Levin Wants a Shutdown: Real Americans Don't

Tuesday, Mark Levin upbraided the GOP leadership as cowardly for not shutting down government. But a new poll reveals why that could be a disaster.

Tuesday, during the opening monologue on his radio show, Mark Levin upbraided the GOP leadership as cowardly for not shutting down government.  Levin said:

If Obama says ‘no’ to the $61 billion [in cuts], If Reid says ‘no’.  What then?  What are you prepared to do, Mr. Boehner.  You've taken closing the government off the table; will you reverse course?…

And how horrible would that be ladies and gentlemen? The Social Security checks keep going... the President's out there saying there won't be Social Security checks.  Wait a minute, when I was in the Reagan administration there were Social Security checks going out... You don't have to worry about those social security checks; they go out. Approximately 40% of what the government does continues.  Law enforcement, border patrol, national security, the military.  And on and on.  But a lot of it doesn't.  Wouldn't it have been wonderful if we had a Republican leader who said: 'Let's try it for a few weeks, let’s see.  Honestly, let’s see if the American people really miss it.  Just a couple weeks.  What's the big deal?'  But no... no.  That would be too tough.

Levin also added:

Is it really so hard to explain why the national parks need to be closed for a few weeks so that our children can survive for another generation?

If anyone among the GOP still thinks that forcing a government shutdown is a politically wise idea, a new Bloomberg poll should send them a strong message: don’t do it.

The poll finds that almost eight in ten Americans want Republicans and Democrats to strike a deal that keeps the government running.  The poll also finds that overwhelming majorities of Americans oppose cuts to their oh so dear entitlement programs like Medicare.  This alone is an eye opening reminder of the political difficulty that will accompany any austerity measures Republicans undertake to rein in the deficit (as they have promised voters they would do).  Cutting a program like Medicare will anger those that get it and those that are about to get it.  And let’s not forget that the elderly also happen to be among the surest to vote.  Their wrath will harm the GOP.

Forcing a government shutdown is an unwinnable proposition.  When you cut spending, you want to try to do so as quietly as possible.  Taking on the executive branch over a government shutdown would, needless to say, draw considerable attention while inviting the President to flex his public might in ways members of the Congress simply cannot.  Avoiding a public confrontation with the President is vital to ensure that the GOP retains at least a small amount of the political capital that will be necessary to enact real spending cuts in the coming years.

Follow Jeb on twitter: @JGolinkin

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