October 17, 2013

The bill needs 17 GOP votes. It already has 22. If no Dems defect, the deal has already gone down.

October 16, 2013

A few words in praise of the President of the United States

Folks here are well aware by now that I am not one to go ZOMG OBAMA IS SO OSSUM very often. I voted for him twice, but never once fooled myself into thinking the panacea for all that ails us had been elected, and I have considered it my sworn duty as a citizen to kick him in the ass when circumstances warrant it.

That being said, President Obama has taken a hail of shit for his hands-off approach to Congress over the last five years. He needs to glad-hand, he needs to press the flesh, he needs to work the room, lather rinse repeat.

Fuck that. I see the method of the man in this latest eruption more clearly than ever. To say he should be more like Lyndon Johnson, who was famous for his ability to work members of Congress, is to have a catastrophically Derpy understanding of history, in that you dare to compare the Congress members of Johnson's day to the goddam meth-addled barn swallows we endure now. No and no and no.

Mr. Obama's bargaining tactics during this crisis, in short:

Oct. 1: No. Fuck you.

Oct. 3: No. Fuck you.

Oct. 6: No. Fuck you.

Oct. 10: No. Fuck you.

Oct. 12: No. Fuck you.

Oct. 14: No. Fuck you.

Oct. 16: Please proceed.

Never interfere with a perfectly good train wreck.

Kudos, Mr. President. I'll be all over your ass tomorrow, but for tonight, I am glowing with pride over those two votes I gave you. Very well done, sir.

October 16, 2013

Senate Deal Includes Back Pay For Furloughed Workers (!!!)

Senate Deal Includes Back Pay For Furloughed Workers
TPM

The latest Senate deal to reopen the government and raise the debt ceiling includes back pay for furloughed federal workers.

Multiple congressional aides told the Washington Post that back pay would be part of the deal, and a Senate source the report to TPM.

The rest: http://talkingpointsmemo.com/livewire/senate-deal-includes-back-pay-for-furloughed-workers

Good shit.

October 16, 2013

Because fiscal conservatives and shit.

"Wonk Wire shows that Congress's budget fights, debt-ceiling stand-offs, and spending cuts have cost the U.S. economy nearly 3% of GDP since 2010 - roughly $700 billion in lost economic activity - and raised the unemployment rate in 2013 by 0.6 percentage points, equivalent to 900,000 lost jobs."

Because fiscal conservatism. And shit.

http://wonkwire.rollcall.com/2013/10/16/chart-day-26/

October 16, 2013

U Mad Bro?

October 16, 2013

So this happened.

Squee.

October 16, 2013

Rust never sleeps.

So the House will vote, and 17 GOP votes will be needed, so no, this isn't done yet.

But let's say for the sake of argument that those 17 House Republicans do vote with the Democrats, and the bill passes, and the president signs it. The government is only open until January, the debt limit is pushed only until February, and like as not we will wind up doing some version of this again.

(FYI, Reid wanted the shorter time, because if these deals were extended any later, the sequester would get locked in for another fiscal year, and he wants a chance to take a hack at it from a position of strength in the upcoming budget talks, so there is method to the madness after all)

So the House will vote, and just maybe this crisis will be put aside for a few months.

There is still the Trans-Pacific Partnership, plus Chained CPI and Medicare means testing (both of which Obama floated not long ago, which will make an appearance in the budget debate, mark my words), plus the Keystone XL pipeline, plus the ongoing voter restriction efforts, plus the ongoing war on women, plus the all-important 2014 midterm elections, plus, and plus, and plus, and plus.

Take this to heart, friends and neighbors: rust never sleeps, and there is never, ever, ever any rest for the weary.

If we get past this thing tonight, have a drink on me. Close your eyes and take a deep breath. Get a good night's sleep.

We are right back to it tomorrow.

October 16, 2013

I just...I just...I just had to do it: Freeper responses to the deal.

Sens. Cruz, Lee say they won't block deal

The French could take lessons on how to surrender from the GOP.

we are done.i'm looking for another country to move to, maybe Australia, canada

maybe cruz should have read Sarah Palin’s column where she says there is no threat of default. so it was a news media manufactured crises

They're White Flag, Surrender Monkeys.

Are these Representatives complete and total MORONS?! This is a non-starter. Obama's already made executive decisions to not enforce some rules while enforcing or enhancing others not initially agreed to. What the HELL makes ANY of them think that he won't ignore this rule as well?

Don’t blame Cruz and Lee. They’re the only ones with any fight. Put the blame where it’s due: On the McCains and Grahams of Senate. These men are big-government Democrats, no more, no less.

If your gonna bring up the treat and shutdown .gov, you do it. You don't fold. These guys have done that, and now the White House is bringing up Amnesty again. Joy.

SELLOUTS

If true, Boehner bent over and became another one of Bathhouse Barry's "boys", and the American taxpayers did as well. Reggie Love is green with jealousy!

Limbaugh: It Feels Like We've Lost A War To A Communist Country

We've had an internal coup. As Hitler destroyed the Weimar republic, so 0bama has destroyed the American republic. We are now a dictatorship. Make no mistake about it.

Rush doesn't place any blame on the GOP, but he should, at least the GOPe. Until the GOPe is out of the way, this country will continue its slide into socialism/communism.

The USSR may have dissolved but the communists didn’t. They learned it was better to take us from within. They must be shocked they did it so quickly, underestimating America’s “useful idiots”.

Smells like pure DC gutter feces to me. The Regime’s and Congressional sewers backed up and the stench is filling the country.

I’ve been screaming @ Republican radio hosts for decades (since Perot) that this day would come. And is has.

Wait for it: The twice unconstitutionally elected admitted foreign born Islamic communist Kenyans next move now is illegals who will suck at the teet of Obamacare like Nancy Pelosi with botox driving up those Obamacare costs for everyone even further then walla! In comes the IRS jackboots to collect those fines because you can’t afford to pay thousands every month - Mission accomplished. The regime now has a direct excuse for financial collectivism. What was once yours is now theirs.

Citizenship for illegal invaders, then Obamacare for these new citizens, then these former illegals registering as Democrats through the Obamacare website..

...etc.

October 16, 2013

Because of Cruz and Lee, this is not over yet.

"Senate Republicans huddled Tuesday to discuss the latest on the fiscal crisis engulfing the Capitol, but two key members of their conference were missing from the lunch: Ted Cruz of Texas and Mike Lee of Utah."

http://www.politico.com/story/2013/10/ted-cruz-mike-lee-gop-lunch-98342.html#ixzz2htmf9NGW

Maybe they split town. Maybe they're hunkering down with Heritage Action to plan a filibuster.

But nothing is over until we know what these two assbags are planning today.

October 15, 2013

Want to know why this is happening? The bottom line? This.

Cruz PAC Doubles Fundraising In Lead Up To Shutdown
By Daniel Strauss – October 15, 2013, 5:47 PM EDT
TPM

The joint fundraising committee for Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) reported doubling its fundraising in the third quarter compared to the previous quarter.

The Ted Cruz Victory Committee reported raising $797,450 from the beginning of July to the end of September. That's roughly double the committee raised compared to from the beginning of April to the end of June when it reported raising $410,030, according to financial disclosure reports. The committee is a joint fundraising committee of his re-election committee, Ted Cruz for Senate, and his leadership PAC, The Jobs Growth and Freedom Fund.

The joint fundraising committee reported having $378,696 cash on hand.

The rest: http://talkingpointsmemo.com/dc/cruz-pac-fundraising-doubles-in-third-quarter

...which I underscored on the first of October:

William Rivers Pitt | The Fundraising Message That Ate America

(snip)

As I am not beloved by the denizens of the far right, I am not on any of their fundraising email lists...but I am going to assume that Republicans all across the country have spent the last 48 hours watching their in-boxes fill up with JESUS IS LORD COMMUNISTS AND SOCIALISTS WANT TO TAKE YOUR GUNS AND FETUSES OBAMACARE IS A TROJAN HORSE FOR SHARIA LAW KENYA BIRTH CERTIFICATE HILLARY CLINTON GIVE US MONEY OR GOD WILL MAKE YOU GAY WHAAAAARGARBLE messages.

Because money. Period, end of file, turn off the lights when you leave...oh, wait, they're already off.

That's why I think this happened, and it started a while ago. Certain influential Republicans in the House and Senate, along with the outside groups that sustain them, figured out that slapping "Repeal Obamacare!" into a direct-mail fundraising message was better than winning the lottery, so they kept at it, and kept at it, and kept at it, and O my Lord, how the money rolled in...until the monster they created stomped out of the laboratory and began tearing up the joint.

And so here we are, smack dab in the middle of the most irrational, damaging, stupid, reckless, feckless fundraising drive in the history of currency.

One last thought: if you're one of those cute folks who believe quaint notions like "consequences" and "pain" will somehow exorcise The Crazy from the Republican Party, do me and everyone you know a big favor and slap yourself soundly across the face.

This isn't an endgame. It's just getting started. Next stop: default.

Buckle up.

The rest: http://www.truth-out.org/opinion/item/19158-the-fundraising-message-that-ate-america

Someone said money is the root of all evil. Boy howdy, did they hit the nail on the head.