If the ACA is delayed a year. Let's say in order for the government not to shut down

[JDPriestly]

38. From the point of view of political strategy, if I were in President Obama's shoes, I would let the

irresponsible Republicans stop the funding for the government and hold steady. I would wait and reassure people that I was doing everything I could.

Once the public realized what stopping the government means (especially Republicans who are government contractors), I would ask Nancy Pelosi to count the votes among Democrats for a bill funding the government. Once I had that number, and I suspect it would be unanimous, then I would go on TV and get all my surrogates to go on TV and radio and point out loud and clear that if the Republicans abandoned the Hastert Rule and simply brought funding to the floor, Democrats on their own could be within 17 or 18 (at the most) votes of a majority for funding the government. It would be easy to swing 17 Republicans to vote to fund it after a short period of no funding. (Wall Street will be the first to scream.) THE HASTERT RULE IS THE PROBLEM IF I UNDERSTAND THIS CORRECTLY.

It is better for Obama to get this fight about the deficit and debt funding over now rather than later. 2014 is an election year. This issue needs to be decided right now, very soon.

The Republicans want a showdown. They want something dramatic to rally their troops in 2014. President Obama should not give it to them. He should not waiver. Sooner or later the Republicans are going to show off and try to end the government. If not now then in the future.

We are less engaged in combat in the world now than we have been for some years. The economy is very weak, but having the Republican campaign to worsen it continue beyond December would be more detrimental to the economy than just getting the unnecessary pain that these Republican shenanigans will cause over right now.

The Republicans are trying to make a philosophical point -- that we don't need government and would be better off without it. They are completely, utterly, 100% wrong about that. It's time to silence that theory altogether. Let them answer for the damage.

We Democrats need to stand strong behind our president even though the Republicans are very, very determined to destroy his administration.

I do not mean that we cannot criticize the current administration when we think it is wrong. I just mean that we should not encourage the President to try to save the day now. The moral burden and the burden of public relations is on the Republicans. They want headlines. Let them have them. This crisis is totally of their creation. Republicans voted for the budgets throughout the 2000s. They funded the war in Iraq and numerous boondoggle programs around the world. They failed to watch the housing market. The crash occurred on GWB's watch.

Obama should not take upon himself the burden or the pain that will occur when the government funding is slashed for important programs or funding is cut off altogether.

This is not the time to "compromise" unless the Republicans promise not to play this game again especially when the debt ceiling bill needs to come to the floor.

How many more Americans will die due to lack of healthcare, the inability to pay a doctor, if we delay providing broader healthcare coverage one day further?

The Republicans argue that companies will cut the hours of employees if the ACA is implemented. Companies have been moving toward hiring workers part-time and firing at will and frequently for years now.

Our prior employer-provided healthcare system worked because employers retained their employees for years. It was not uncommon for an employee to work for a company for 20-30 years and keep on working there until they reached 65 and went on a pension and Social Security.

The trend toward quick employee overturn and part-time work has been growing for years now. The ACA is RESPONDING to that trend, not causing it. Employers do not suddenly decide to cut back on hours for their employees in the middle of a busy season where there is lots of work to do just to save on healthcare costs. That is absurd.

The Republican arguments are nutty. They do not deserve to be honored with a compromise. The Republicans of today cannot think logically. No, you do not bargain with people who cannot think logically. You cajole them. You trick them. But if you ever had to deal with a person who was truly cracy, you know you cannot argue or bargain with them. The Republicans are truly crazy. They are obsessed with the idea of shutting down the government. Let them do it and let them suffer the result.