Government Shut Down

[Lamplighter]

No one would have predicted that the NIH would have been shut down,
AND that the Senate would not approve (or possibly even vote on),
a resolution from the House, to keep it working.

First, the position of the Senate was well-known before even
the first vote by the GOP demanding de-funding Obamacare.

Next, NIH did not shut down... they continued all patient support,
and interrupted only their non-essential management activities.

Further, the "just one child" is faux drama by the GOP.
NIH does not take on patient treatment for the sake of the person who is suffering.
Each individual is enrolled in NIH research only if they meet the given research criteria.
In fact, the person may be given "non-therapeutic treatment" as part of,
for example, a classic double-blind control study.

I agreed with you that the "gotcha" question sent Reid off in a tizzy,
but to suggest the GOP didn't know what they were doing or
could not foresee the ramifications is not tenable.

Bit then, if you want to argue the GOP does not know what it is doing,...

it says a something about (your opinion of) the GOP.