They also won't suffer, but a lot of innocent people will.

There's no excuse. They need to do their damn jobs. Since they refuse, they all need to be voted out.

But you're missing the truly important point - they often piss off liberals, and that's really all that matters to the R voting base

They won’t be voted out until they manage to do tremendous damage to their voters. Because they (the voters) don’t realize they are just collateral damage in a war that doesn’t include them.

This, to me, is the worst part.

Yeah, the shutdown itself sucks. Especially for government workers and contractors who get furloughed, and people reliant on this system.

But USD is starting to get some new competition in global trade with BRICS. Tanking our credit now is an especially dangerous game and it almost makes me wonder where the loyalties lie with some of these people and if this may, actually, be treason.

It creates chaos and forces concessions that look like compromise. Give up nothing and always take at least something. It's a long game and it's been going on for a long time and their isn't much left to give.

because to them its a bargaining chip.

If Dems don't cave and give them what they want, then people wont get their social security checks, Children wont get fed, etc etc.

Because they see the most vulnerable americans as worthless tokens to hold hostage.

"I'm sorry, if you're not wearing a tie at this moment then we shouldn't really be talking about the government shutdown" --real quote from politician, probably

Dems will make more noise publicly when a bill goes to the senate and is basically dead on arrival.

You mispelled Putin.

While that is true I doubt there is a person alive who could get this done. NO ONE could possibly balance the ridiculous demands of the so called "Freedom Caucus" with those of the rest of the GoP, let alone the Democrats.

I still think the only way this gets resolved is by McCarthy and other Moderate Republicans working a budget deal with the House Democrats directly, breaking the FCs power to sink the deal. In the end all these FC idiots are going to do is force the budget to become far more bi-partisan and they are absolutely not going to like what ends up being passed.

Sir, you need to be an obscenely overpaid CEO before you can make that suggestion.