Rep. Steve King is one of 80 congressmen who signed a letter to Speaker Boehner urging him to defund the implementation and enforcement of Obamacare in any appropriations bill. Speaker Boehner adopted the course demanded by these 80 members, even though they represent just 12% of the total votes cast in House elections in 2012.
When voters re-elected Rep. King to Congress, they knew that his ideology was more important than any reasonable solutions. He has earned the reputation of being one of the “suicide caucus” defined by Charles Krauthammer.
In August, Rep. Tom Latham told me at his Ankeny forum that he feared the dangerous international consequences of shutting down the government. Instead of voting to oppose the government shutdown, Latham has even failed to sign a discharge petition that would cause the government to stay open at current funding levels.
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Rep. Latham is just as responsible for the shutdown-based legislative strategy as Rep. King. The only difference is that Rep. King has the decency to admit what he is up to.