The Democrats are being blocked from governing the country by people who don't believe in a positive role for government, Vosem. The Republicans are doing this on purpose. There is no negotiation in good faith with them.
But the alternative (for the Democrats) seems to be waiting until Republicans come around to the Democrats' point-of-view, which isn't a very...realistic...strategy. It basically consists of agreeing with the more extreme parts of the Tea Party that, on the whole, they would like for the government shutdown to last as long as possible.