Countdown to shutdown in Washington

Governing the United States has become increasingly challenging in recent years because of the huge divides between left and right, between Republicans and Democrats in Congress. Some of the right wing Republicans in the House of Representatives are so extreme they don't seem to mind whether they bring the whole administration to its knees. The federal budget has to be agreed and signed by the end of Saturday or there will be complete government shutdown and no money to pay millions of federal employees. This farce has occurred so many times in recent years it has almost become routine. Obama had the same problem, and Trump and now Biden. But this time, the voices of anger and extremism are so brazen that it is difficult to see how the embattled Speaker of the House, Kevin McCarthy, can come up with a solution. So little time left to bring the extremists to heel. Politicians such as Matt Gaetz representing Florida's first district is almost anarchic in his approach to the federal budget. He wants Biden out and McCarthy out, too, unless he plays ball with what he wants. The man is such a thorn in the side of the Speaker that he must drive the poor man mad. And they are in the same party. Nancy Pelosi who had her own challenges when she was Speaker would not have put up with it. McCarthy is possibly too weak in dealing with these rebels. Time is running out. A shutdown would be disastrous and damaging to the economy. Gaetz doesn't care, that's obvious.