That’s right. It’s the Republican Shutdown. There is not one iota of shared responsibility. Republicans based their entire 2008 campaign on repealing ObamaCare. Little Lord Willard got clobbered. Republicans lost seats in the Senate. Republicans lost the popular vote for the House, and retained the majority, only because they stacked the deck after 2010 with extreme Gerrymandering. They challenged ObamaCare in the courts and lost. On the other hand, Democrats made concession after concession. The clean continuing resolution from the Senate even has the Republican funding levels. The Republican Party refused to take YES for an answer. At this point Democrats could not be more correct to dig in their heels and say, “NO MORE!”
One of the eye-opening hallmarks of this latest Obamacare/government shutdown battle has been the steely resolve of the Democrats in both chambers. Admit it, you’re as surprised about it as I am. There hasn’t been a hint of a waver.
Sure, a handful of Blue Dogs have voted with Republicans in the House, but that’s not as much of a problem, since after 2010 there are only a handful of Blue Dogs left. They are pretty irrelevant. The part of the party that matters has been steadier than I’ve ever seen it in my 11 years of running this joint. It threatens to bring tears to my eyes.
Thus, we have the rare spectacle of a convulsing Republican Party, united in its votes, but tearing itself apart behind closed doors and in the media.
And it’s more than standing still. They’re going on the offense. For example, it looks like Senate Democrats leaked these private emails from House Speaker John Bohner’s staff. Hardball tactics? Damn right.
Inserted from <Daily Kos>
Here are three videos that encapsulate the lead up and earliest stages of the Republican Shutdown.
Rachel Maddow explained that Republicans have wanted to shut down the government since before they took the US House.
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In history’s clear light there can be no denying that this is the Republican Shutdown. Republicans planned it even before Agent Orange, aka the Two Inch Boehner, got his big phallic substitute. "Elect Republicans and they will burn the place down.", says Rachel!
Chris Hayes explored one Democrat’s frustration and anger over the Republican Shutdown.
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All Boehner had to do was to put a clean CR on the floor. He chose to shut it down, because he is too big a coward to stand up to TEAbuggery!
Krystal Ball explained why the House vote to conference is a joke, and talks about effects.
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Patty Murray (D-WA) moved to appoint budget conferees eighteen times since April. Republicans filibustered. House Democrats have submitted a bill over and over again to appoint conferees. Boehner refused to bring it to the floor. Republicans only want to conference now, because they’re holding a gun on the American people, but even the extreme right National Review propagandist admitted that a clean CR would pass the House.
That’s why this is the Republican Shutdown.
31 Responses to “The Republican Shutdown”
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The House Republican Party tries to blackmail Senate Democrats … and now wants to turn around and blame the Democrats they are blackmailing for the consequences of not paying their Teahadists’ ransom demands.
A thoroughly accurate summary.
These are acts of treason — I say kill the bastards! I was hoping that one of their beloved 2nd amenders would break into the house at the last minute and do us all the favor of slaughtering the traitors – but alas – it didn't happen – and they've got their way! Seems like a call to civil war once again and by the same sources!
Lee, I know you're acting emotionally, but violence is not the answer. That's the Republican way. Er'rde better than that. Also their anti-American behavior is sedition, not treason. The Constitution requires a formal state of war. Law against sedition werfe passed to create a method to deal with traitors in the absence of a declared war.
Insanity = Doing the same thing over and over again and expectin different results.
Sound familiar?
You misspelled InsaniTEA. 😉
Excellent article – and brilliant comments that I couldn't better if I tried! I do so agree – if only the people from PP had influence on the Hill….
Thanks Pat. We have a great group of regulars here, yourself included. 🙂
The 113 Congress is the worst with a 10% approval rating doing absolutely nothing. My goal now was from a clip from Bill Maher to become Tea Party Free…. www.billmaher.com/
That's in keepinf with the Eleventh Commandment: Thou shalt not commit TEAbuggery!
On a national level we just can not seem to manage that simple task keep the government running, services open and functioning, needs met, bills paid. Some of these republicans and mostly the tea bags do not want to pay taxes at all, they do not understand the function of government and bizarre as it may seem are gleeful about this shut down. Twice they have tried and failed to finance just DC (which as you know still does not have home rule) and that failed. Why finance DC? Because of their big hearts and concern for the people that live in DC, you know better – 535 members of Congress and many have a temporary residence in or around the District of Columbia, the members of Congress certainly do not want to suffer a disruption in their personal needs and services. Remember the Sequester? What was fixed in that? Oh yes, just the singular inconvenience of air traffic and how it was directly affecting members of Congress as they made their trips home and back to DC.
NIH is closed – children on the programs that treat their illness through NIH, must wait until the Kings and Queens of Congress deign to allow government to function again allow and those children – the one's still alive to once again begin their treatments. Should a mass plague decide to hit us now, I hope it restricts itself to Congress, they will most certainly open CDC for their needs.
I was hoping to be less angry this morning, I am not. We have learned one important lesson and I believe should take up the DEMAND that from now, under no circumstance will Congress have the power nor the option of closing down the largest, government and economy on the face of the earth. A POX on all their houses. How dare they do harm to millions of people for nothing more than personal ideology.
Every member of Congress should be forced to visit every sick child and explain why their treatments have been stopped.
Excellent comment Kitty. In fact you predicted a bit of Thursday's lead article. I fully agree!
AFFORDABLE HEALTH CARE C
We polled 70% ,consistently, for decades to Reform Expensive Health Care as is done by all other industrialized nations. Had Hillary a Democratic Congress in 1995 We would be talking Hilcare not Obamacare.
We are not giving the AHC a fair chance to work. It is not Health Care it is Powerfare.
The Tea Party was and is financed by Koch to cut taxes, cut spending, do less policing of the environment.
Give it a chance. Stop charging $500 for a $32 hand held Breathalyzer, $600 for $10 worth of cloth gauze, $6000 for a night in a bed hooked to a blood pressure monitor, $4400 for 5 hours on a sleep monitor.
Those are personal examples that show why we spend 20% of our Individual Income on Health Care
And rank 37th in World Health Forum for effectiveness.
Where do we get out health insurance? 78% via employer, Medicare, and Medicaid.
48% via employer—15% by Medicare and 15% by Medicaid.
Give AHC a Fair Chance. It will not be fully operational for another year.
Clarence, I agree completely, except that its the ACA (Affordable Healthcare Act), not AHC. 🙂
Thank you Clarence and I noted you numbers are correct and applaud your comments… 🙂
Everything you said and all that hard work to get out the word Tom I thank you I hope more and American people find there way. What scares me is that most American people to not even know that Obamacare is the thing as "The Affordable Care Act" I hope more and people will go here and learn the facts and check out Obamacare https://www.healthcare.gov/
I'm pleased to announced that I just tested your ling, and to Republican dismay, it's working now.
Obviously someone is very frightened that the Affordable Care Act will be a big success.
Obviously, indeed!
This is such a sad state of affairs…let's hope the sucumb to an uncurable virus!
Welcome Valerie! 🙂
They already have one. When they open their mouths to skeak bovive exrement comes out. It's calledd Accute Republicosis.
There's gonna be blowback from this, and I hope it blows back so hard that the Republican Party never recovers. Is it too over-the-top to wish that their self-orchestrated destruction is truly cataclysmic? Regardless of how it plays out, it will be interesting — if not always fun — to watch.
From your keyboard to God's eyes!
Their stupidity is amazing. They shut down the government to stop Obama care, which went into effect yesterday. I guarantee, once it is shown to be effective, they will be calling it the Affordable Care Act and claiming credit for it. I have signed three petitions to freeze Congressional salaries while the government is shut down. If we don't work, we don't get paid. Neither should they.
Edie, Congressional salaries should be frosen only for those who vote ahainst a clean CA.
I very much appreciate the Rachel Maddow segment because it put a historical context to the Republicanus/Teabagger call for government shutdown. Shutdown, it seems, has become the preferred tactic of the right wing fanatical conservatives aka the Teabaggers and has been for the last few years. Since 2010 there have been numerous Republicanus/Teabagger calls for shutdown but none have been successful. Even before 2010, the Republicanus were promising a government shutdown during the 2009 election campaign. But even before that, Republicanus used it at length in 1995/1996.
This time around, the funding for Obamacare was merely the conduit for fanning the flames of a showdown over shutdown. The last and longest shutdown is outlined briefly here: http://usgovinfo.about.com/od/federalbudgetprocess/a/Government-Shutdowns.htm
Social programmes that would assist many Americans are a big target for conservatives, as are education and environmental regulation.
This shutdown, like the last, is an ideologically driven tactic, nothing more, but it has severe consequences if it lingers. Republicanus/Teabaggers are hitching their horse to the premise that Democrats will cave as they have done in the past. As hard as it might be, Democrats cannot cave because there is another battle mounting in 2 weeks — the debt ceiling — and the consequences in that battle are even more dire for the US and the global economy.
Personally, I wish that the orchestraters of this shutdown tactic would be charged with sedition but I know they won't be largely because proof of sedition is very onerous. But the next best thing would be to throw the Republicanus/Teabaggers into the unemployment line at the very first opportunity!
Amen Lynn! It is blackmail, duress, sedition, and terrorism!
You left out extortion.
You're right! Good catch, John!
At the top of their list of things to destroy are Social Security and Medicare. So far, their tactic of trying to blame Obama and the Democrats for the shutdown doesn't appear to be working. Most of the major newspapers in the U.S. are referring to it as the Republican shutdown on their front pages and condemning it for one reason or another on their editorial pages. The exceptions to this, of course, are the bought and paid for columnists and talking heads we all know and loathe.
The Democrats don't dare cave on this; they would be setting a precedent for future negotiations that would be disastrous for the country. The only weapon I want those Tea Party fanatics to have is the one they shoot themselves in the foot with.
As always, your comments are right on, and I enjoy reading them. It is a little embarrassing, though, to admit that a Canadian knows more about American government and politics than most Americans do. Keep it up.
You're still right. Republicans want an America where the RepublkiCare Death Benefit, those who can't pay get a free death, is the entire safety net for all ages, except we all woulkd get to pay for an extensive safety net for the 1%.
I wish 25% of Americans knew half as much as Lynn does.