Republican actions hurting the nation

Sheri Wilson, Las Vegas

Wednesday, Oct. 9, 2013 | 2:01 a.m.

This impasse over the continuing resolution and Obamacare is undoubtedly the Republican Party’s fault. Imagining that the president isn’t being reasonable, when the connection between Obamacare and the budget is specious at best, is incredibly misguided. It’s like the Senate and the president wanted to pass a continuing resolution and House Republicans said, “Hey, why don’t you take this dozen rotten eggs and include it in the bill?”

Then when the Senate and president said, “Um, no,” the Republicans said, “Well, how about taking only three rotten eggs instead?”

With strategies like this, and with the sequester from last year, it feels like the Republicans have no real concept of the impact that their actions have on the nation. It appears that they are on a collision course with reality but we’re the ones who are going to get hurt.

If this continues, and the shutdown affects the larger economy substantially, we run the risk of another bond rating downgrade, which will weaken the dollar and our standing in the world. In addition, it could very well lead to the dollar being replaced in global markets as the currency of choice for all sorts of major commodities. The euro will look better and better the more the Republicans want to show the fringe right wing just how loyal to conservative values they are.