Obama Setting Narrative to Blame GOP for Government Shutdown

President Barack Obama is reportedly trying to “establish an early narrative” to blame Republicans in case of a government shutdown or another financial crisis. However, Obama also said he would not negotiate with Republicans on raising the debt ceiling.

As The Hill noted, Obama is “targeting” House Speaker John Boehner (R-OH) in an attempt to try and divide and conquer Republicans and insulate himself from potential criticism and blame. Though Obama’s job approval rating is only at 47%, The Hill noted that a recent Economist/YouGov poll found that Congress’s is at 11%. 

On Wednesday, Obama said Boehner seeks to “fundamentally change how American government functions” as Boehner set a House vote on Friday for a short-term resolution to fund the government except for Obamacare, Obama’s signature legislation. Congress and Obama must agree to a short-term resolution to fund the government before the current continuing resolution expires on September 30. The House’s resolution would fund the government until December 15. 

“Just flip the script for a second and imagine a situation in which a Democratic Speaker said to a Republican President, ‘I’m not going to increase the debt ceiling unless you increase corporate taxes by 20 percent,'” Obama said at an event at the Business Roundtable, according to The Hill. “‘And if you don’t do it, we’ll default on the debt and cause a worldwide financial crisis.'”

Republicans have insisted that conservatives needed to win the argument that if the House passes a defunding Obamacare resolution, Obama and Democrats should be blamed for choosing to shut down the government instead of extending Obamacare exemptions that Congress and special interests have received to all Americans.