Not sure if I shouldElizabeth B. from Austin, TX called Rep. Lamar Smith (R TX-21)
I asked the staffer whether she new about the gridlock in Congress. She said she didn't, but she'll send my comments to Rep. Smith. I miss Congressman Doggett!
  at that or  
 
 You've yet to articulate a single thing Obama could win as a concession from the Republicans despite claiming this is easily solved. Getting a CR at Republican levels is not a win for him. Nor is avoiding default. So what exactly would the Republicans be conceding?Then perhaps Onama might want to consider talking about a solution. If he was a leader a he has to do is say Obamacare is off the table, instead of taking everything off the table. It would be simple to solve and it could be a win-win.Matthias said:How does worldwide economic meltdown sound?World domination is one of the more extreme motivations. But usually Bond films involve crimes a bit more substantial than just hostage taking.Matthias said:Try watching a good Bond film some time. You need to learn to think bigger.Usually hostage taking involves guns and illegally confining people against their will to extort huge sums of money. Sometimes the situation ends in multiple people being killed. These are elected officials who were democratically elected and represent over 100 million people trying to enact policies. Not sure how you are unable to come up with differences on your own. Perhaps I can link you to some dictionaries or books on our political system.
Moodys also rated MBS as AAA prior to the collapse in 2008. The rating agencies aren't the smart people in the room.Here Timmy, another entity chimes in. You can come down from the ledge. Or not.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/post-politics-live/liveblog/live-updates-the-shutdown-4/?hpid=z2#c1e3ada3-dc00-41d8-92cb-327c5c814d82
Moody's offers different view on debt limit.
One of the nation’s top credit-rating agencies says that the U.S. Treasury Department is likely to continue paying interest on the government’s debt even if Congress fails to lift the limit on borrowing next week, preserving the nation’s sterling AAA credit rating.
In a memo being circulated on Capitol Hill Wednesday, Moody’s Investors Service offers “answers to frequently asked questions” about the government shutdown, now in its second week, and the federal debt limit. President Obama has said that, unless Congress acts to raise the $16.7 trillion limit by next Thursday, the nation will be at risk of default.
Not so, Moody’s says in the memo dated Oct. 7.
” We believe the government would continue to pay interest and principal on its debt even in the event that the debt limit is not raised, leaving its creditworthiness intact,” the memo says. “The debt limit restricts government expenditures to the amount of its incoming revenues; it does not prohibit the government from servicing its debt. There is no direct connection between the debt limit (actually the exhaustion of the Treasury’s extraordinary measures to raise funds) and a default.
The memo offers a starkly different view of the consequences of congressional inaction on the debt limit than is held by the White House, many policymakers and other financial analysts. During a press conference at the White House Tuesday, Obama said missing the Oct. 17 deadline would invite “economic chaos.”
In less than 8 hours of the shutdown, miraculously, professionally printed 3X4 foot signs appeared all over the country in the tens of thousands saying-"this [park, facility, etc. with custom logos] closed due to government shutdown.
There has not been a government shutdown in 17 years. These signs were designed, specifications were determined, signs were then requisitioned, bids were posted and vetted, government contracts were awarded. The materials were then ordered and the signs manufactured then distributed U.S. Mails or freight companies.
This shutdown was orchestrated and planned well in advance. Millions of tax dollars were appropriated and spent in this process. There is a paper trail a mile long leading directly to the White House
link to a picture of the signs.
http://www.utsandiego.com/news/2013/oct/01/federal-government-shutdown-jokes/
 Yeah he made a good point until I clicked the link and saw the photo.In less than 8 hours of the shutdown, miraculously, professionally printed 3X4 foot signs appeared all over the country in the tens of thousands saying-"this [park, facility, etc. with custom logos] closed due to government shutdown.
There has not been a government shutdown in 17 years. These signs were designed, specifications were determined, signs were then requisitioned, bids were posted and vetted, government contracts were awarded. The materials were then ordered and the signs manufactured then distributed U.S. Mails or freight companies.
This shutdown was orchestrated and planned well in advance. Millions of tax dollars were appropriated and spent in this process. There is a paper trail a mile long leading directly to the White House
link to a picture of the signs.
http://www.utsandiego.com/news/2013/oct/01/federal-government-shutdown-jokes/![]()
The sign doesn't say anything about a government shutdown.
Valley ForgeIn less than 8 hours of the shutdown, miraculously, professionally printed 3X4 foot signs appeared all over the country in the tens of thousands saying-"this [park, facility, etc. with custom logos] closed due to government shutdown.
There has not been a government shutdown in 17 years. These signs were designed, specifications were determined, signs were then requisitioned, bids were posted and vetted, government contracts were awarded. The materials were then ordered and the signs manufactured then distributed U.S. Mails or freight companies.
This shutdown was orchestrated and planned well in advance. Millions of tax dollars were appropriated and spent in this process. There is a paper trail a mile long leading directly to the White House
link to a picture of the signs.
http://www.utsandiego.com/news/2013/oct/01/federal-government-shutdown-jokes/![]()
The sign doesn't say anything about a government shutdown.
Here Timmy, another entity chimes in. You can come down from the ledge. Or not.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/post-politics-live/liveblog/live-updates-the-shutdown-4/?hpid=z2#c1e3ada3-dc00-41d8-92cb-327c5c814d82
Moody's offers different view on debt limit.
One of the nation’s top credit-rating agencies says that the U.S. Treasury Department is likely to continue paying interest on the government’s debt even if Congress fails to lift the limit on borrowing next week, preserving the nation’s sterling AAA credit rating.
In a memo being circulated on Capitol Hill Wednesday, Moody’s Investors Service offers “answers to frequently asked questions” about the government shutdown, now in its second week, and the federal debt limit. President Obama has said that, unless Congress acts to raise the $16.7 trillion limit by next Thursday, the nation will be at risk of default.
Not so, Moody’s says in the memo dated Oct. 7.
” We believe the government would continue to pay interest and principal on its debt even in the event that the debt limit is not raised, leaving its creditworthiness intact,” the memo says. “The debt limit restricts government expenditures to the amount of its incoming revenues; it does not prohibit the government from servicing its debt. There is no direct connection between the debt limit (actually the exhaustion of the Treasury’s extraordinary measures to raise funds) and a default.
The memo offers a starkly different view of the consequences of congressional inaction on the debt limit than is held by the White House, many policymakers and other financial analysts. During a press conference at the White House Tuesday, Obama said missing the Oct. 17 deadline would invite “economic chaos.”
  
  
 Timmy, you know better than engaging Jim11. Just do thisHere Timmy, another entity chimes in. You can come down from the ledge. Or not.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/post-politics-live/liveblog/live-updates-the-shutdown-4/?hpid=z2#c1e3ada3-dc00-41d8-92cb-327c5c814d82
Moody's offers different view on debt limit.
One of the nation’s top credit-rating agencies says that the U.S. Treasury Department is likely to continue paying interest on the government’s debt even if Congress fails to lift the limit on borrowing next week, preserving the nation’s sterling AAA credit rating.
In a memo being circulated on Capitol Hill Wednesday, Moody’s Investors Service offers “answers to frequently asked questions” about the government shutdown, now in its second week, and the federal debt limit. President Obama has said that, unless Congress acts to raise the $16.7 trillion limit by next Thursday, the nation will be at risk of default.
Not so, Moody’s says in the memo dated Oct. 7.
” We believe the government would continue to pay interest and principal on its debt even in the event that the debt limit is not raised, leaving its creditworthiness intact,” the memo says. “The debt limit restricts government expenditures to the amount of its incoming revenues; it does not prohibit the government from servicing its debt. There is no direct connection between the debt limit (actually the exhaustion of the Treasury’s extraordinary measures to raise funds) and a default.
The memo offers a starkly different view of the consequences of congressional inaction on the debt limit than is held by the White House, many policymakers and other financial analysts. During a press conference at the White House Tuesday, Obama said missing the Oct. 17 deadline would invite “economic chaos.”![]()
![]()
![]()
Let me try explaining this in simple words so that you'll understand:
The gov-ern-ment has OTHER stuff to pay for along with the debt service. If the gov-ern-ment pays the debt service first, it will not be able to pay for other stuff, like Social Se-cu-ri-ty. That will cause a panic and bring the stock market way down.
  for a couple of hoursI can't believe they got that sign made up so fast, to let people know that the park re-opens at 9 a.m.In less than 8 hours of the shutdown, miraculously, professionally printed 3X4 foot signs appeared all over the country in the tens of thousands saying-"this [park, facility, etc. with custom logos] closed due to government shutdown.
There has not been a government shutdown in 17 years. These signs were designed, specifications were determined, signs were then requisitioned, bids were posted and vetted, government contracts were awarded. The materials were then ordered and the signs manufactured then distributed U.S. Mails or freight companies.
This shutdown was orchestrated and planned well in advance. Millions of tax dollars were appropriated and spent in this process. There is a paper trail a mile long leading directly to the White House
link to a picture of the signs.
http://www.utsandiego.com/news/2013/oct/01/federal-government-shutdown-jokes/![]()
The sign doesn't say anything about a government shutdown.
What is that, 8 1/2 by 11? I can print up more of those if you need them. If it's 11 by 17, I'll have to stop by Office Depot for paper.Valley ForgeIn less than 8 hours of the shutdown, miraculously, professionally printed 3X4 foot signs appeared all over the country in the tens of thousands saying-"this [park, facility, etc. with custom logos] closed due to government shutdown.
There has not been a government shutdown in 17 years. These signs were designed, specifications were determined, signs were then requisitioned, bids were posted and vetted, government contracts were awarded. The materials were then ordered and the signs manufactured then distributed U.S. Mails or freight companies.
This shutdown was orchestrated and planned well in advance. Millions of tax dollars were appropriated and spent in this process. There is a paper trail a mile long leading directly to the White House
link to a picture of the signs.
http://www.utsandiego.com/news/2013/oct/01/federal-government-shutdown-jokes/![]()
The sign doesn't say anything about a government shutdown.
They've done this and the followed it up with "we'll even give you the budget number you want" and it was still rejected because the GOP has a single goal in mind. No amount of "leading" can make them drink.Then perhaps Onama might want to consider talking about a solution. If he was a leader a he has to do is say Obamacare is off the table, instead of taking everything off the table. It would be simple to solve and it could be a win-win.Matthias said:How does worldwide economic meltdown sound?World domination is one of the more extreme motivations. But usually Bond films involve crimes a bit more substantial than just hostage taking.Matthias said:Try watching a good Bond film some time. You need to learn to think bigger.Usually hostage taking involves guns and illegally confining people against their will to extort huge sums of money. Sometimes the situation ends in multiple people being killed. These are elected officials who were democratically elected and represent over 100 million people trying to enact policies. Not sure how you are unable to come up with differences on your own. Perhaps I can link you to some dictionaries or books on our political system.
To be fair, they are nice signs. I was going to try and procure one but with the stepped up security, getting one is harder than I anticipated.What is that, 8 1/2 by 11? I can print up more of those if you need them. If it's 11 by 17, I'll have to stop by Office Depot for paper.Valley ForgeIn less than 8 hours of the shutdown, miraculously, professionally printed 3X4 foot signs appeared all over the country in the tens of thousands saying-"this [park, facility, etc. with custom logos] closed due to government shutdown.
There has not been a government shutdown in 17 years. These signs were designed, specifications were determined, signs were then requisitioned, bids were posted and vetted, government contracts were awarded. The materials were then ordered and the signs manufactured then distributed U.S. Mails or freight companies.
This shutdown was orchestrated and planned well in advance. Millions of tax dollars were appropriated and spent in this process. There is a paper trail a mile long leading directly to the White House
link to a picture of the signs.
http://www.utsandiego.com/news/2013/oct/01/federal-government-shutdown-jokes/![]()
The sign doesn't say anything about a government shutdown.
The Arizona Republican spread the blame across party lines, but took a specific dig at members of his own party for refusing to fund the government over President Obama’s health care reform law. “Somehow to think that we were going to repeal Obamacare was false and did people a great disservice!”
Okay, Chicken Little...panic away. You obviously know more than Moody's or the WSJ, etc.Here Timmy, another entity chimes in. You can come down from the ledge. Or not.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/post-politics-live/liveblog/live-updates-the-shutdown-4/?hpid=z2#c1e3ada3-dc00-41d8-92cb-327c5c814d82
Moody's offers different view on debt limit.
One of the nation’s top credit-rating agencies says that the U.S. Treasury Department is likely to continue paying interest on the government’s debt even if Congress fails to lift the limit on borrowing next week, preserving the nation’s sterling AAA credit rating.
In a memo being circulated on Capitol Hill Wednesday, Moody’s Investors Service offers “answers to frequently asked questions” about the government shutdown, now in its second week, and the federal debt limit. President Obama has said that, unless Congress acts to raise the $16.7 trillion limit by next Thursday, the nation will be at risk of default.
Not so, Moody’s says in the memo dated Oct. 7.
” We believe the government would continue to pay interest and principal on its debt even in the event that the debt limit is not raised, leaving its creditworthiness intact,” the memo says. “The debt limit restricts government expenditures to the amount of its incoming revenues; it does not prohibit the government from servicing its debt. There is no direct connection between the debt limit (actually the exhaustion of the Treasury’s extraordinary measures to raise funds) and a default.
The memo offers a starkly different view of the consequences of congressional inaction on the debt limit than is held by the White House, many policymakers and other financial analysts. During a press conference at the White House Tuesday, Obama said missing the Oct. 17 deadline would invite “economic chaos.”![]()
![]()
![]()
Let me try explaining this in simple words so that you'll understand:
The gov-ern-ment has OTHER stuff to pay for along with the debt service. If the gov-ern-ment pays the debt service first, it will not be able to pay for other stuff, like Social Se-cu-ri-ty. That will cause a panic and bring the stock market way down.
Send a foreigner with a camera in first. Once the S.W.A.T. team is unleashed on him, just take it and walk away. *To be fair, they are nice signs. I was going to try and procure one but with the stepped up security, getting one is harder than I anticipated.What is that, 8 1/2 by 11? I can print up more of those if you need them. If it's 11 by 17, I'll have to stop by Office Depot for paper.Valley ForgeIn less than 8 hours of the shutdown, miraculously, professionally printed 3X4 foot signs appeared all over the country in the tens of thousands saying-"this [park, facility, etc. with custom logos] closed due to government shutdown.
There has not been a government shutdown in 17 years. These signs were designed, specifications were determined, signs were then requisitioned, bids were posted and vetted, government contracts were awarded. The materials were then ordered and the signs manufactured then distributed U.S. Mails or freight companies.
This shutdown was orchestrated and planned well in advance. Millions of tax dollars were appropriated and spent in this process. There is a paper trail a mile long leading directly to the White House
link to a picture of the signs.
http://www.utsandiego.com/news/2013/oct/01/federal-government-shutdown-jokes/![]()
The sign doesn't say anything about a government shutdown.
Yeah, I'm a troll because I don't agree with you or cry like a little girl every time something "bad" might happen. Interestingly enough, NONE OF YOUR PANICKY, OMG THE WORLD IS ENDING, posts, have ever come true.jim11's a troll and I don't care about him, but it seems like the whole conservative world is quoting that Moody's report this morning. Pat Toomey, Jim DeMint, Rush Limbaugh, among others, are all repeating this madness that we can go right past the debt ceiling, no big deal. It's ####### unbelievable.
Breitbart and WND are running with this as we speak.Matthias said:Obviously it means the White House is bombing America with hurricanes.
From the sounds of it, the entire government is shut down. And as has been reported in this thread at least 275 times the republicans are completely responsible.Is the government still shut down?
 FalseFrom the sounds of it, the entire government is shut down.
Truethe republicans are completely responsible.
Weekly Drop in U.S. Economic Confidence Largest Since '08 Decline of 12 points to -34 is largest since Lehman Brothers collapsed
WASHINGTON, D.C. -- Americans' confidence in the economy has deteriorated more in the past week during the partial government shutdown than in any week since Lehman Brothers collapsed on Sept. 15, 2008, which triggered a global economic crisis. Gallup's Economic Confidence Index tumbled 12 points to -34 last week, the second-largest weekly decline since Gallup began tracking economic confidence daily in January 2008.
Dysfunctional Gov't Surpasses Economy as Top U.S. Problem Highest percentage citing dysfunctional government in Gallup history
PRINCETON, NJ -- Americans are now more likely to name dysfunctional government as the most important problem facing the country than to name any other specific problem. Thirty-three percent of Americans cite dissatisfaction with government and elected representatives as the nation's top issue, the highest such percentage in Gallup's trend dating back to 1939. Dysfunctional government now eclipses the economy (19%), unemployment (12%), the deficit (12%), and healthcare (12%) as the nation's top problem.
Republican Party Favorability Sinks to Record Low Falls 10 percentage points from September's 38%
WASHINGTON, D.C. -- With the Republican-controlled House of Representatives engaged in a tense, government-shuttering budgetary standoff against a Democratic president and Senate, the Republican Party is now viewed favorably by 28% of Americans, down from 38% in September. This is the lowest favorable rating measured for either party since Gallup began asking this question in 1992.
thanks obamaSubmitted without commentary, Gallup polling data from the last couple of days:
Weekly Drop in U.S. Economic Confidence Largest Since '08 Decline of 12 points to -34 is largest since Lehman Brothers collapsed
WASHINGTON, D.C. -- Americans' confidence in the economy has deteriorated more in the past week during the partial government shutdown than in any week since Lehman Brothers collapsed on Sept. 15, 2008, which triggered a global economic crisis. Gallup's Economic Confidence Index tumbled 12 points to -34 last week, the second-largest weekly decline since Gallup began tracking economic confidence daily in January 2008.
Dysfunctional Gov't Surpasses Economy as Top U.S. Problem Highest percentage citing dysfunctional government in Gallup history
PRINCETON, NJ -- Americans are now more likely to name dysfunctional government as the most important problem facing the country than to name any other specific problem. Thirty-three percent of Americans cite dissatisfaction with government and elected representatives as the nation's top issue, the highest such percentage in Gallup's trend dating back to 1939. Dysfunctional government now eclipses the economy (19%), unemployment (12%), the deficit (12%), and healthcare (12%) as the nation's top problem.
Republican Party Favorability Sinks to Record Low Falls 10 percentage points from September's 38%
WASHINGTON, D.C. -- With the Republican-controlled House of Representatives engaged in a tense, government-shuttering budgetary standoff against a Democratic president and Senate, the Republican Party is now viewed favorably by 28% of Americans, down from 38% in September. This is the lowest favorable rating measured for either party since Gallup began asking this question in 1992.
In less than 8 hours of the shutdown, miraculously, professionally printed 3X4 foot signs appeared all over the country in the tens of thousands saying-"this [park, facility, etc. with custom logos] closed due to government shutdown.
There has not been a government shutdown in 17 years. These signs were designed, specifications were determined, signs were then requisitioned, bids were posted and vetted, government contracts were awarded. The materials were then ordered and the signs manufactured then distributed U.S. Mails or freight companies.
This shutdown was orchestrated and planned well in advance. Millions of tax dollars were appropriated and spent in this process. There is a paper trail a mile long leading directly to the White House
link to a picture of the signs.
http://www.utsandiego.com/news/2013/oct/01/federal-government-shutdown-jokes/![]()
The sign doesn't say anything about a government shutdown.
  Sorry, wrong linkIt's a sticker or a piece of paper put into a pre-formed edge. Look at it.In less than 8 hours of the shutdown, miraculously, professionally printed 3X4 foot signs appeared all over the country in the tens of thousands saying-"this [park, facility, etc. with custom logos] closed due to government shutdown.
There has not been a government shutdown in 17 years. These signs were designed, specifications were determined, signs were then requisitioned, bids were posted and vetted, government contracts were awarded. The materials were then ordered and the signs manufactured then distributed U.S. Mails or freight companies.
This shutdown was orchestrated and planned well in advance. Millions of tax dollars were appropriated and spent in this process. There is a paper trail a mile long leading directly to the White House
link to a picture of the signs.
http://www.utsandiego.com/news/2013/oct/01/federal-government-shutdown-jokes/![]()
The sign doesn't say anything about a government shutdown.Sorry, wrong link
http://www.npr.org/2013/10/03/228719015/national-parks-close-as-other-public-lands-stay-open
Think about the goverment processes involved to appropriate the number of signs needed for the closing all the Federal lands. It appears to me that closing these parks was done with the specific intent to incite Americans, why else the effort? Seems they would have had more pressing issues as the deadline was looming?
So this is what the opposite of NOBODY IS COMING TO GET YOUR GUNS looks likeHere Timmy, another entity chimes in. You can come down from the ledge. Or not.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/post-politics-live/liveblog/live-updates-the-shutdown-4/?hpid=z2#c1e3ada3-dc00-41d8-92cb-327c5c814d82
Moody's offers different view on debt limit.
One of the nation’s top credit-rating agencies says that the U.S. Treasury Department is likely to continue paying interest on the government’s debt even if Congress fails to lift the limit on borrowing next week, preserving the nation’s sterling AAA credit rating.
In a memo being circulated on Capitol Hill Wednesday, Moody’s Investors Service offers “answers to frequently asked questions” about the government shutdown, now in its second week, and the federal debt limit. President Obama has said that, unless Congress acts to raise the $16.7 trillion limit by next Thursday, the nation will be at risk of default.
Not so, Moody’s says in the memo dated Oct. 7.
” We believe the government would continue to pay interest and principal on its debt even in the event that the debt limit is not raised, leaving its creditworthiness intact,” the memo says. “The debt limit restricts government expenditures to the amount of its incoming revenues; it does not prohibit the government from servicing its debt. There is no direct connection between the debt limit (actually the exhaustion of the Treasury’s extraordinary measures to raise funds) and a default.
The memo offers a starkly different view of the consequences of congressional inaction on the debt limit than is held by the White House, many policymakers and other financial analysts. During a press conference at the White House Tuesday, Obama said missing the Oct. 17 deadline would invite “economic chaos.”![]()
![]()
Let me try explaining this in simple words so that you'll understand:
The gov-ern-ment has OTHER stuff to pay for along with the debt service. If the gov-ern-ment pays the debt service first, it will not be able to pay for other stuff, like Social Se-cu-ri-ty. That will cause a panic and bring the stock market way down.
KooK self-immolation.Submitted without commentary, Gallup polling data from the last couple of days:
Weekly Drop in U.S. Economic Confidence Largest Since '08 Decline of 12 points to -34 is largest since Lehman Brothers collapsed
WASHINGTON, D.C. -- Americans' confidence in the economy has deteriorated more in the past week during the partial government shutdown than in any week since Lehman Brothers collapsed on Sept. 15, 2008, which triggered a global economic crisis. Gallup's Economic Confidence Index tumbled 12 points to -34 last week, the second-largest weekly decline since Gallup began tracking economic confidence daily in January 2008.
Dysfunctional Gov't Surpasses Economy as Top U.S. Problem Highest percentage citing dysfunctional government in Gallup history
PRINCETON, NJ -- Americans are now more likely to name dysfunctional government as the most important problem facing the country than to name any other specific problem. Thirty-three percent of Americans cite dissatisfaction with government and elected representatives as the nation's top issue, the highest such percentage in Gallup's trend dating back to 1939. Dysfunctional government now eclipses the economy (19%), unemployment (12%), the deficit (12%), and healthcare (12%) as the nation's top problem.
Republican Party Favorability Sinks to Record Low Falls 10 percentage points from September's 38%
WASHINGTON, D.C. -- With the Republican-controlled House of Representatives engaged in a tense, government-shuttering budgetary standoff against a Democratic president and Senate, the Republican Party is now viewed favorably by 28% of Americans, down from 38% in September. This is the lowest favorable rating measured for either party since Gallup began asking this question in 1992.
To be fair, that's not why you're a trollYeah, I'm a troll because I don't agree with you or cry like a little girl every time something "bad" might happen. Interestingly enough, NONE OF YOUR PANICKY, OMG THE WORLD IS ENDING, posts, have ever come true.jim11's a troll and I don't care about him, but it seems like the whole conservative world is quoting that Moody's report this morning. Pat Toomey, Jim DeMint, Rush Limbaugh, among others, are all repeating this madness that we can go right past the debt ceiling, no big deal. It's ####### unbelievable.
When your opponent is drowning throw the son of a ##### an anvil.The Washington Examiner's Byron York interviewed an anonymous Republican congressman about the shutdown. The congressman was clearly not happy that Republicans had let themselves end up in this position. "This isn't exactly the fight I think Republicans wanted to have, certainly that the leadership wanted to have," he said.But that didn't matter anymore. Obama, the congressman continued, is "going to try to humiliate the speaker in front of his conference. And how effective a negotiating partner do you think he'll be then? You're putting the guy in a position where he's got nothing to lose, because you're not giving him anything to win."
You can see the results in the collapse of the GOP's demands. They're not trying to undo Obamacare anymore. They're embracing the kind of budget commissions they've spent six months opposing. They're just trying to find some way to eke out a win. This isn't about the policy anymore. It's about Obama. And Obama isn't giving Republicans a clear path to backing down without looking like they lost.
The White House knows this perfectly well. They just don't believe it's healthy to bend and buckle until Republicans find a way out. It's not their job, they say, to help Boehner out of promises he shouldn't have made. They weren't the ones who promised their base that the debt ceiling would be a moment of triumph. They weren't the ones who bowed to pressure from their extreme wing and chose a reckless strategy of brinksmanship. They weren't the ones who set up a political dynamic in which keeping the government open and paying our bills counts as "a loss" for one party or the other. Boehner needs to learn to stop writing checks he can't cash.
All that may be true. But the White House is still pursuing a strategy that makes it harder for Boehner and the Republicans to back down. Their gamble is that the power of public opinion will overwhelm the power of presidential polarization. And if the Republican Party loses totally -- loses in a way where they can't tell themselves it was a win -- that'll be the end of these tactics.
It might be a bet worth making. But it's still a bet. And every time Obama goes out and lashes the Republicans for shutting down the government, the stakes get a little bit higher.
This. Shutdowns are a huge waste of time and money, even if they never happen and get averted at the last minute. There are attorneys and others at the agencies who get pulled off their regular work duties, to primarily work on shutdown prep.Until recently I worked in a small part of a big organization that was funded primarily by federal dollars. My particular unit didn't get any government money, but we basically operated in parallel with the larger organization so had to deal with the threat of a government shutdown several times while I was there.
Everyone knows the date that the funding expires months in advance. So starting months in advance people have meetings to plan meetings, then meetings to talk about what to talk about, meetings to plan for how to handle a shutdown and then meetings to tell everyone else what to do in the event of a shutdown.
It's a huge cluster#### and wastes a ton of time, but it's not like people are scrambling at the last minute -- everyone has a plan well in advance of the closings and finding a sign that says 'We're Closed' is pretty straightforward.
When your opponent is drowning throw the son of a ##### an anvil.The Washington Examiner's Byron York interviewed an anonymous Republican congressman about the shutdown. The congressman was clearly not happy that Republicans had let themselves end up in this position. "This isn't exactly the fight I think Republicans wanted to have, certainly that the leadership wanted to have," he said.But that didn't matter anymore. Obama, the congressman continued, is "going to try to humiliate the speaker in front of his conference. And how effective a negotiating partner do you think he'll be then? You're putting the guy in a position where he's got nothing to lose, because you're not giving him anything to win."
You can see the results in the collapse of the GOP's demands. They're not trying to undo Obamacare anymore. They're embracing the kind of budget commissions they've spent six months opposing. They're just trying to find some way to eke out a win. This isn't about the policy anymore. It's about Obama. And Obama isn't giving Republicans a clear path to backing down without looking like they lost.
The White House knows this perfectly well. They just don't believe it's healthy to bend and buckle until Republicans find a way out. It's not their job, they say, to help Boehner out of promises he shouldn't have made. They weren't the ones who promised their base that the debt ceiling would be a moment of triumph. They weren't the ones who bowed to pressure from their extreme wing and chose a reckless strategy of brinksmanship. They weren't the ones who set up a political dynamic in which keeping the government open and paying our bills counts as "a loss" for one party or the other. Boehner needs to learn to stop writing checks he can't cash.
All that may be true. But the White House is still pursuing a strategy that makes it harder for Boehner and the Republicans to back down. Their gamble is that the power of public opinion will overwhelm the power of presidential polarization. And if the Republican Party loses totally -- loses in a way where they can't tell themselves it was a win -- that'll be the end of these tactics.
It might be a bet worth making. But it's still a bet. And every time Obama goes out and lashes the Republicans for shutting down the government, the stakes get a little bit higher.
~James Carville
 What I find so odd is this insistence that the Republicans must have an out somehow. Sometimes you lose. Happens to everyone. Sure it sucks, but its not the end of the world.When your opponent is drowning throw the son of a ##### an anvil.The Washington Examiner's Byron York interviewed an anonymous Republican congressman about the shutdown. The congressman was clearly not happy that Republicans had let themselves end up in this position. "This isn't exactly the fight I think Republicans wanted to have, certainly that the leadership wanted to have," he said.But that didn't matter anymore. Obama, the congressman continued, is "going to try to humiliate the speaker in front of his conference. And how effective a negotiating partner do you think he'll be then? You're putting the guy in a position where he's got nothing to lose, because you're not giving him anything to win."
You can see the results in the collapse of the GOP's demands. They're not trying to undo Obamacare anymore. They're embracing the kind of budget commissions they've spent six months opposing. They're just trying to find some way to eke out a win. This isn't about the policy anymore. It's about Obama. And Obama isn't giving Republicans a clear path to backing down without looking like they lost.
The White House knows this perfectly well. They just don't believe it's healthy to bend and buckle until Republicans find a way out. It's not their job, they say, to help Boehner out of promises he shouldn't have made. They weren't the ones who promised their base that the debt ceiling would be a moment of triumph. They weren't the ones who bowed to pressure from their extreme wing and chose a reckless strategy of brinksmanship. They weren't the ones who set up a political dynamic in which keeping the government open and paying our bills counts as "a loss" for one party or the other. Boehner needs to learn to stop writing checks he can't cash.
All that may be true. But the White House is still pursuing a strategy that makes it harder for Boehner and the Republicans to back down. Their gamble is that the power of public opinion will overwhelm the power of presidential polarization. And if the Republican Party loses totally -- loses in a way where they can't tell themselves it was a win -- that'll be the end of these tactics.
It might be a bet worth making. But it's still a bet. And every time Obama goes out and lashes the Republicans for shutting down the government, the stakes get a little bit higher.
~James Carville
I understand this and I can't blame Obama or the Dems. But I don't think weakening the Republicans in this manner is good for our country in general. Personally, I don't want a republic dominated by one political party, and that's where all this may be leading.What I find so odd is this insistence that the Republicans must have an out somehow. Sometimes you lose. Happens to everyone. Sure it sucks, but its not the end of the world.When your opponent is drowning throw the son of a ##### an anvil.The Washington Examiner's Byron York interviewed an anonymous Republican congressman about the shutdown. The congressman was clearly not happy that Republicans had let themselves end up in this position. "This isn't exactly the fight I think Republicans wanted to have, certainly that the leadership wanted to have," he said.But that didn't matter anymore. Obama, the congressman continued, is "going to try to humiliate the speaker in front of his conference. And how effective a negotiating partner do you think he'll be then? You're putting the guy in a position where he's got nothing to lose, because you're not giving him anything to win."
You can see the results in the collapse of the GOP's demands. They're not trying to undo Obamacare anymore. They're embracing the kind of budget commissions they've spent six months opposing. They're just trying to find some way to eke out a win. This isn't about the policy anymore. It's about Obama. And Obama isn't giving Republicans a clear path to backing down without looking like they lost.
The White House knows this perfectly well. They just don't believe it's healthy to bend and buckle until Republicans find a way out. It's not their job, they say, to help Boehner out of promises he shouldn't have made. They weren't the ones who promised their base that the debt ceiling would be a moment of triumph. They weren't the ones who bowed to pressure from their extreme wing and chose a reckless strategy of brinksmanship. They weren't the ones who set up a political dynamic in which keeping the government open and paying our bills counts as "a loss" for one party or the other. Boehner needs to learn to stop writing checks he can't cash.
All that may be true. But the White House is still pursuing a strategy that makes it harder for Boehner and the Republicans to back down. Their gamble is that the power of public opinion will overwhelm the power of presidential polarization. And if the Republican Party loses totally -- loses in a way where they can't tell themselves it was a win -- that'll be the end of these tactics.
It might be a bet worth making. But it's still a bet. And every time Obama goes out and lashes the Republicans for shutting down the government, the stakes get a little bit higher.
~James Carville
So you feel that both sides share blame in continuing this shutdown, even if the Republicans are the ones that started it?I understand this and I can't blame Obama or the Dems. But I don't think weakening the Republicans in this manner is good for our country in general. Personally, I don't want a republic dominated by one political party, and that's where all this may be leading.What I find so odd is this insistence that the Republicans must have an out somehow. Sometimes you lose. Happens to everyone. Sure it sucks, but its not the end of the world.When your opponent is drowning throw the son of a ##### an anvil.The Washington Examiner's Byron York interviewed an anonymous Republican congressman about the shutdown. The congressman was clearly not happy that Republicans had let themselves end up in this position. "This isn't exactly the fight I think Republicans wanted to have, certainly that the leadership wanted to have," he said.But that didn't matter anymore. Obama, the congressman continued, is "going to try to humiliate the speaker in front of his conference. And how effective a negotiating partner do you think he'll be then? You're putting the guy in a position where he's got nothing to lose, because you're not giving him anything to win."
You can see the results in the collapse of the GOP's demands. They're not trying to undo Obamacare anymore. They're embracing the kind of budget commissions they've spent six months opposing. They're just trying to find some way to eke out a win. This isn't about the policy anymore. It's about Obama. And Obama isn't giving Republicans a clear path to backing down without looking like they lost.
The White House knows this perfectly well. They just don't believe it's healthy to bend and buckle until Republicans find a way out. It's not their job, they say, to help Boehner out of promises he shouldn't have made. They weren't the ones who promised their base that the debt ceiling would be a moment of triumph. They weren't the ones who bowed to pressure from their extreme wing and chose a reckless strategy of brinksmanship. They weren't the ones who set up a political dynamic in which keeping the government open and paying our bills counts as "a loss" for one party or the other. Boehner needs to learn to stop writing checks he can't cash.
All that may be true. But the White House is still pursuing a strategy that makes it harder for Boehner and the Republicans to back down. Their gamble is that the power of public opinion will overwhelm the power of presidential polarization. And if the Republican Party loses totally -- loses in a way where they can't tell themselves it was a win -- that'll be the end of these tactics.
It might be a bet worth making. But it's still a bet. And every time Obama goes out and lashes the Republicans for shutting down the government, the stakes get a little bit higher.
~James Carville
The other risk is that if Boehner is not given some kind of face-saving solution, the result will be a strengthening, not a weakening, of the Tea Party as they completely take over the Republican party. And finally of course, the the third risk is the worst one of all, that in the end, the Republicans will stubbornly NOT fold, carrying us over the debt ceiling cliff.
That's a lot of risk. If I were Obama I would be more pro-active in looking for some way to help Boehner get out of this.
So you feel that both sides share blame in continuing this shutdown, even if the Republicans are the ones that started it?I understand this and I can't blame Obama or the Dems. But I don't think weakening the Republicans in this manner is good for our country in general. Personally, I don't want a republic dominated by one political party, and that's where all this may be leading.What I find so odd is this insistence that the Republicans must have an out somehow. Sometimes you lose. Happens to everyone. Sure it sucks, but its not the end of the world.When your opponent is drowning throw the son of a ##### an anvil.The Washington Examiner's Byron York interviewed an anonymous Republican congressman about the shutdown. The congressman was clearly not happy that Republicans had let themselves end up in this position. "This isn't exactly the fight I think Republicans wanted to have, certainly that the leadership wanted to have," he said.But that didn't matter anymore. Obama, the congressman continued, is "going to try to humiliate the speaker in front of his conference. And how effective a negotiating partner do you think he'll be then? You're putting the guy in a position where he's got nothing to lose, because you're not giving him anything to win."
You can see the results in the collapse of the GOP's demands. They're not trying to undo Obamacare anymore. They're embracing the kind of budget commissions they've spent six months opposing. They're just trying to find some way to eke out a win. This isn't about the policy anymore. It's about Obama. And Obama isn't giving Republicans a clear path to backing down without looking like they lost.
The White House knows this perfectly well. They just don't believe it's healthy to bend and buckle until Republicans find a way out. It's not their job, they say, to help Boehner out of promises he shouldn't have made. They weren't the ones who promised their base that the debt ceiling would be a moment of triumph. They weren't the ones who bowed to pressure from their extreme wing and chose a reckless strategy of brinksmanship. They weren't the ones who set up a political dynamic in which keeping the government open and paying our bills counts as "a loss" for one party or the other. Boehner needs to learn to stop writing checks he can't cash.
All that may be true. But the White House is still pursuing a strategy that makes it harder for Boehner and the Republicans to back down. Their gamble is that the power of public opinion will overwhelm the power of presidential polarization. And if the Republican Party loses totally -- loses in a way where they can't tell themselves it was a win -- that'll be the end of these tactics.
It might be a bet worth making. But it's still a bet. And every time Obama goes out and lashes the Republicans for shutting down the government, the stakes get a little bit higher.
~James Carville
The other risk is that if Boehner is not given some kind of face-saving solution, the result will be a strengthening, not a weakening, of the Tea Party as they completely take over the Republican party. And finally of course, the the third risk is the worst one of all, that in the end, the Republicans will stubbornly NOT fold, carrying us over the debt ceiling cliff.
That's a lot of risk. If I were Obama I would be more pro-active in looking for some way to help Boehner get out of this.
  Read what I wrote again. I don't blame Obama at all. I noted that in my first sentence. But now I wish he would be more pro-active. I don't want him to concede anything of significance though, because that would only make it more likely that this crap would happen again and again. But if there's a way to help the Republicans save a little face without giving up anything of value- do it.Exactly. You feel he should be doing something to end this.So you feel that both sides share blame in continuing this shutdown, even if the Republicans are the ones that started it?I understand this and I can't blame Obama or the Dems. But I don't think weakening the Republicans in this manner is good for our country in general. Personally, I don't want a republic dominated by one political party, and that's where all this may be leading.What I find so odd is this insistence that the Republicans must have an out somehow. Sometimes you lose. Happens to everyone. Sure it sucks, but its not the end of the world.When your opponent is drowning throw the son of a ##### an anvil.The Washington Examiner's Byron York interviewed an anonymous Republican congressman about the shutdown. The congressman was clearly not happy that Republicans had let themselves end up in this position. "This isn't exactly the fight I think Republicans wanted to have, certainly that the leadership wanted to have," he said.But that didn't matter anymore. Obama, the congressman continued, is "going to try to humiliate the speaker in front of his conference. And how effective a negotiating partner do you think he'll be then? You're putting the guy in a position where he's got nothing to lose, because you're not giving him anything to win."
You can see the results in the collapse of the GOP's demands. They're not trying to undo Obamacare anymore. They're embracing the kind of budget commissions they've spent six months opposing. They're just trying to find some way to eke out a win. This isn't about the policy anymore. It's about Obama. And Obama isn't giving Republicans a clear path to backing down without looking like they lost.
The White House knows this perfectly well. They just don't believe it's healthy to bend and buckle until Republicans find a way out. It's not their job, they say, to help Boehner out of promises he shouldn't have made. They weren't the ones who promised their base that the debt ceiling would be a moment of triumph. They weren't the ones who bowed to pressure from their extreme wing and chose a reckless strategy of brinksmanship. They weren't the ones who set up a political dynamic in which keeping the government open and paying our bills counts as "a loss" for one party or the other. Boehner needs to learn to stop writing checks he can't cash.
All that may be true. But the White House is still pursuing a strategy that makes it harder for Boehner and the Republicans to back down. Their gamble is that the power of public opinion will overwhelm the power of presidential polarization. And if the Republican Party loses totally -- loses in a way where they can't tell themselves it was a win -- that'll be the end of these tactics.
It might be a bet worth making. But it's still a bet. And every time Obama goes out and lashes the Republicans for shutting down the government, the stakes get a little bit higher.
~James Carville
The other risk is that if Boehner is not given some kind of face-saving solution, the result will be a strengthening, not a weakening, of the Tea Party as they completely take over the Republican party. And finally of course, the the third risk is the worst one of all, that in the end, the Republicans will stubbornly NOT fold, carrying us over the debt ceiling cliff.
That's a lot of risk. If I were Obama I would be more pro-active in looking for some way to help Boehner get out of this.Read what I wrote again. I don't blame Obama at all. I noted that in my first sentence. But now I wish he would be more pro-active. I don't want him to concede anything of significance though, because that would only make it more likely that this crap would happen again and again. But if there's a way to help the Republicans save a little face without giving up anything of value- do it.