Will the Shutdown End Soon?  Will the shutdown end soon? It just
might.  Here’s why:  GOP Donors Revolt Against Republican-Led
Shutdown   Playing Chicken   I am one of the lucky ones.  My
paycheck does not stop because the feds are playing chicken with
the future of this country.  You see, I am an elected official,
which means that I am exempt from all sorts of consequences for
the things I do. I could lock up the Oklahoma budget (which I
vote against quite frequently, btw) and put tens of thousands of
people out of work. Then, I could re-write the laws so they
couldn’t get unemployment compensation and reduce the monies
going to our schools/roads/police/hospitals/etc to make up the
shortfall, and …  Nothing would happen to me.  My paycheck would
keep on coming.  In fact, a lot of people would call me a hero.
I know all about playing legislative chicken with the budget.
I’ve played it — on both sides.  I have been a Democrat in a
Democratic majority government in which we were trying our best
to pass a budge