I checked out of this entire thing, frankly – I’m a partisan Republican hack, albeit a loyal one, so there are times when it’s best for everybody if I smile, nod, and step out of the fracas – but since [mc_name name=’Rep. Nancy Pelosi (D-CA)’ chamber=’house’ mcid=’P000197′ ] is so bound and determined to wreck Christmas if that’s what it takes to make her feel relevant again… fine.  We’ll go with that, then. I’ll toss in my three cents’* worth. There are three things that the House GOP should do, if we can’t get this stupid Cromnibus bill passed:

1. Do a continuing resolution.  For the next month only. Not a week, not ten months: just for the rest of the year. As Allahpundit notes here, this would suit us best anyway.
2. Starting in 2015, no more omnibus bills.  We fund each department by itself, send in the bills by themselves, and let President Obama decide which parts of the government need to be shut down in order to make him feel relevant again.
3. Shrug whenever anybody complains about #1 and #2.  Take it up with [mc_name name=’Rep. Nancy Pelosi (D-CA)’ chamber=’house’ mcid=’P000197′ ], who is clinging to this cause because she doesn’t want to retire like a sensible three-time-rejected leader.  Take it up with [mc_name name=’Sen. Harry Reid (D-NV)’ chamber=’senate’ mcid=’R000146′ ], who deliberately refused to do his job in the first place.  Take it up with Barack Obama, because he lied to all of you** when he said that he knew how to run things and lead people. But don’t take it up with the GOP, because we are pretty much done with all of this.

There. Problem solved… what’s that? “What if the government shuts down, Moe?”  Well, bless the Democrats’ hearts… what if it does?  We just had an election, remember? – And, as I recall, the American populace was so upset at us over the last one that they punished us by giving us a dozen more seats in the House – and nine more in the Senate. Oh, yea, indeed, how terrifying would it be to have a shutdown at this very moment in the political cycle***…

(Image via Shutterstock)

Moe Lane (crosspost)

PS: Full disclosure: my wife works for the Department of Defense.  So I’m potentially arguing against my own economic interest, here.

*Inflation.

**Yes, he lied to me, too.  Difference is, I never believed Barack Obama in the first place.

***Especially since the President at this moment is probably almost as petulantly upset at Congressional Democrats as he is towards the GOP.