Dumbest moments in business

Partisan bickering is nothing new, but Congress took it to a whole new level this fall. Pressed to pass a budget, the House and Senate instead played a game of high-stakes chicken ... only no one swerved.

The Republican-led House said they'd only pass a bill that defunded portions of Obamacare. The Democratic-led Senate essentially said: Hell, no.

And so for 17 days the panda cam was off, U.S. national parks were closed and even the D-Day cemetery in Normandy was fermé. What's more, thousands of preschoolers were shut out of Head Start programs. Military families lost childcare. Small businesses reeled from frozen contracts and stalled loans. Thousands of workers were furloughed and later paid for the time off.

American efficiency at work. - A.R.