Senate minority leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) has decided that it is time for a government shutdown.  He is reading the latest polls and fears that the generic congressional results may be trending toward the Republicans.  The tax reform and reduction act pushed through at the end of 2017 without any Democratic votes is starting to bear fruit for Republicans.  The stock market is hitting records regularly.  The economic news is good regarding employment and salaries.  The last straw in this regard for Schumer and his leadership was the good news given by Apple (the hallmark of a liberal corporation).  Now Schumer has decided to change the narrative.

It is not a coincidence that this shutdown has occurred on the anniversary of Trump's administration.  The Democrats need a bogeyman, and The Donald will fit the bill.  He has thwarted their aims to move the country leftward politically.  He has reversed almost all the Obama executive orders. 

The most critical one is DACA.  Trump tried to end it and gave Congress six months to repair it legally.  A federal judge appointed by Clinton has blocked this Trump order.  This removed the immediacy and forced the two parties to reach a compromise likely more favorable to Republicans.  Either way, the issue had until March, while the government shutdown takes effect today.

But this is not 2013, when Obama used the federal shutdown at that time to weaponize the government machinery.  Trump and his administration will not hurt regular people the same way.  The House Republicans threw in CHIP funding for poor children's health care for six years to spite Democrats from their leadership.  This succeeded in a small way, but the hurdle of a cloture vote in the Senate was not reached, as four Republicans crossed lines and only five Democrats crossed lines.

The press may not blame the Republicans as in the past.  After all, this time, the Democrats chose to support the needs of illegally domiciled aliens over the citizens they represent.  If this narrative continues in the New York Times or other papers, it can't be good news for Schumer.