Poll: Blame for DHS shutdown would fall to GOP

[n2doc]

Source: CNN

Republicans in Congress would shoulder the blame for a shutdown at the Department of Homeland Security if they are unable to enact a new spending bill to keep the agency running, according to a new CNN/ORC poll. The survey finds 53% of Americans would blame the Republicans in Congress if the department must shut down, while 30% would blame President Barack Obama. Another 13% say both deserve the blame.

If a spending bill is not passed by Feb. 28, the agency's funding will run out.

A majority says a shutdown at DHS, even if it's just for a few days, would be a crisis or a major problem. Republicans are less likely to see a shutdown as a big problem, 46% say so compared with 66% among Democrats. Among all adults, slightly fewer see a DHS shutdown as a problem or crisis than said so in November when asked about a possible shutdown of the whole government, 55% now vs. 59% in that poll.

As in November, this shutdown threat has more to do with immigration policy than with budgetary concerns.

Read more: http://www.cnn.com/2015/02/17/politics/poll-dhs-funding-gop/index.html

[BillZBubb]

1. The republicans know that even if they are seen as being "to blame",

they suffer no consequences in elections.

[RationalMan]

3. I agree with you when it comes to Congressional, especially House races....

I think if the Democrats used the shutdowns more effectively in Senate and Presidential elections they could be effective to demonstrate the recklessness of the GOP's actions.

[City Lights]

11. Very true.

Plus, voters have short memories. Whatever happens now will have no impact on elections in 2016.

[Man from Pickens]

2. Since we're talking DHS

it really should be "credit" rather than "blame"

boggles my mind that people would be upset if their police state doesn't get fully funded

[n2doc]

5. It boggles my mind to see that attitude here

You do realize this isn't about 'full' funding, it is about funding it at all? And that DHS has many components that don't fall into your 'police state' description. Would you like to see the Secret Service cease operations? How about the Coast Guard? How about Customs and Immigration? Think the President can scrounge up enough money to keep all of those running if the Repubs force a shutdown?

Educate yourself. The parts of DHS that you hate won't be the ones that go away in this showdown.

[A Simple Game]

14. Which points out how foolish it was to place all of those departments under one umbrella.

Secret Service doesn't need to be under Homeland Security. Customs and Immigration could easily be set up to be self sufficient. Coast Guard could go back to the way it was.

The excuse for the consolidation was a lack of communication, then punish the non-communicators, don't screw up everything for the mistakes of a few. As for the non-communication I think it was only partially true.

[n2doc]

15. Foolish, or smart?

It would be foolish for the police state supporters to put all of the most hated agencies in one place. I think this was done very deliberately, so that the TSA and other groups could not be as easily targeted. That said, the House budget writers could do so if they so wished, a fact lost on the t-baggers.

[A Simple Game]

16. Good point, I hadn't thought of that. But no doubt you are right and they grouped everything

to blend them together and take the heat off of the controversial ones.

[NuclearDem]

8. FEMA is going to be hit hard by the shutdown.

Hope wherever you live doesn't require FEMA resources to deal with a disaster or depend on pre-disaster mitigation programs to prepare for tornado/hurricane/flood season.

[Kelvin Mace]

4. Maybe,

but we will get blamed for it none the less in the next election. Despite confident predictions that the 2013 shutdown cost the GOP dearly in public opinion, it was our side that got slaughtered in 2014.

[Gothmog]

6. Yes the GOP should be blamed for this stupidity

[EEO]

7. The definition of insanity is doing the same thing and expecting another result.

These people are deranged.

[n2doc]

9. Except that the last time they shut down the Government, it didn't hurt them at all

I would think they are expecting the same thing- invigorating their deranged base, while the media provides cover. Remember how "Obama fenced off the monuments from the vets, out of spite" during the last shutdown?

[Fred Sanders]

12. The media not only provides cover, they spread bull shit over the cover and demand we smell roses.

[Fred Sanders]

10. So ISIS is not so scary? Or is it? Very confusing. Media, you understand the relationship with the shutdown?

[titaniumsalute]

13. I don't understand

For years the right has claimed they are the party that can keep us (the US) safer. They are the ones who gave birth to the DHS under Shrubby. THEY are the ones who want TSA agents, Border Patrol Agents, big shiny C-130s and Helicopters in the US COast Guard, etc. Now they say who cares? I don't see the end game...again...from the right on this. Won't all the Red State Governors throw a fucking fit when their USCG officers aren't going to get paid?