This is a news flash for those of you in Rio Linda and low information voters:
There is no such thing as a government shut down. This is a term used periodically by either party to get what they want. One has to control congress and one controls the senate in order to play this drama out. All essential government entities are up and running. Military, social security, welfare, post office, all three branches of Government etc. If you care to notice only "non-essential entities of the government are "shut down". This is both true and fallacious. They are non-essential and on furlough but not shut down. Every time there has been a "shut down" furloughed workers have eventually returned to work and paid for all time lost. The president is lying, and playing us the citizens like a cheap violin...crying a sad, sad, song. The government is not being held hostage by the republicans. There are three branches of government. This was done by our founders to set up checks and balances so tyranny cannot prevail. The republicans are using their constitutional rights to represent the majority of Americans  concerning obama-care and our 16.9 trillion dollar debt. They are not trying to shut-down the government. They couldn't if they wanted to. This right is reserved for the president.