Default won't happen. This chart shows why the U.S. Government will not default on its debt, should it hit the statutory debt limit set by Congress (a limit that the Treasury Deparment suggests may be reached later this month).

On today’s edition of the FreedomCast, Lachlan Markay joins me to discuss the shutdown theater: the selective closing of national monuments and park grounds, and why some websites such as Michelle Obama’s “Drink Up” campaign site were deemed essential during this partial shutdown, but others were not. 

America deserves a strong leader during the government shutdown, not one who merely allows us to stumble along, doing whatever we want in the middle of the greatest crisis of all time. President Obama should take the threat to his credibility seriously, and not allow Americans to lose sight of the central role of government in their lives.

Make no mistake, this is no longer a Washington where President Obama is always in charge. On Capitol Hill the man in charge is Harry Reid. No question about it. President Obama has handed over the reins of leadership on government funding and the debt limit to Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.). Reid is now fully in charge of his party’s negotiating strategy, a significant change from past showdowns with Republicans.

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) responded to a question about funding for children's cancer research by asking, "Why would we do that?" Republicans pounced on the remark as evidence that Reid cared less for sick children than for his own partisan position. While Reid tried to recover from the gaffe, what he says he really meant was just as bad, or perhaps worse: he wanted to fund cancer trials, but wouldn't unless the House accepted everything else he wanted. In effect, he is holding every program hostage until he gets his way.

As we spent the last few weeks chugging inexorably toward the Great Shutdown Showdown of '13, we were constantly warned by our betters in the GOP to avoid it at all costs because "ZOMG THE PRESS WILL SAY BAD STUFF AND...STUFF!" Those of is operating in a more reality-based corner of the planet asked ourselves, "When do they ever say anything good about us?" Ad then the crickets became rather deafening. 

Today marks the first day of the so-called government shutdown. 

I attend Hillsdale College in southern Michigan. It’s a pleasant place, the people are friendly, the landscape of the college is beautiful, and the academic rigor is intellectually stimulating. Some of the things that I’ve learned since becoming a temporary Michigander are that  the weather is utterly and truly unpredictable, that Ohio State fans are worst people on earth (their words, not mine), and that native Michiganders insist that “soda” is something you bake with and “pop” is the thing you drink. (They’re wrong.) 

Capitol Hill Update, 30 September, 2013House/Senate Schedule: Both chambers of Congress are currently in town and are scheduled to remain so until the week of October 14th.