Rodney Davis is making this too easy.
Today's News-Gazette headline declares, "Davis says Dems are to blame for shutdown."
"What we're doing is sending bills over to the Senate, which I hope they will take up, that will begin to make sure that the essential portions of government are operational," Davis said Friday.
"There comes a time when leadership matters more than politics, and frankly, I think this is a time for the president. This is someone who called the leaders of both parties over to the White House a couple days ago to tell that again he's not willing to negotiate and not willing to communicate," Davis said. "Then he's the one who's not willing to stop the pain that's being inflicted on middle-class Americans during this shutdown."Blaming Senate Democrats and Obama because they won't unconditionally accept Republican demands is precious enough, but it gets better. Davis went on, "But to basically stand up and say we're not going to talk to you, even though we represent a majority of Americans in the House, is tantamount to a temper tantrum."
Believe it or not he's talking about Obama in that quote, not Republican leadership. Projection is a standard tactic of the conservative talk radio crowd. If they're planning to throw a partisan temper tantrum and shut down the government to get their way then they have to accuse Democrats of doing the same. Then the press can cop-out with a "both sides are to blame" false equivalency. It usually works.
What the News-Gazette article failed to mention is that Davis was one of 80 Republicans who signed what the AP describes as a letter "to trigger a government shutdown rather than fund the implementation of the health care overhaul."
The signatories pledged to continue their "efforts to repeal ObamaCare in its entirety this year, next year, and until we are successful." They threaten to use every appropriation bill to stop implementation of ObamaCare. The letter was circulated by Congressman Mark Meadows, who has been called the architect of the government shutdown.Davis told us in advance he's willing to use the appropriation process and shut down the government to defund health care reform. Now he's blaming Democrats for not succumbing to his threats. Wow.