Shutdown Plans in Place for Months

For most people, the current government shutdown probably looks like it arose from an opportunity quickly spotted by House Republicans. But according to new reporting from the New York Times, plans for the shutdown began right after the president was reelected. As soon as Republican leaders from over three dozen activist groups realized they weren't going to be able to get the Affordable Care Act repealed, they reportedly devised a "blueprint to defund Obamacare" at a meeting whose location still hasn't been revealed. "We felt very strongly at the start of this year that the House needed to use the power of the purse," said one Heritage Foundation official. So maybe rumors of a vast right-wing conspiracy have some merit?