The Tea Party gets what they want

The Tea Party wants a smaller federal government.
They're getting it.

There's no sense in what they're doing because the thing they really want is already happening.

The Tea Party Republicans won't approve a continuing resolution to fund the government unless the Affordable Care Act is delayed for a year (originally they wanted ACA to be completely dismantled).  The ACA is funded separately and doesn't rely on the continuing resolution to continue.  In fact, the ACA website opened yesterday.  Taking an idealogical stand at this time doesn't make sense.

I think they're shaking shiny keys in front of our face while behind our back they're pleased with themselves for 'shrinking' the federal government.

The sequestor was a shrinking of the government and we're getting along.  They're hoping that after a while we'll all get used to the current federal shutdown and realize how unnecessary a large federal government is.

We're in a no win situation. unless someone comes up with a creative way to get out of this.
(By 'we' I mean people who appreciate a federal government)
This tactic is similar to what perpetrators of domestic violence do.
(I know that's a provocative statement.  It's not intended to minimize the horror of domestic violence or equate the brutality of domestic abuse to the  government shutdown.  It's a comment about the tactic.)

Two other factors that are contributing to the current stand-off
1.  The debt ceiling needs to be raised by October 17th and the Tea Party people don't like that either.  Economists think this will have the greatest impact on our economy.
2.  The Tea Party Republicans come from districts that have been gerry-mandered so much that the representatives don't worry about getting re-elected (usually, the only leverage people have to send a message to their representative).  They're representing districts that support this ridiculous plan.

Grrrrr...this makes me angry!