The government shutdown entered into day eight with little end in sight. Meanwhile, the blame game over the shutdown rages on. 
The government shutdown has entered into day eight, with little end in sight. National parks and monuments are still closed, as many as 19,000 kids in 11 states have been left out of Head Start programs because grant money ran out, and if you want help with your taxes—well, don’t bother calling the IRS.
To top it off, the U.S. is just nine days away from entering into default unless Congress can agree to a debt ceiling increase.
The blame game over the shutdown rages on, with Democrats pressuring House Speaker John Boehner to bring a vote on a clean budget bill to the floor. The left is trying to hammer home the message that the Dems have negotiated while the GOP is making impossible demands. They’re also arguing a clean budget bill would pass on the House floor, if only Boehner would stop cowering to the Tea Party and allow it.
Republicans meanwhile continue to quixotically rally around a plan to delay or defund President Obama’s healthcare law, insisting the shutdown is Obama and Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid’s fault and that the president is somehow missing in action at the negotiating table. GOP leaders have refused to budge unless specific spending reductions are put in play in exchange for a debt-limit hike.
Here’s a look at how the showdown is playing on Twitter where #Shutdown and #Obamacare remain top trending topics.
First, the Dems:
Watch: The #TeaPartyShutdown is a manufactured crisis. Tell @SpeakerBoehner this must end: http://t.co/yQLqpKI6cZ— Barack Obama (@BarackObama) October 8, 2013
The shutdown strategy was planned and paid for by the Koch brothers: http://t.co/28v6s0vczN#GOPShutdown — Bernie Sanders (@SenSanders) October 8, 2013
Five ways the government #shutdown is slowing down small businesses http://t.co/7Ozz7LFXDf via @washingtonpost#DemandAVote — Joaquin Castro (@JoaquinCastrotx) October 7, 2013
Democrats negotiated with Republicans and struck a very difficult compromise for us. We voted; House has not. pic.twitter.com/LjNNLHdxeb— Senator Harry Reid (@SenatorReid) October 8, 2013
A majority of House wants to pass the. senate-passed CR. @SpeakerBoehner should end #GOPShutdown today and let the House vote. #DemandAVote— Nancy Pelosi (@NancyPelosi) October 7, 2013
Now, the GOP:
We should honor commitments made to our vets. It is indefensible that Dems refuse to fund the VA #HarryReidsShutdownhttps://t.co/uSCnLZXdI8— Senator Ted Cruz (@SenTedCruz) October 8, 2013
This morning, a senior White House official said the president would rather default than to sit down and negotiate. Really?— John Boehner (@johnboehner) October 7, 2013
We offered compromises to stop negative effects of #Obamacare while also keeping the govt open. Dems refuse to budge: http://t.co/FfriuwixcW— Senator Rand Paul (@SenRandPaul) October 7, 2013
POTUS “nowhere to be seen” this wknd. Then again, “doesn’t really matter” to them how long #HarryReidsShutdown lasts. http://t.co/F8912XkDbz— Reince Priebus (@Reince) October 7, 2013
We now see how determined the president is to expand power of federal government & use that power to harm the country to get what he wants.— Mike Lee (@SenMikeLee) October 7, 2013