{"id":12070,"date":"2014-01-24T01:10:24","date_gmt":"2014-01-24T09:10:24","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.politicsplus.org\/blog\/?p=12070"},"modified":"2014-01-24T01:10:24","modified_gmt":"2014-01-24T09:10:24","slug":"open-thread1242014","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.politicsplus.org\/blog\/2014\/01\/24\/open-thread1242014\/","title":{"rendered":"Open Thread–1\/24\/2014"},"content":{"rendered":"

I\u2019m writing this article in my motel room, for tomorrow, before leaving for today\u2019s meetings.  I\u2019m thoroughly disappointed with Motel 6, and will tell more of that when I return home.  Yesterday, we had an outside board meeting here, in which we discussed problems and goals.  This afternoon the outside board will meet with the inside executive committee inside the prison.  This evening we\u2019ll have our normal meeting with around 100 of my guys.<\/font><\/p>\n

Jig Zone Puzzle<\/strong>:<\/font><\/p>\n

Today\u2019s took me 4:37 (average 5:01).  To do it, click here<\/a>.  How did you do?<\/font><\/p>\n

Short Takes<\/strong>:<\/font><\/p>\n

From NY Times<\/a>: <\/font>Treasury Secretary Jacob J. Lew warned Congress on Wednesday that the government would most likely exhaust its ability to borrow in late February, setting up yet another fiscal showdown with Republicans, and this time earlier than congressional leaders had anticipated.<\/p>\n

In a letter to Speaker John A. Boehner and the other top three congressional leaders, Mr. Lew said a surge of February spending, mainly tax refunds for 2013, would leave the Treasury with little room to maneuver after the official debt limit is reached on Feb. 7.<\/p>\n

The letter amounts to an early alarm bell, coming just weeks after Congress passed its first bipartisan budget and comprehensive spending bill in years. Those bills were supposed to serve as a cease-fire in the budget wars that have rattled the country and the economy since Republicans took control of the House in 2011.<\/p>\n

No matter what Republicans threaten, there can be no compromise on Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid, SNAP, ObamaCare, or any other part of the safety net, already stretched far too thin by Republican class warfare.<\/font><\/p>\n

From Upworthy<\/a>: <\/font>Here Are Just 3 Of The *Smaller* Lies SeaWorld Makes Its Employees Tell Its Guests<\/p>\n