Low on Totem Pole Congressional Republicans will try all kinds of approaches to the government shutdown in an attempt to shift pressure back on to their opponents. First they offered a one-week clean extension of federal funding, but Senate Democrats are refusing to even conference with the House. Next, Republicans are offering extended, unencumbered funding to select, politically popular agencies, like Veterans Affairs and National Parks. The Democrats agreed with the Republican proposal to exempt the military from the sequester, but are balking at Balkanizing the government.The strategy will only work if the public understands and agrees with this second-best approach. Even Wall Street, which managed a shrug of the shoulders today, m...

TAGS – Biofuels, Energy, North America