The Democrats’ shutdown for nothing

W. James Antle III, Washington Examiner

The federal government has been shut down for more than 40 days, as it took 15 Senate

votes for Democrats to relent and allow a short-term funding bill to pass. It’s possible attempts to reopen the government will fall apart in the House, but Republicans have only a tiny, fractious minority. Democrats may well feel better about shifting the debate to healthcare, a tough issue for Republicans, without the immediate threat of a shutdown. For now, this shutdown seems likely to end like so many before — as an exercise in futility.