linnposts.com

On this 14th day of what John Stewart calls “Shutstorm 2013,” here’s a quote for you: “We’ve got to draw some lines in the sand now. This, to me, is an epic battle over Washington versus America, and I hope America wins.”

I couldn’t agree more with these words from Republican Representative Matt Salmon of Arizona, only we need a line in the sand for precisely the opposite reason he wants one. He was talking about Republicans de-funding Obamacare. I am talking about the “shutstorm” he and his Republican colleagues have caused because they want to defund Obamacare.

Drawing a line in the sand is when things gets tough. President Obama has held firm until now, but leadership means being able to do so against great odds. As bad as it may be, defaulting might be the only way to ensure this kind of extortion never happens again.

That possibility scares me. But I am even more scared of all this talk of a “deal” being worked out in the Senate. Indeed, when Republican-lite Senator Joe Manchin gets involved I get very worried. He may be called a Democrat, but he hardly ever thinks like one. That’s why any deal to open the government and avoid a default he favors will likely be more about giving Republicans what they want instead of giving them what they deserve.

So as a reminder, let’s be clear about the reason we need a line in the sand. What is going on is not an epic battle of Washington vs. America. It is a battle of Republicans vs. America, and if the country doesn’t win, we are all screwed.