With the Republican-leaning House at odds with
the largely Democratic Senate and the President
over whether to defund Obamacare in the budget,
the United States government is currently
experiencing a partial shutdown. This means that
approximately 800,000 "nonessential"
government workers across the country have been
furloughed until there is compromise.
Much of the blame clearly falls upon the Tea
Party's irrational political maneuvering. Most
of the Affordable Care Act is already
mandatorily funded, and many in the GOP,
including John McCain, have acknowledged this.
The trouble is many traditional Republicans,
including House Speaker John Boehner, are
fearful of the Tea Party element and of losing
their seats to them in primaries, and in
Boehner's case, losing the speakership..