Sen. Ben Cardin said it’s quite appropriate in the current government shutdown situation to sling around words like “hostage” and “ransom,” while suggesting House Speaker John Boehner ought to surrender to Democratic demands.
Mr. Cardin said specifically about Mr. Boehner: “Put down the gun.”
“It’s time for Mr. Boehner to put down the gun and put more faith in the democratic process,” he said, during a joint news conference with Sens. Barbara Boxer and Bill Nelson, Politico first reported.
He found no need to apologize for the violent connotations for an issue involving budget discussions.
“The gun isn’t raised to President Obama’s head or the Senate’s head,” Mr. Cardin said. “The gun is raised at the nation, as a whole. That’s why descriptions like ’ransom’ and ’hostage’ are not mere hyperboles: They’re as close as the English language gets to actually describing the GOP strategy.”
Democrats, on the other hand, he said, are comparable peace-makers.
“Democrats have no particular stake in passing a continuing resolution or raising the debt ceiling other than keeping public order – of doing what [a] reasonable person expects Congress to do,” he said.
• Cheryl K. Chumley can be reached at cchumley@washingtontimes.com.
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