Refreshing GOP Candor

Rep. Steve King (R-IA) admits on Fox News that the government shutdown is the Republicans' fault (h/t Talking Points Memo).

“I’m talking about Ted Cruz, who basically was saying that he if he defunded Obamacare he could manage to both keep the government open and defund Obamacare,” King said. “The fact is, it was done in the House, and the government is now closed and Obamacare is going forward. This was a strategy that never could have worked."

"We are the ones who did shut the government down," he later added. "Charles Krauthammer called it the suicide caucus. The Wall Street Journal said they were kamikazes. You don't take the dramatic step of shutting down the government unless you have a real strategy and it has a chance of working. It's never had a chance of working."

Kings admission came the same day a story appeared in the New York Times detailing how conservative groups have been planning and financing the shutdown for months.

UPDATE: The latest Washington Post/ABC News poll shows 70% oppose the Republicans' handling of this issue.