As a federal government shutdown loomed late last Friday, Maryland Governor Martin O’Malley (D) engaged in one of his favorite pastimes: burning conservative straw men, or the “aberrant strain” as O’Malley likes to think of them.

O’Malley, head of the Democratic Governors Association, issued a statement saying, “Congressional Republicans are allowing their hate of government to hurt the hardworking families of our country. It appears they care more about hurting our government than they do about helping our recovery.”