The Doomsday Clock struck midnight. Cue the panic pieces and sob stories about the evils of shutdown.

From our friends at CNN:

“800,000 workers go without pay, and it doesn’t stop there”

“National parks to be deserted...”

And then there’s that tragic panda cam situation at the National Zoo.

And, of course, we know who will get the lion’s share of the blame.

From the AP (via the Huffington Post):

Republicans stubbornly demanded changes in the nation's health care law as the price for essential federal funding and President Barack Obama and Democrats adamantly refused.

Ah, those “stubborn” Republicans, always demanding their ransoms to our mutual destruction.

(Just don’t mention federal employee overtime comp pay.)