By Andrew Schneider

From the media to staff members of this publication, there is a belief that the government shut down was solely a result of Republican “bullheadedness.” This notion is flat out wrong. The shut down did not result from lack of communication between the Democratic and Republican parties, but rather from political animosity between the two parties.
The Constitution states that the House of Representatives has control over most of the budget. With a Democratically influenced Senate and White House and a Republican-filled House, disagreement over the government’s finances is inevitable.
The extremity of every debate over political issues does not only stem from this fate, but also – more so – from self-interested officials. Instead of prioritizing the needs of our nation before their own, most politicians oppose any and all agreements in hopes of gaining popularity throughout their own party and throughout the nation.
Senator Ted Cruz from Texas is an example. A Republican presidential hopeful for 2016, Cruz used the debate over the Affordable Care Act as a prime opportunity for him to join the national spotlight by creating controversy.
On the other side of the political spectrum, Nancy Pelosi and other powerful House Democrats work vigorously to portray the Republican Party as the enemy in order to further their party’s bids for House seats. Instead of working towards a compromise to see the 300,000 furloughed workers back on the job, Democrats refused to honor any Republican points.
Moral of the story: do not only care about yourself. If you are ever in a position of power, put those you represent before your own wants and needs. Stay true to yourself and remember why you were chosen for that position.