President Obama and Mike Ditka share a moment. (USATSI)
Turns out, the government shutdown is Mike Ditka's fault. The former Bears coach and the man who once described himself as an "ultra-ultra conservative" could have saved us from the current toxic political climate if only he had run for U.S. Senate nine years ago.

Back in 2004, Dikta considered entering the race in Illinois but decided against it because of a "busy schedule." Barack Obama later won the Senate seat in a landslide victory over Alan Keyes. Four years later, Obama was elected the 44th President of the United States, and he was reelected four years after that.

Earlier this month, Ditka still had regrets about not running for the Illinois Senate seat.

“Biggest mistake I’ve ever made,” Ditka said, via NESN.com. “Not that I would have won, but I probably would have and he wouldn't be in the White House.”

In 2008, Ditka supported John McCain and Sarah Palin, but unlike a group of players from the 1972 Dolphins team that refused a White House invitation because they disagreed with Obama's politics, Ditka was in attendance during a 2011 ceremony to honor the 1985 Bears team, and he presented the president with a Bears jersey with the name "Obama" on it.

See, we can all get along.