How to understand the politics of the government shutdown

You can understand the politics of the government shutdown through analogy:

Example #1: Congress is like a family. And like most families, most of the people are normal and kind. However, family activities always revolve around the most dysfunctional family member who monopolizes everything. So House Republicans are like Crazy Uncle Ned. While everyone else is talking an laughing at Thanksgiving, he smashes the gravy boat against the wall and walks out.

Example #2: House Republicans are like the Mafia, experts at extortion. "You've got a nice country here. It'd be a shame if anything were to...happen to it."

Example #3: House Republicans are like children. "If we don't play my game exactly the way I want to play, I'm going to take my ball and go home and nobody gets to play. Plus, I'm going to shut down the entire Pop Warner league while I'm at it."

Example #4: House Republicans are like your crazy ex-girlfriend. "You're told me 42 times you won't marry me. Well, I'm going to ask you a 43rd time, and if you say no, I'm cutting off the power to your house."

Example #5: House Republicans are a little awkward in their understanding of what the word negotiate means. "We want to smash you in the face with a metal pole and burn down your house. OK, look, we'll meet you halfway. How about we don't smash you in the face with a metal pole, but just burn down your house. What? You won't discuss that? WHY WON'T YOU NEGOTIATE! YOU'RE SUCH AN EXTREMIST!"

Example #6: House Republicans are Obamaphobes. Afraid of anything with the word Obama on it, even Bob Dole's health care plan. For this reason, perhaps we should start calling coal, ObamaCoal, and then maybe House Republicans will want to shut down all coal-fired power plants as well, and we'll have less childhood asthma and mercury pollution.