I’m writing for tomorrow day 109. Because the Republican budget crisis is coming to a head tonight, I may delay the September Monthly Report from the second to the third. Speaking of overloading myself, every single politician and/or organization, for whom I have signed a petition or made a small donation, has been sending me multiple email solicitations for money daily. I need a full time secretary just to delete all the damn things! So today, I went on an unsubscribing rampage, and unsubscribed to everyone who has dunned for money in the last 24 hours. I unsubscribed from 154 lists! ARGH!
Jig Zone Puzzle:
Today’s took me 3:56 (average 4:51). To do it, click here. How did you do?
Short Takes:
From The New Yorker: In a special Sunday radio address, House Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio) delivered a health tip to the American people, advising them to delay getting cancer for a year.
“We’re involved in a high-stakes fight over our freedom from centralized government control of our lives,” said Mr. Boehner, speaking on behalf of his House colleagues. “You can do your part by delaying getting cancer.”
He added that heart disease, emphysema, and diabetes were among a laundry list of conditions that would be “patriotic to avoid for a year.”…
…In closing, he reassured the American people that in the event of a government shutdown, members of Congress’ health benefits would remain intact: “We want to be in tip-top shape to continue to do the excellent job we’re doing for you.”
Those who refuse to delay are still welcome to the free RepubliCare Death Benefit, and will not be charged for dying. As for Agent Orange, his insides are already embalmed.
From NY Times: This may be the way the world ends — not with a bang but with a temper tantrum.
O.K., a temporary government shutdown — which became almost inevitable after Sunday’s House vote to provide government funding only on unacceptable conditions — wouldn’t be the end of the world. But a U.S. government default, which will happen unless Congress raises the debt ceiling soon, might cause financial catastrophe. Unfortunately, many Republicans either don’t understand this or don’t care.
Let’s talk first about the economics…
Krugman does a superior job of explaining the meanings of and the difference between a budget shutdown and a more harmful debt limit default. Click through for the entire article. As for Republicans, he calls them "Rebels without a clue!"
From TPM: The Democratic-led Senate is expected on Monday afternoon to rebuff the latest temporary spending bill passed by the House, keeping the pressure on House Republicans just hours before a federal government shutdown at midnight.
Democrats will bring up one motion to table the GOP’s amendments to delay Obamacare for a year, repeal the law’s medical device tax and allow employers to opt out of contraception coverage for employees, leadership aides say. It would require 51 votes. House Republicans were furious that Senate declined to return to session Sunday after the lower chamber voted to amend the continuing resolution late Saturday night.
"The Senate will do exactly what we said we would do and reject these measures," said Adam Jentleson, a spokesman for Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV), on Sunday. "At that point, Republicans will be faced with the same choice they have always faced: put the Senate’s clean funding bill on the floor and let it pass with bipartisan votes, or force a Republican government shutdown."… [emphasis added]
This is just how I said it would happen yesterday. By the time you read this, you should know what the House Republicans did. Update: They threw in an extra iteration, but because the end result was the one I anticipated, there is no need for me to change the cartoon I placed in this article yesterday morning. See below.
Cartoon:
16 Responses to “Open Thread–10/1/2013”
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Do any Americans (with fully functioning brains) actually realise what is going on and why? I have to say that the rest of the world is struggling – why is the rest of the government allowing the GOP/TP to throw their toys out of the pram and viciously harm those who cannot defend themselves, ie the sick, the weak, the disabled, the elderly…. They really disgust me – the GOP/TP ran up huge bills for wars in Iraq and Afghanistan – and now they are defaulting on their debts as well as making the vulnerable of society suffer!
Pat, most Americans don't have a clue, because most media is not giving them an accurate account.
3:19 Pretty speedy on this one.
3:10 I am not a fungus fan which prompted me to move more quickly to get away!
3:49 I solved the puzzle with the speed of a fungus.
Bigfooted and LAST! 🙁
I know how you feel about the emails. I've been unsubscibing for a week now and still get the requests for money several times a day from the same person or organization. How may times do I have to tell them not to send me emails?
New Yorker ~ His brain has been pickled for years and his outsides are tanned like leather. Well-preserved individual.
NY Times ~ Rebels without a Clue! And their only Cause is to make President Obama appear ineffective. They will destroy our Country in their foolish attempts. Definitely sedition!
TPM and Cartoon ~ Idiot!
That depends. One Republican organization got my name from a "Tell the Reoublicans to stop…." petition. ( I never sign those anymore. If I want to chew some GOP ass I use the phone.) I have unsubscribed to that one over 50 times. All the Democrats stopped within three attempts.
Mr. FormaldyHIDE!
Bingo!
Thanks and AMEN!
Just to be clear: Funding our government is not a "concession" to Democrats – or anyone else. It's basic governance.
For Congress to keeping our government up and running IS PART OF THEIR JOB.
Amen!!!
Unfortunately, too many representatives and senators skipped Governance 101 in government school. To take it one step further, I think most Republicanus/Teabaggers and some Democrats missed all the courses in government!
Sadly, few of them know anything about their job, other than pleasing the Koch Brothers.
Hear! Hear!
Puzzle — 3:10 I am not a fungus fan which prompted me to move more quickly to get away
The New Yorker — Oh AB, you're so funny!!!
… yeah, at the Republicare Death Panels!
NY Times — Boehner needs to ignore the Hastert Rule and let the House vote on the debt ceiling.
That is the only logical and sane thing to do. Mind you, that would assume that Boehner, through that pickled fog, could find a measure of sanity for the American people and the world. With the current thinking in Teabagger circles, (Did I just use Teabagger and thinking in the same sentence? Silly me!), they should be put on the designated domestic terrorists list because what these radicals are proposing is the anihilation of the US and world financial systems.
TPM — I don't know why House Republicanus/Teabaggers were so furious! They knew what the outcome would be and should have taken that into account. I can hear them now blaming the Senate for this "game" of political brinkmanship and the shut down, when in actual fact, the House Republicanus/Teabaggers are responsible.
.Cartoon — The Hastert Rule is alive and well sitting on the bar stool beside Boehner!
Dang! Not obly a foot fungus, but a Bigfoot fungus!!
Bingo!
Anotherf Bingo!
Kasbuki TEAbubuggry!
Bingo #3!
Boehner needs to Man up and get his House in order. I am sick of the lot of them, both parties, but most especially the Republicans who are letting the Tea baggers run the show. I hope enough people are paying attention to this to throw them all out next election.
Democrats are doing their job, Edie. It's not fair to blame them for Republican sedition.