In the second week of the government shutdown, both sides are fully in the midst of playing the blame game, trying to convince voters that the other side is responsible for the government coming to a screeching halt.

Republicans are claiming that Democrats are forcing a shutdown to score political points, while Democrats claim Republicans are unreasonably refusing to negotiate.

One thing is clear to me: Democrats forced a government shutdown because it is the only way for them to bring about negotiations with the little power that they hold. I understand why they did it, but that doesn’t make it right.

There is a lesson here for Democrats. When lawmaking doesn’t have to go through Congress, the minority party loses much of its influence. And while Republicans are allowing President Don

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