Pinning the blame for who? The shutdown, the debt and the cutbacks. Wishing for the spirit of Simpson Bowles Act.

It seems like the only leverage that the Democrats have, or at least think they have, in the national government is to shut down the government using filibuster rules in the Senate.

Aside from lower court judges that often get overturned by the Republican Supreme Court, Republicans basically run the national government.

I don't know if agreeing to reopen the government is a good strategy, or not, but if the government reopens, the Democrats may have lots of voters on their side. This due to rising cost of health insurance which will likely be blamed on the Republicans because of subsidy cuts to the Affordable Care Act that many Republicans want.

Budget restraint is usually as unpopular as taxes are among voters. Incumbents tend to become unpopular and the Republicans can easily be seen as owning the economy. Unemployment is likely going up while inflation continues.

Another headwind; insurance rates, for homes and businesses is going up, partially due to climate change bringing high waters to some areas and drought, with it's fires, to other areas. This all could lead to populism swinging back toward the Democrats, but now many people fear that Republicans will try to end democracy altogether to maintain their grip on power.

In 2010, during my work as a custodian, I remember having chats with my modest and thoughtful boss about something called the Simpson Bowles Act to try and reduce the federal debt.

Modest surroundings from behind the scenes where I worked as a custodian.

Sitting behind his hand-me-down desk in his spartan, basement office, he would say he liked divided government. Neither party should have too much power. Compromise can be a good thing. Simpson Bowles never passed, but it was an attempt to compromise.

In earlier years, both Democrats and Republicans were able to compromise on measures that kept Social Security solvent with a combination of modest tax increases and spending discipline. Today, it seems like giving an inch toward any compromise is feared.