Both the Democrats and Republicans are acting like squabbling adolescents, slams Nicholas Kristof in the New York Times. "It’s unclear where the adults are, but they don’t seem to be in Washington," he says, adding "it’s painful how vapid the discourse is and how incompetent and cowardly our leaders have proved to be." Among his criticisms:
- The whole shutdown mess is because Democrats, afraid of GOP criticism ahead of midterm elections, didn't pass a budget last year. "So in gross dereliction of duty, the Democrats punted." Great.