>
Article snippet: Lawmakers in both parties are fighting hard for an edge in the blame game over the government shutdown, courting public opinion that may be critical in ending the impasse. Republicans are branding it the “Schumer Shutdown,” in reference to Senate Minority Leader MORE (D-N.Y.), and think they have a strong hand because Senate Democrats rejected a bill passed by the House that would have kept the government open. In arguments echoed by the White House and Speaker’s office, they say Democrats are holding the government hostage. The Democratic argument, pointedly raised by Schumer on Saturday, is all about MORE. Democrats can't negotiate a deal with a president who changes his position from hour to hour and is beholden to right-wing supporters above his own priorities, he says. If the shutdown continues, Schumer says it is because of Trump. The finger-pointing comes as a deal to reopen the government is nowhere in sight, and a routine House procedural vote on Saturday devolved into a bitter partisan fight over whether a Republican poster adhered to the chamber’s rules. There is reason for both sides to think their arguments can carry the day. A CNN poll shows that 31 percent of Americans would hold congressional Democrats responsible for the shutdown, while 26 percent would fault Republican lawmakers and 21 percent would blame Trump. Even before the government officially shut down in the early hours of Saturday morning, both sides were eager to pin the blame on the ... Link to the full article to read more