1) Smithsonian Museum Funds. 2) NIH Funds. 3) Veterans Funds. 4) City of Washington DC Funds. 5) National Guard funds. And more will be coming. The President believes that we need to keep such popular government programs closed or there will be little impetus and pressure to fund the more mundane programs. All of these programs mentioned were passed by a bipartisan House majority these last two days. Yet, the Senate will not even be given an opportunity to vote for them because it would either a) be an embarrassing vote for a Democrat to vote against these programs or b) it would pass and that takes away the President's leverage.

Senator Reid and the President insist that the House must vote on the all encompassing Continuing Resolution to fund everything all at once.