Government Shutdown Raises Horrible Spectre of a Boozeless Minnesota

One more reason to keep government out of the booze biz: If government shuts down, so do the taps. And with two of their own already "exchanging blasts" in the presidential primary, Minnesotans are going to need a drink or two to keep their famous nice going.

Via Wonkette, this terrifying tale of liquor shortages in a land of serious drinkers:

In the days leading up to the shutdown, thousands of [restaurants, bars, and liquor stores] scrambled to renew their state-issued liquor purchasing cards. Many of them did not make it.

Now, with no end in sight to the shutdown, they face a summer of fast-dwindling alcohol supplies and a bottom line that looks increasingly bleak.

"It's going to cripple our industry," said Frank Ball, executive director of the Minnesota Licensed Beverage Association, which represents thousands of liquor retailers in the state.

The same horrible fate awaits cigarette sellers come Labor Day.