Fitch made some disconcerting comments re Uncle's AAA credit rating as a result of this nonsense.

Even if the wall is wasteful as Pelosi claims, what is her justification for shutting down a government that oversees a 20-trillion dollar economy over a relatively measly sum of $5b? The other argument that the wall is immoral is not going to fly. And she claims she is for strong border security!

The normal way a compromise works in a situation like this is that Side 1 says "we want A", and Side 2 says "we don't want A, and we are only willing to give it to you in exchange for B". Thus we could have Shumer and Pelosi say "We ware only willing to fund your wall if you agree to grant amnesty to all illegal immigrants with no criminal record, and in addition, an additional $10B in research on solar cell technology", or whatever it is they want.

The whole charade that Democrats are opposing the wall to save 5 billion is just a charade and lies.

5 billion is under 0.1% of the yearly Federal budget once.

Building the wall on the whole border according to the original estimate would be 25 billion and this would be under 0.5% of the yearly Federal budget once.

US pays 700+ billion per year in interest for the federal debt...

A Shut Down Government Actually Costs More Than an Open One By Jim Tankersley Jan. 9, 2019

A federal government shutdown might seem like a great way to save money: When agencies aren’t open, they aren’t spending tax dollars. But history shows us that closing the government actually costs more than keeping it open.

Shuttered parks can’t collect entrance fees. Furloughed workers will ultimately get paid for not showing up to work. And the government will wind up having to pay interest on missed payments to some contractors.

“There’s nothing good about this shutdown, from a fiscal or a budgetary standpoint,” said Michael A. Peterson, chairman of the Peter G. Peterson Foundation, which advocates fiscal prudence and federal debt reduction. “We’re absolutely not celebrating not spending money.”

Here are some ways that the shutdown raises costs for the federal government. Federal employees will eventually get their salaries — for work they weren’t allowed to perform ....

This whole charade only makes sense if it is really about 2020 and energizing the respective base constituency of each party.

The problem with modern politics is that it is populated by ignorant, head in the sand, establishment elites with no real understanding of the human sciences who lack the ability to think outside the box. Those in government follow each other like drones when times are good but devolve into headless chickens when things go wrong and their narrow expectations are threatened. Ultimately their top priority is themselves and their cronies. To expect good policy from such leadership is like believing in Santa Claus.

Trump’s tantrum is absurd, but progressives are also absolutely foolish if they think that a government that “shuts down” so often should have a monopoly over our health care, retirement and other key life decisions.

This is all about tokenism at this point — the far right posturing about “a wall to keep out icky brown people” and the far left posturing about “anyone who wants to move here and get government benefits should be able to.”

Nuts! There is clearly room to compromise. Clearly. Trump has said he would come down and negotiate from 5.7 billion, but Nancy Pelosi said "NO" to any funding for any part of a wall/fence. Ridiculous! She AND Charly Schumer voted to build 400 miles in California under Bill Clinton, and 300 miles in Texas under GW Bush. They also voted for more in 2013 and 2018 and approved funding for the same to be built by Border Patrol, which has already built over 200 miles in Texas and elsewhere. BP is currently building another 100 miles in New Mexico just to the west of El Paso, Texas.

What's the difference in 5.7 and Nancy's 1.6 in "border security"? Not much more than her tossing on another 1 billion and agreeing to some steel slat wall fencing, which she's voted to build and has built before.

There's only one reason she is saying no, and one reason only. The #1 reason Trump voters wanted him was to build a wall. Trump's not even asking for a lot, as one billion in funding for wall/fence translates to about 200 miles.

The difference is a rounding error at the Pentagon. They spend that much at lunch time. It ain't the moon and back for lunch.

You're a hypocrite, Mish.