Stevieslaw: Animal House
House Republicans realized last night that by shutting down the Department of Homeland Security, by withholding funding because of an unrelated executive order on immigration, they would be shutting down the Department of Homeland Security. What is worse, the Republicans, who started the current term with the hope of projecting a message of “we can lead,” also realized late last night that the public will certainly blame them for shutting down the Department of Homeland Security. “It’s bad,” said Speaker Boehner. “The public might have looked at the shutdown as a wise and conscientious decision,” he continued, “But they apparently consider it just another temper tantrum.”
Boehner is feverishly working with the House rank and file to come up with a “solution that is not as stupid on its surface,” in the 15 or 20 minutes remaining before the Department of Homeland Security closes. “This is not unusual,” he proclaimed.
No. It is not unusual and when I thought about it, I got a visual image of the House of Representatives as Animal House. It’s as if the smart guy, Boon, comes into the main room one day and announces, “I found a bigger place.” “We get a budget, a gym and its rent free forever. All the owners—some weird group with costumes celebrating the Revolutionary War, want us to do is trash it. And I think we might stay drunk long enough to do that.”
Yes. They can.