It is astonishing that the federal government has shut down over what essentially amounts to $4.4 billion. That is the difference between what Senate Democrats are willing to spend on border security and what President Trump wants ($5.7 billion) for a border wall with Mexico.

It is astonishing that the federal government has shut down over what essentially amounts to $4.4 billion. That is the difference between what Senate Democrats are willing to spend on border security and what President Trump wants ($5.7 billion) for a border wall with Mexico.

In Washington, with its $4 TRILLION budget, $5 billion is pocket change. You could find $5 billion between the couch cushions in the Senate office building.

What is going on here is pure politics, and poorly played by Democrats, we believe.

We’d say our nation spends money like a drunken sailor, except that a drunken sailor stops spending when he runs out of money. Our nation just keeps on spending. We have more than $20 trillion in national debt and runs huge annual budget deficits. All because neither political party can seem to imagine governing the country in a fiscally sane manner. Any and every program imaginable gets funded regularly, with many running into the tens of billions of dollars or more.

But suddenly, Democrats are not willing to spend a dime more if it’s a matter of border security. Why? To deny Trump what he wants and the credit he would take for achieving his goal. There is no other reason. And they are willing to see government workers furloughed and federal services curtailed for their political ends.

This shutdown could be over in 30 seconds. All Democrats have to do is tell Trump that they too would like $5 billion for … well … something. Pick a pet project. Trump will make a deal. That Democrats, who love to spend your money, will not do this tells you everything you need to know. Their animus toward Trump is what drives them.