The final countdown has begun with the Senate expected to reject the House's revised budget, which no longer defunds "Obamacare," but rather delays the mandates and cuts out the medical device tax, which has been one of the more amusing sore points for the Republicans. And, of course, the GOP'ers squeezed the Keystone XL pipeline in there for good measure, as if to stick one up the ass of the Democrats.
Cruz has been pitching this latest spending bill as a "compromise" on the air waves, but was called out on Meet the Press by David Gregory for just throwing another monkey wrench into the process. Of course, the smarmy Texas Senator slithered his way out of defending his position. Meanwhile, Boehner tries to stand tough, when once again he took a back seat to the Tea Party caucus, which is now driving the Republican clown car.
Fearless Ted seems to be invoking the 1995-96 shutdown, claiming at a recent Heritage Foundation event that the shutdown Newt Gingrich engineered actually benefited Republicans in the long run. He seems to have conveniently forgotten that Newt lost his seat over that shutdown, as did many Republicans, not able to regain their momentum until two years into George Bush's first term. But, I guess Ted figures he's in this one for the long haul, and if he can ride out the shit storm he is helping to create then he will be the better for it in the end. After all, I think there is nothing the TP caucus would love more than to oust Boehner and McConnell, which they view as long past their expiration date.
Just about every blog is abuzz with this story, as it provides added drama to the proposed opening of the health care exchanges on October 1, which of course the Congressional Teabaggers would love to postpone indefinitely. The irony is that Texas is one of the states that stands to benefit the most from these exchanges, as residents would pay some of the lowest premiums in the country.
something for Tea Baggers to consider:
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Well, the Republicans have done it again. Seems they didn't learn their lesson from 1996. The shutdown cost them dearly then and it will cost them dearly now. I expect to see heads rolling in the 2014 midterm because once again a shutdown was totally unnecessary. They knew full well the Democrats weren't going to budge on the ACA with the exchanges to officially open today, yet they tried to undercut "Obamacare" once again. I really don't get this mentality. It is so self-defeating.
ReplyDeletehttp://bluntandcranky.wordpress.com/2013/10/01/gop-congressman-on-government-shutdown-this-is-my-idea-of-fun/
ReplyDeletehttp://www.commondreams.org/view/2013/10/01-1
There is something utterly strange about Tea Baggers. One feels it is "fun" to shut down government and the other says universal health care is equatable with slavery.
To me, such sentiments reflect sick mindedness. Let's hope that party pays dearly for its indiscretions.
These guys have no interest in the Constitution, they so ardently claim to support. They are Anti-Federalists. If there was still a choice, they would choose the Articles of Confederation over the Constitution, as the Secessionists did in the 1860s. Some of these Teabaggers even go so far as to superimpose the "Don't Tread on Me" flag, which dates from 1775, on the Confederate flag. Pretty much sums them up.
ReplyDeleteThe American Conservative (publication) admits the Tea Baggers are taking their Repukeblican [oops, sorry - the Republican] party over the cliff:
ReplyDeletehttp://www.theamericanconservative.com/dreher/republicans-over-the-cliff/
"They are a barking-mad pack of ideologues
"These guys are taking the government and the economy to the brink of crisis, and for what? For the sake of rebel yells and the Lost Cause
"When I think of the Republican Party, I don’t think of principled conservative legislators who are men and women of vision strategy. I think of ideologues who are prepared to wreck things to get their way. They have confused prudence — the queen of virtues, and the cardinal virtue of conservative politics — with weakness."
Michelle Bachmann and others in the TP caucus were gleeful they had shutdown government. This was their aim from the beginning. They had no interest in compromise, much less sending through a clean spending bill. They want to plunge the country into crisis. This seems to be the only mode they know how to operate in, hoping that out of chaos they can get a few more of their ilk elected at the state and federal level. In that sense, they are no better National Socialist German Workers' Party.
ReplyDeleteAmericans by 72% Oppose Shutdown Tied to Health Care Cuts
ReplyDeletehttp://www.bloomberg.com/news/2013-10-01/americans-by-72-oppose-shutdown-tied-to-health-care-cuts.html
In a rejection of congressional Republicans’ strategy, Americans overwhelmingly oppose undermining President Barack Obama’s health-care law by shutting down the federal government or resisting an increase in the nation’s debt limit, according to a poll released today.
By 72 percent to 22 percent, Americans oppose Congress “shutting down major activities of the federal government” as a way to stop the Affordable Care Act from going into effect, the national survey from Quinnipiac University found.
... more ...
The majority of Americans still blame the GOP for the shutdown:
ReplyDeletehttp://www.saintpetersblog.com/62-of-americans-blame-gop-for-shutdown
Hopefully, this will have an effect during the next elections as radical Tea Baggers should be voted out of office.
I hope so too, Trip.
DeleteWorld war II hero condemns Republicans for causing shut down:
ReplyDeletehttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IIJ-nxOvpzU
So true. Shame on this party and its supporters.
http://upload.democraticunderground.com/imgs/2013/131010-from-shutdown-to-meltdown-day-10-headlines.jpg
Deletehttp://www.usnews.com/usnews/php/galleries/image.php/2390/8/8.jpg
http://editorialcartoonists.com/cartoons/KeefeM/2013/KeefeM20131011_low.jpg
http://editorialcartoonists.com/cartoons/RogerR/2013/RogerR20131011_low.jpg
some political 'toons which tell the real story
Jesus addressing the Tea Baggers:
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What the Tea Baggers have done to the Republican party & the USA:
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Not to mention 800,000 people out of work (most of whom will be paid for not working for two weeks) and 24 billion additional dollars down the drain. What a waste!
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