Republicans Threaten to Shut Down the Federal Government

Republicans are finally starting to stand up for themselves. They have found an issue in offshore oil drilling that looks like it could be a winner for them and they are taking the offensive. First the Republicans have refused to leave the house and have continued debating offshore drilling although the house is in recess, and now they are threatening to shut down the federal government if offshore drilling is not voted on.

Some Republicans say they are prepared to vote against a resolution to fund the federal government for the 2009 fiscal year unless Democrats agree to lift an offshore drilling moratorium.

Republicans have finally grown a set and are taking a stand on an issue. After the 2006 political castrating of the Republican party the Republicans have been afraid of taking on the Democrats. The “re-branding” of the Republican party was never more evident that the nomination of John McCain as the party’s candidate for president. Now however, Republicans have looked down and realized there still there, so why not use them?

Republicans are starting to stand up for what they believe in, at least on this issue, and it is good to see. I have grown tired of fighting for a party that won’t fight for itself, and now they may be ready to do so.

This issue is a winner for the Republicans as a majority of Americans support an increase in domestic drilling. Democrats are in the back pocket of the environmental groups, which have put us in this situation on the first place, so there is no way that they can win this issue. It is up to Republicans to get this done.

Republicans aren’t afraid of incurring the same type of backlash that they received after shutting down the government in 1995:

with public opinion polls showing that most Americans support increased offshore drilling, Republicans are emboldened to challenge Democrats on the issue, and say that Democrats, not Republicans, would be blamed for the consequences of a government shutdown.

This is becoming a hot button issue, pressure is being applied by the American people to get something done. We saw what we could do when we rose up in protest of the immigration reform bill and we can do it again. We have to do it again, time is running out.

Democrats are on the wrong side of this issue and we must keep the pressure on them to expose them. Republicans need to keep fighting and promoting this issue. There can be no letup.

It’s about time.

