Dems don't compromise either

The Dems, who complain about lack of compromise from Tea Partiers and Republicans, have shown how intransigent they can be. They shut down the FAA, furloughing 4000 bureaucrats, shutting down airport construction projects, laying off a bunch of construction workers, all over a measly $16.5 million in pork which the Republicans wanted to trim.
To be fair, there was one other issue. The Obama appointed FAA had issued a rule making it easier to unionize a company and the Republicans wanted to repeal it, putting things back the way they have been since the 1930's. But still, it was a minor issue, abet one dear to the hearts of labor unions.
As an observer on the side lines, it is incredible that the dems refused to give the Republicans $16.5 million in cuts and a union issue. $16.5 million is chicken feed and any company under FAA jurisdiction that isn't union now is unlikely to go union under any rule. But the dems dug in their heels and refused to compromise (aka give the Republicans what they wanted in return for keeping all those good democratic voting bureaucrats on the payroll).