Is a government shutdown a certainty?Not 100% guaranteed, but Obama's budget proposals makes it extremely likely.Why?As explained by John Hinderaker at Powerline, the president has essentially punted on entitlement reform, forcing the GOP into the unenviable position of going it alone on reforming Medicare and Medicaid:Obama's game is transparent, isn't it? He is playing a game of chicken. He puts forward a series of proposals that he knows are more or less insane; but he also believes that Republicans will come to his rescue. They, not being wholly irresponsible, will come up with plans to reform entitlements--like, for example, the Ryan Roadmap. Ultimately, some combination of those plans will be implemented because the alternative is the collapse, not just of the government of the United States, but of the country itself. But Obama thinks the GOP's reforms will be unpopular, and he will be able to demagogue them, thus having his cake and eating it too. Is that leadership? Of...(Read Full Post)