The Tea Party is back in business! (1 Viewer)

[Arsenal of Doom]

This will not have much impact on the upcoming election. But if the GOP insists on making Obamacare the central piece of their campaign, they are going to lose their arses. It is not the major issue. I have been saying this for 6 years now, but the GOP needs to focus on the deficit and stop being concerned with their obtuse position on no new taxes and no cuts to defense. Maybe this election they will listen, but I doubt it.

I think Obamacare could still be a winning campaign issue for them, particularly at the State/District level. They just aren't helping by continuing to fight a battle they lost 4 years ago.

 

[Jackstraw]

Obama has agreed to sit down with Republican leaders to discuss their differences.

So, I'm one of the lucky ones at a DC gov't department who has been deemed excepted. So I'm working today. I guess I'm grateful, because it's nice to be earning money (although whether I collect remains to be seen).

I just came from a meeting with management here in my Dept. The word they got from the WH is that they don't expect this to be over any time soon.

There was also a lot of discussion about the WWII memorial and the associated craziness with members of congress opening up the memorial. Folks here knew that it was coming and could instruct the the personnel appropriately. My guess is that there is something else planned for Friday at another memorial. We'll see.

Priceless that the people that closed the monuments a mere 12 hours later are at the monuments grandstanding about them being closed. These people must hall their tremendous balls around in wheelbarrows.

 

[Scoresman]

If it turns out that President Barack Obama can make a deal with the most intransigent, hard-line, unreasonable, totalitarian mullahs in the world (Iran), but not with Republicans... maybe he's not the problem

- Jon Stewart

 

[Flying Spaghetti Monster]

I really don't want to hear complaints from moderate Republicans. Try showing up at some primaries.

Well, I have to admit that you have a point there.

Moderates tend to not get involved until later in the candidate selection process. That is why you have people like Bachmann get early leads, this can also be said about Rick Perry, Herman Cain, or Rick Santorum. In the case of Santorum and Bachmann if you have a small energetic base it can carry you for awhile and can give an the perception that an extreme viewpoint is way more popular than it actually is.

 

[jon_mx]

This will not have much impact on the upcoming election. But if the GOP insists on making Obamacare the central piece of their campaign, they are going to lose their arses. It is not the major issue. I have been saying this for 6 years now, but the GOP needs to focus on the deficit and stop being concerned with their obtuse position on no new taxes and no cuts to defense. Maybe this election they will listen, but I doubt it.

I think Obamacare could still be a winning campaign issue for them, particularly at the State/District level. They just aren't helping by continuing to fight a battle they lost 4 years ago.

It is not a winning issue. It is an issue you bring up for red meat for your hard core voters, but it can not be a central issue you run your campaign on.

 

[timschochet]

I really don't want to hear complaints from moderate Republicans. Try showing up at some primaries.

Well, I have to admit that you have a point there.

Moderates tend to not get involved until later in the candidate selection process. That is why you have people like Bachmann get early leads, this can also be said about Rick Perry, Herman Cain, or Rick Santorum. In the case of Santorum and Bachmann if you have a small energetic base it can carry you for awhile and can give an the perception that an extreme viewpoint is way more popular than it actually is.

Well you're talking Presidential politics. And I'm not so worried about that. My concern is how do idiots like Bachmann get to be in Congress in the first place? Because moderates don't show up in the primaries or the midterm elections, that's why.

 

[Homer J Simpson]

Of course the Democrats are equally guilty of running on stupid issues. Like this anti-Tea Party non-sense. It is completely meaningless dribble to play on the fears of the ignorant in the left-wing, but it does seem to rope in quite a few.

Good point. Why oppose the Tea Party? What are they gonna do, shut down the government?

 

[Flying Spaghetti Monster]

I really don't want to hear complaints from moderate Republicans. Try showing up at some primaries.

Well, I have to admit that you have a point there.

Moderates tend to not get involved until later in the candidate selection process. That is why you have people like Bachmann get early leads, this can also be said about Rick Perry, Herman Cain, or Rick Santorum. In the case of Santorum and Bachmann if you have a small energetic base it can carry you for awhile and can give an the perception that an extreme viewpoint is way more popular than it actually is.

Well you're talking Presidential politics. And I'm not so worried about that. My concern is how do idiots like Bachmann get to be in Congress in the first place? Because moderates don't show up in the primaries or the midterm elections, that's why.

It is called gerrymandering. Some respectable Republicans are even speaking out about it.

 

[jon_mx]

Of course the Democrats are equally guilty of running on stupid issues. Like this anti-Tea Party non-sense. It is completely meaningless dribble to play on the fears of the ignorant in the left-wing, but it does seem to rope in quite a few.

Good point. Why oppose the Tea Party? What are they gonna do, shut down the government?

Tea Party is not a party and does not have any real power despite what all the fish in the boat wish to tell us. HTH

 

[humpback]

"I've bent over backwards to work with the republican party and purposely kept my rhetoric down".

 

[jon_mx]

"I've bent over backwards to work with the republican party and purposely kept my rhetoric down".

"I've bent over backwards to work with the republican party and purposely kept my rhetoric down".

Tim buys it.

 

[Flying Spaghetti Monster]

"I've bent over backwards to work with the republican party and purposely kept my rhetoric down".

Obama has tried working with the GOP since day one, but has been rebuffed with extreme and unreasonable rhetoric.

His second election proves that the american people are with him.

 

[Homer J Simpson]

Of course the Democrats are equally guilty of running on stupid issues. Like this anti-Tea Party non-sense. It is completely meaningless dribble to play on the fears of the ignorant in the left-wing, but it does seem to rope in quite a few.

Good point. Why oppose the Tea Party? What are they gonna do, shut down the government?

Tea Party is not a party and does not have any real power despite what all the fish in the boat wish to tell us. HTH

Whatever you want to call them, there's a destructive, powerful, and nihilistic extreme in the Republican Party that is the cause of our current situation.

 

[jon_mx]

"I've bent over backwards to work with the republican party and purposely kept my rhetoric down".

Obama has tried working with the GOP since day one, but has been rebuffed with extreme and unreasonable rhetoric.

His second election proves that the american people are with him.

OK, FSM buys into it too....

 

[jon_mx]

Of course the Democrats are equally guilty of running on stupid issues. Like this anti-Tea Party non-sense. It is completely meaningless dribble to play on the fears of the ignorant in the left-wing, but it does seem to rope in quite a few.

Good point. Why oppose the Tea Party? What are they gonna do, shut down the government?

Tea Party is not a party and does not have any real power despite what all the fish in the boat wish to tell us. HTH

Whatever you want to call them, there's a destructive, powerful, and nihilistic extreme in the Republican Party that is the cause of our current situation.

It is called the Republican base. And it is just like the Democratic base. It is only as powerful as the party lets them to be.

 

[drummer]

jon been smoking weed again!

 

[5 digit know nothing]

Clinton (Bill) chimes in...

 

[Clifford]

Of course the Democrats are equally guilty of running on stupid issues. Like this anti-Tea Party non-sense. It is completely meaningless dribble to play on the fears of the ignorant in the left-wing, but it does seem to rope in quite a few.

Every single election, whether primary or national, both candidates of both parties run on nothing but meaningless divisive issues. Its the only way to keep up the illusion that our elections actually present a choice.

 

[drummer]

Tea Party is about raising $$$ for special interest and lobbyists.

 

[lakerstan]

Sounds like enough moderate Republicans have now joined the Democrats to support a clean bill to end the shut down. But it is up to Boehner to bring the bill to the floor, and doesn't sound like he will.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/10/02/clean-funding-bill_n_4031784.html

 

[tom22406]

Can you imagine the length of the thread here if the day ever comes that government was actually going to be reduced?

 

[The Commish]

Of course the Democrats are equally guilty of running on stupid issues. Like this anti-Tea Party non-sense. It is completely meaningless dribble to play on the fears of the ignorant in the left-wing, but it does seem to rope in quite a few.

Good point. Why oppose the Tea Party? What are they gonna do, shut down the government?

Tea Party is not a party and does not have any real power despite what all the fish in the boat wish to tell us. HTH

Whatever you want to call them, there's a destructive, powerful, and nihilistic extreme in the Republican Party that is the cause of our current situation.

It is called the Republican base. And it is just like the Democratic base. It is only as powerful as the party lets them to be.

Well which is it jonny? They have very little power or they have all the power the party is willing to give them? Or are you saying that the Tea Party isn't the one causing all these issues in the first place and the GOP is just pinning it on them?

 

[Ramblin Wreck]

Sounds like enough moderate Republicans have now joined the Democrats to support a clean bill to end the shut down. But it is up to Boehner to bring the bill to the floor, and doesn't sound like he will.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/10/02/clean-funding-bill_n_4031784.html

If Boehner started choking on his dinner tonight would anyone in the room bother helping him?

 

[Scoresman]

Sounds like enough moderate Republicans have now joined the Democrats to support a clean bill to end the shut down. But it is up to Boehner to bring the bill to the floor, and doesn't sound like he will.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/10/02/clean-funding-bill_n_4031784.html

If Boehner started choking on his dinner tonight would anyone in the room bother helping him?

I would, but only on the promise that he actually pronounce his name "Boner" from now on.

 

[Buckfast 1]

Sounds like enough moderate Republicans have now joined the Democrats to support a clean bill to end the shut down. But it is up to Boehner to bring the bill to the floor, and doesn't sound like he will.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/10/02/clean-funding-bill_n_4031784.html

If Boehner started choking on his dinner tonight would anyone in the room bother helping him?

I would, but only on the promise that he actually pronounce his name "Boner" from now on.

I used to work with a guy who grew up down the street from Boehner. He claimed that his last name was always pronounced "Boner" until he started running for public office.

 

[lakerstan]

Sounds like enough moderate Republicans have now joined the Democrats to support a clean bill to end the shut down. But it is up to Boehner to bring the bill to the floor, and doesn't sound like he will.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/10/02/clean-funding-bill_n_4031784.html

If Boehner started choking on his dinner tonight would anyone in the room bother helping him?

Would anyone notice that his face was turning red?

 

[Dinsy Ejotuz]

This will not have much impact on the upcoming election. But if the GOP insists on making Obamacare the central piece of their campaign, they are going to lose their arses. It is not the major issue. I have been saying this for 6 years now, but the GOP needs to focus on the deficit and stop being concerned with their obtuse position on no new taxes and no cuts to defense. Maybe this election they will listen, but I doubt it.

I think Obamacare could still be a winning campaign issue for them, particularly at the State/District level. They just aren't helping by continuing to fight a battle they lost 4 years ago.

It will be great for turnout in heavily red districts/states. It will most likely hurt in border states and the national though.

 

[Doctor Detroit]

Tea Party is about raising $$$ for special interest, lobbyists, and guy on goat pr0n..

Better

 

[[icon]]

this thread is entertaining as hell

If we can just get this shutdown to last for another few weeks I think you guys might start eating your young.

 

[humpback]

"I've bent over backwards to work with the republican party and purposely kept my rhetoric down".

Obama has tried working with the GOP since day one, but has been rebuffed with extreme and unreasonable rhetoric.

His second election proves that the american people are with him.

Did you foget this gem from day 3?

Elections have consequences and I won.

 

[Not George Carlin]

We need to shut down Obama permanantly

Impeach him?

The guy has done more wrong than Richard Nixon

Garbage in, garbage out.

 

[jon_mx]

I have a boner from reading this thread.

 

[drummer]

I have a boner from reading this thread.

By Friday night, you'll have a weekend Eminence would envy.

 

[Dr Oadi]

Did Reid roll in at 2 pm again today?

 

[Dr Oadi]

This will not have much impact on the upcoming election. But if the GOP insists on making Obamacare the central piece of their campaign, they are going to lose their arses. It is not the major issue. I have been saying this for 6 years now, but the GOP needs to focus on the deficit and stop being concerned with their obtuse position on no new taxes and no cuts to defense. Maybe this election they will listen, but I doubt it.

I think Obamacare could still be a winning campaign issue for them, particularly at the State/District level. They just aren't helping by continuing to fight a battle they lost 4 years ago.

A battle they lost four years ago when Americans response to this aca the next election was an absolute destruction of the democrat majority that gave us that law.

 

[Slapdash]

I have a boner from reading this thread.

I see we have found someone who likes Tim's avatar....

 

[Clifford]

http://youtu.be/gaF-rU0-v_A?t=47s

 

[Don Quixote]

Ugh...

Robert Costa‏@robertcostaNRO15m

Members tell me the leadership has all but officially decided to blend any CR agreement into larger debt deal later this month/Nov

 

[Doctor Detroit]

Boehner

 

[Dr Oadi]

White House BarryCades WW2 memorial.

Thanks Obama.

 

[timschochet]

Ugh...

Robert Costa‏@robertcostaNRO15m

Members tell me the leadership has all but officially decided to blend any CR agreement into larger debt deal later this month/Nov

That's OK. I think the SHOULD do one deal for both- just get it done now. Under no circumstances should they wait until Oct. 17 and risk our credit rating again.

Boehner needs to take whatever crumbs Obama might offer and surrender.

 

[Doctor Detroit]

"Why is Washington rarely able to get things done? Because we elect idiots."

-Tom Clancy

RIP you brilliant *******.

 

[snogger]

Ugh...

Robert Costa‏@robertcostaNRO15m

Members tell me the leadership has all but officially decided to blend any CR agreement into larger debt deal later this month/Nov

That's OK. I think the SHOULD do one deal for both- just get it done now. Under no circumstances should they wait until Oct. 17 and risk our credit rating again.Boehner needs to take whatever crumbs Obama might offer and surrender.

When NBC news stated that that Obama stated he'd be willing to negotiate over an overall budget but not over the temporary funding bill I told my wife "there is the out Boehner needs".. even the tea party will spin this to be a win.. they will agree to fund the government until November and raise the debt ceiling with meetings set to discuss a Real budget.. But i'm not holding my breath that either side will work together to prevent us from being in the same spot in November.

 

[Don Quixote]

Ugh...

Robert Costa‏@robertcostaNRO15m

Members tell me the leadership has all but officially decided to blend any CR agreement into larger debt deal later this month/Nov

That's OK. I think the SHOULD do one deal for both- just get it done now. Under no circumstances should they wait until Oct. 17 and risk our credit rating again.

Boehner needs to take whatever crumbs Obama might offer and surrender.

My "ugh" (and why I don't think it is okay) is because I don't think it's going to get done now. Combining the two basically results in a new deadline, and there's going to be a lot of puttering and posturing up until then. So, I fear that the shutdown is going to continue for a couple of more weeks, at least. The November reference scares me in particular.

Hope you're right and I'm wrong though.

 

[Bottomfeeder Sports]

I hope the biggest lesson people bearing witness to this take away from it is never vote for a republican ever.

Be careful of what you wish for.

 

[timschochet]

Very interesting and revealing article here about one of the guys behind this:

http://www.cnn.com/2013/09/27/politics/house-tea-party/index.html?iid=article_sidebar

Washington (CNN) -- One of the most prominent developers of the plan that could shut the government down is a little-known congressman who has been in office only eight months.

This newly elected tea party aligned lawmaker downplays his position, saying he has relatively little influence. But in reality, his efforts have pushed Washington to the brink.

At issue is the Affordable Care Act, also known as Obamacare. Some Republicans are demanding that it be dismantled -- or at the very least delayed - and they think the best way to do that is attach it to a must-pass bill to fund the government.

The idea has rankled Washington for more than a week and exposed fissures in the Republican Party.

So who is the lawmaker quietly influencing the debate?

Sen. Ted Cruz, who staged a 21-hour talk-a-thon on the Senate floor disparaging Obamacare, would be a good guess. But it would be wrong.

The persuasive

The answer? Mark Meadows, who represents the western part of North Carolina and has wielded his influence behind the bright lights of the television cameras and the hot microphones.

In August, while lawmakers spent time in their districts, Meadows wrote a letter to his Republican leaders suggesting they tie the dismantling of Obamacare to the bill that funds the government for the next year.

The letter read: "James Madison wrote in Federalist No. 58 that 'the power over the purse may, in fact, be regarded as the most complete and effectual weapon... for obtaining a redress of every grievance...'"

Meadows successfully convinced 79 of his colleagues to sign on to his letter. And he went further, leading a group of 40 lawmakers to demand that the continuing resolution, or the short-term government funding bill at issue, zeroes out funding for President Barack Obama's signature domestic policy achievement so far.

Republican divisions force delay in Boehner's debt strategy

In a lengthy interview with CNN, Meadows explained his case.

"Our intent has never been to shut down the government," Meadows said. "It's to stop the [health care] law."

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid called those advocating for such a plan "anarchists."

A "bad day for government is a good day for the tea party," Reid said on the Senate floor last week.

Meadows vs. the GOP

Republican leaders in the House were reluctant and dismissed the plan -- at first. Speaker John Boehner and many Republicans believed the strategy could lead to shutdown as the Democratic-led Senate would never agree to such a plan.

Additionally, leaders believed that Republicans would be blamed for a shut down. Polling backs up their concern. A recent CNN/ORC International Poll indicated that 51% of respondents would blame Republicans. That's a political risk that leadership didn't want to risk.

Even though Meadows' letter doesn't represent a majority of the caucus, it was a factor in persuading Boehner to reverse course and put forward a plan that funds the government but defunds Obamacare.

Running against politics

Meadows said he understands that "leadership has a different responsibility." And that leadership is responsible for thinking about the party. "This type of vote could potentially hurt our long term goals. I understand that," he said.

But he said that's not his concern.

"My job first is to make sure I represent the people back home," Meadows said. "I don't believe that when I get here that people expect me to look at the political implications. That's for somebody else to focus on."

For him, getting rid of Obamacare is priority No. 1. "[T]o ignore that would be to ignore our duty to represent the people back home," he said.

'Persona non grata'

"For me it's about representing the 749,000 people I was elected to represent," Meadows told CNN in his small Capitol Hill office. He said his constituents want him to fight against Obamacare "regardless of consequences."

Meadows represents a conservative constituency. He was elected in 2012 and succeeded Democrat Heath Shuler, who decided not to run for reelection after the latest round of redistricting made the district swing heavily Republican.

Meadows won by 15 percentage points. Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney won the district with 61% of the vote, an impressive outcome in a state he won by 1 point.

Exclusive: Romney disagrees with House GOP 'tactics' on Obamacare

But there's more to the story. Meadows works very closely with the tea party groups and he is a conduit to their agenda.

In fact, his catapult from local businessman to elected official was launched with the help of local tea party groups. He underwent a vigorous interview process with the North Carolina-aligned tea party groups that included an intense vetting and interviewing process.

Jane Bilello, head of the Asheville, North Carolina, tea party group and its separate political action committee, said it is to ensure candidates "truly represents who we are and what we want them to do."

Bilello is pleased with Meadows' job performance so far. She said Meadows is "turning out to be our poster boy."

On the issue of Obamacare, "he truly represents us," Bilello said.

Well-funded national tea party-aligned organizations, such Freedom Works, are also watching closely.

Like Bilello's organization, they hold lawmakers accountable. Not only do they keep scorecards of how lawmakers vote on legislation, they are keeping track of what letters they sign on to and their role in every step of the legislative process.

Republican leaders are well aware of the influence of these organizations.

Republican Rep. Lee Terry of Nebraska, who was elected in 1998 and finds himself between the new generation of tea party-aligned groups and the more traditional Republican leadership, said the tea party groups "impacts everybody."

Billelo said that Meadows hosts conference calls with the groups' members to explain what's happening in Congress, including the challenges that he faces promoting their agenda.

She said he told them he's "persona non grata" around the halls of Congress. Bilello said she and her members remind him: "They don't elect you. We do." They also offer assurance: "We have your back. We will support you," Bilello said she tells him.

Meadows relayed a similar sentiment. "There's nobody in Washington, D.C., who ever voted for me and there's no one in Washington, D.C., who will ever vote for me," Meadows said. "So it's about representing the people back home."

The non-leadership leader

"I think everybody wants me to pick a fight with leadership," Meadows said. But he contended that he isn't about playing the rebel, but finding results.

Are his tactics working? Meadows said yes.

"The Senate for the first time is having to vote ... on Obamacare," Meadows said. "That's why we had to do this."

The House has now voted 42 times on either defunding or repealing all or parts of Obamacare.

Many Republicans in the Senate thought the idea was a lost cause, including Texas Republican John Cornyn, who said Friday that the strategy "won't work."

The Senate eliminated the health care portion of the bill on Friday before sending a revised spending plan back to the House for consideration over the weekend. A shutdown would occur Tuesday, if there is no spending plan in place.

But Meadows successfully convinced a reluctant Boehner to go along with his plan. And then after it became clear the Senate wasn't going to play ball, the speaker hoped to move past the fight and pass a funding bill that would be able to pass the Senate, meaning it wouldn't defund health care.

But Boehner's Republican caucus, once again with Meadows in the forefront, rejected that plan.

Boehner's now working on a plan that will appease members such as Meadows.

What do shutdown and debt limit have to do with Obamacare?

Meanwhile, Meadows vowed to hold his ground.

"If there is a real plan to make sure we can accomplish it through some other means, I'm willing to look at that," he said. But he said it must involve "at least delaying" the implementation of Obamacare.

If it doesn't, he is willing to buck his leadership and oppose any bill he doesn't think goes far enough.

He admits some will have to take "some tough votes" to take. But for him he's right where his constituents want him to be.

"It's a safe place for me to be," Meadows said.

Polarizing Washington

Meadows rejected the idea that he is adding to the gridlock in Washington. He said Washington politicians have lost their way, but it's not because of their inability to compromise.

"Pragmatism has been at the cost of principle and principle has been at the cost of pragmatism," he said.

Still, Meadows asserted that he is willing to compromise with the Democrats.

"My ultimate success will be viewed by whether there is something we can accomplish," he said.

 

[Dinsy Ejotuz]

But i'm not holding my breath that either side will work together to prevent us from being in the same spot in November.

Even if government is funded with a stopgap measure and the debt limit is raised the two sides remain miles apart on a budget that would replace sequestration.

And Democrats are not going to give up anything on Social Security, Medicaire and Medicaid without additional taxes, while Republicans have refused those offers to date.

Thus, it's most likely continued sequestration for the forseeable future.

 

[timschochet]

He said his constituents want him to fight against Obamacare "regardless of consequences."

This is the problem. This guy, and the people with him, are not going to surrender no matter what the polls say. The national polls don't affect them. For this situation to be resolved, John Boehner is going to need to surrender without these guys behind him- and if he wasn't going to do that before, what will cause him to do it now?

I'm really beginning to worry that raising the debt ceiling may be in actual jeopardy this time around...

 

[Ramblin Wreck]

But i'm not holding my breath that either side will work together to prevent us from being in the same spot in November.

Even if government is funded with a stopgap measure and the debt limit is raised the two sides remain miles apart on a budget that would replace sequestration.

And Democrats are not going to give up anything on Social Security, Medicaire and Medicaid without additional taxes, while Republicans have refused those offers to date.

Thus, it's most likely continued sequestration for the forseeable future.

Serious question here. What are the democrats will to negotiate with? Just feels like Obama draws a line in the sand and refuses to negotiate on anything. I'm sure that's not true and one of you guys will know what they are willing to compromise.

 

[jon_mx]

Obama could end this anytime he wishes and get 99 percent of what he wants. It will not take much to peel off a few republicans, but Obama is too busy accumulating kudo's from his base.