Blame Game? Ignore the GOP Spin That Democrats Shut the Government Down – Six Quotes from Giddy Republicans about Their Shutdown

It is no surprise that Republicans are trying to have it both ways when it comes to who’s responsible for shutting down the government. One minute they are high-fivin’ each other as they take credit for it, while in the next minute they’re blaming the shutdown on Democrats in the Senate. It’s also no surprise, as Trish noted earlier this week, that the “liberal” media is enabling them to have it both ways. Meanwhile, in reality, polls show that most voters see what’s really going on.

To underscore who is really to blame for shutting down the government, here are six quotes from Republicans owning the shutdown:

• “I think it is possible that we would shut down the government to make sure President Obama understands that we’re serious. We always talk about whether or not we’re going to kick the can down the road. I think the mood is that we’ve come to the end of the road.”
  

  – Republican Conference Chairwoman Rep.Cathy McMorris Rodgers, tea party supporter from Washington state, in January.

• “We’re very excited. It’s exactly what we wanted, and we got it.”
  

  – GOP tea party leader Rep. Michele Bachmann of Minnesota. Later, she said, “People will be very grateful.”

• “It’s wonderful. We’re 100 percent united! We are 100 percent unified because we are doing the right things for the right reasons. Everyone said, ‘let’s vote!’ And I said, like on 9/11, ‘Let’s roll!’”
  

  – Texas GOP/tea party Rep. John Abney Culberson, referencing passenger Todd Bremer’s famous statement aboard the hijacked United 93 flight on September 11 and clapping his hands to emphasize his excitement.

• “[The shutdown] is a culmination of doing what we said we were going to do. Mark Twain once said, do the right thing and it will gratify some people and astonish the rest. America’s been a little astonished by us doing the right thing in the last few days here in the House.”
  

  – Rep. Tim Huelskamp, tea party activist Republican from Kansas.

• “I just think you saw members who said, ‘Look, let’s just do what we all know needs to be done and frankly what the American people want to see done,’? Sometimes I go back to basic civics: We’re the House of Representatives. We’re the body that’s supposed to be closer to the people. That’s why the Founders gave a chance for the people to throw us out every two years. That’s why when you go home for five weeks and you hear from people that this law is not ready, that has an impact.”
  

  – Rep. Jim Jordan, an Ohio tea party extremist who pushed his colleagues to vote for the shutdown.

• “You know, I think you may see a partial shutdown for several days. But … people are probably going to realize they can live with a lot less government than what they thought they needed.”
  

  – Rep. Marsha Blackburn, Tennesse tea party Republican.