Who/What Caused the Government Shutdown?

In the Friday 2013-10-18 the Washington Times published a guest opinion by Kentucky Senator Rand Paul.  In part, he writes, 

The government shutdown occurred because Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid allows the Senate to lurch from deadline to deadline without passing a single appropriations bill. Had he done his job and passed each of the 12 appropriations bills, the government could have stayed open.
Opening government has not resolved the big picture — a debt problem so large that it dwarfs all deadlines and threatens the very fabric of the nation. What remains is an unsustainable debt, precisely the problem that motivated me to run for office.

There was never any reason to shut down government. If both sides were willing to compromise, we could have found amicable solutions to these severe problems. But let the record state clearly, no significant spending restraint was accomplished because President Obama steadfastly refused to negotiate. Let us also remember his promise that he will negotiate as long as the compromises are outside of any budgetary deadlines.

We’ve heard this before, and I, for one, am skeptical.

Read more: http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2013/oct/18/paul-another-shutdown-stickup/#.UmH3MI7JOXE.email#ixzz2iDAFfONO
Follow us: @washtimes on Twitter

Now, the spin masters at NBC, CBS, MSNBC and the like are busily engaged in ascribing blame for the government shutdown to the Republican Party.  It is an attempt to destroy the GOP.  This attempt is sanctioned by "O" and his confederates.

Both major political parties are at fault.  The responsibility lies because the so called most transparent administration in history (sic) wants to annihilate all opposition to the "fundamental transformation" of this country.  As was seen in the shutdown the GOP finally stood up on principle.  Unfortunately, they did not stick to such principles and are now in an undesirable predicament.

I for one am not convinced.