Shutdown brings out worst in government, best in humans

This editorial first appeared in The Gazette in Colorado Springs, Colo. It does not necessarily reflect the views of the Cheney Free Press editorial board.

Austerity brings out the worst in government and the best in those who pay for it.

This week’s government shutdown has exacerbated a form of sinister political theater that was in play as a result of sequestration. It’s called Washington Monument Strategy, a phrase coined after a 1990 government shutdown led the National Park Service to close the Washington Monument at the peak of tourist season.

As politicians go about normal lives of elab...