The 2013 Government Shutdown:

Modern Day Fort Sumter?

The good news is that some level of sanity has temporarily returned and the U.S. Government is finally back open for business… The bad news is that our economy was once again wounded by bullets fired from Tea Party sharpshooters that came within inches of the heart of U.S. and world markets that would have brought much more devastating financial injury had they been successful in refusing to raise the debt ceiling. The would-be assassins claimed they were aiming at ObamaCare but this law was well protected and never in any real danger so the damage done was entirely collateral as in a drive-by shooting. Financial experts and political pundits are still assessing the negative consequences: estimates as high as $24 billion in lost revenue, potential downgrades to our credit rating, and the loss of confidence in the U.S. government’s ability to conduct business in a rationale manner.