Will the Tea Party bullies back down?
By Thom Hartmann A...
For the first time in 17 years, our government is officially shut down. Just hours before the midnight deadline, the House Republicans passed a third government funding proposal, which included another absurd attempt to undermine Obamacare. As expected, the Senate rejected that version, and called on the House to pass a clean continuing resolution. At 1 a.m., House Speaker John Boehner tried to appear reasonable, by calling for a bipartisan committee between the two chambers. Democrats have been asking for such a meeting for months, however they are unlikely to accept that proposal now, as they continue to call for a clean government funding bill.
After Republicans refused to pass a clean bill, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid laid into Speak Boehner, saying, “You know with a bully, you cannot let them slap you around. Because they slap you around today, they slap you around five or six times tomorrow. We are not going to be bullied.” House Republicans proved that they would rather furlough workers, slash food assistance, and cripple our economy than back down from their efforts to kill Obamacare.
As of today, 800,000 federal workers will be sent home without pay, the government will not process loans for new homes or businesses, new disability and unemployment claims will take longer to process, and the CDC will be limited in its ability to fight disease. And, these are only a few of the effects of a government shutdown.
As President Obama said before the deadline, “One faction, of one party, in one House of Congress, in one branch of government, doesn't get to shut down the entire government just to refight the results of an election.” Right now, millions of Americans are wondering how long it will take for House Republicans to realize that.
Comments
#2
In my humble opinion, no, the Teabrains will not back down. However, all is not lost. All the President has to do is to issue an Executive order to extend the dept limit. Done! He can also declare a National emergency and do it. If this fiasco continues it is the fault of the President for not flexing his Executive muscle. Just another example of him breaking his oath of office.
#3
I still think it is all just histrionics being played out by both parties owned by the ruling elite. They want to create mass confusion and mass fear in order to destroy social security and any of the other social programs. Before long, they'll announce that they will have to defund prisons and those private prisons will have to fire all their guards. The ruling elite will resort to all manner of smoke and mirrors and pandemonium to scare people into running through those cattle chutes on our way to our executions.
After the big scare, the ruling elite will ratchet up their strangle hold on us all...yet another compromise where the ruling elite wins and we all lose.
#4
I'm glad you agree!
#5
I have been listening to the radio show and watching the tv show for about a year. I find it educational and thought-provoking. I saw the segment of the show where the young African-American woman was defending the voter suppression in her state and others, citing "fraud," etc. At first I was dumbfounded and then when you announced that she works for an organization dedicated to "protecting the election process from "voter fraud", I realized that she has found a way to earn $$ while appearing to be anti-voter fraud, which you pointed out is discriminatory towards many citizens because of ethnic group, color, economic level, age, and race. She cited her family history in response as proof that she is aware of the voter repression in the region of the country she hails from, as proof that she is not against anyone because fo the categories mentioned above. Please advise her to read "Black Masters" by Masters & Roark in order to become aware of what happened to the "Free People of Color" population in the South after the Civil War. Although many of them had supported the Confederated effort, they were rewarded with violent discrimination in all forms and they and their descendants were disenfranchised after the Rutherford Hayes deal. I'm sure you know this, so I don't mean to lecture you, but I believe the information is necessary for the young woman, Ms. Harley-LeBon, to help her realize that she is working against herself and family and many others in her state.
However, I also realize that she is probably earning a good salary - at least, I hope so - otherwise she is working for the forces who over 125 years or so ago, kicked her people (family, et al) to the curb, i.e. marginalized them. If she believes so much in the cause of preventing voter "fraud", suggest that she give up the pay she receives, otherwise like so many others who strive against their own interests, SHE IS DOING IT FOR THE "BENJAMINS!!!"
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#6
Top 20 government contractors who may not be paid due to the shutdown and 20 members of congress who get the largest contributions from these companies. 7 of the 20 are Democrats.
http://www.opensecrets.org/news/2013/10/which-donors-have-the-most-to-lo...
http://www.truthdig.com/report/item/the_reason_republicans_were_willing_...
#7
Very well said! If Obama does NOT do that it would be really bad news. Sadly, I think that's what it would take for liberals in this country to finally wake up and realize that Dems and Repubs only pretend to disagree. The perpetuation of the illusion of conflict is how they keep us divided and even the most astute among us slaves to a lie. When it all boils down, the whole system is corrupt. Dirty energy = Repubs, dirty $$$ = Dems and dirty energy & $$$ in bed completely together.
This a.m., Democracy Now reported that the public lands/parks will be left unattended and that the EPA is shutting down 94% of it's operations, the NRC will not be able to inspect nuclear power plants etc. They only care about what their sociopathic greed dictates. The Repugs don't just hate Obama care, they hate the idea of ANYONE who is not "in the club" getting anything, including access to, say...life. Obamacare is a conveniently timed (by both parties) excuse to shut down government in order to begin the transition to what Naomi Kline so eloquently calls disaster capitalism. They can't WAIT to crash through the debt ceiling. (THEN, can we call it treason, Thom?) Big Oil & gas & kRoch $$ has been trying to make it so they could swoop down and seize the public lands and dump into the air and water to their hearts content for many years. The problem is most Dems are on board w/ the shut down strategy, they just PRETEND not to be. Dems knew what Boner would do if the Repugs kept the House in '12. Today on Thom was THE 1ST TIME I have EVER heard a Dem talk about how important it is to take back the house and keep the senate; now that it's too late...NOW they tell us...as if DIE!bold, gerrymandering, corrupt media and voter supression won't rig it anyhow… We must tune in to our communities and turn off 99% of media. Now nore than ever Think Global, ACT! Local.
#8
Pres. Obama: “One faction, of one party, in one House of Congress, in one branch of government, doesn't get to shut down the entire government just to refight the results of an election.” Well, apperently, they do.
#9
...great points, evone..
#10
sandlewould ~ Thank you!
Palindromedary ~ Thanks for that Abbey Martin link yesterday. I just watched the show. Very, very good.
#11
I think the teabaggers need to have their diapers changed, pacifiers stuck in their mouths, and all of them put down for long, LONG naps. There's nothing more annoying than a bunch of cranky babies.
#12
sandlewould: The Dem you refer to is Rep. Israel from NY. Besides his pointing out the importance of taking the House back he also mentioned the bald faced hypocrisy of a couple of his co-workers. One of these guys happens to be my Teabag Unrep. by the name of Tom Reed. Since 2005 he has been late in paying his property taxes 38 times. He also participated in a drunken nude swim in the Dead Sea with 20 other lawmakers who claimed to be on a fact finding trip to Israel. Although I think Reed kept his knickers on for obvious reasons. These guys are all self-serving Teabag reps of the billionaires and we need to dump all of this Tea in 2014.
Back on the subject of Reed and his tax issue. I'm willing to bet that he doesn't even realize that his austerity/shrink govt. politics are actually increasing his property taxes by leaps and bounds. This Teabag austerity mania has rubbed off on power hungry guys like Cuomo and Christie. These Govs. make themselves look good on paper by privatizing, breaking unions, and sticking the local taxpayers with the bill. Under Christie property taxes are up by 20%.....thaannnks Christie! It's similar under Cuomo in New York, and it doesn't get more regressive than property tax, a tax that is unrelated to income or ability to pay. This however works out real well for the 1% who want no part in progressive taxation based on income. Incidentally New York's Property tax cap is a lie!
By the way, regarding the shut down, I called Reed's office today and got a recording that his voicemail was full as usual.....no access but I still have to pay for his health insurance, retirement, and salary. I'm sure he loves his govt. job, he just hates the govt. ..........enough to shut it down.
#13
Palindromedary ~ Those were great links. I guess that Truthdig article answered a lot of our questions. The ACA must not be as bad as we fear. A family of five covered for $346/month isn't bad. I don't know about the 30% responsibility though. At least there will be no deductible. Also $346/month is better than I can get with my company. Not a bad deal. Not a bad step in the right direction. Like the article said:
Truthdig websiteQuote The Reason The Republicans Were Willing To Shut It Down by Bill Boyarsky who:If the Affordable Care Act works, its success will tilt the balance in favor of government-aided health care—and clear the way for eventual approval of the best solution: a single payer system, Medicare for all.
http://www.truthdig.com/report/item/the_reason_republicans_were_willing_to_shut_it_down_20130930
#14
DAnneMarc: You welcome...#12. And I sometimes think it is a good thing but I wonder, once people are all signed up, how much the insurance companies will raise their prices later on. I wonder, since they are already trying to take away other social programs, and they keep playing these little tricks..like government shutdown over the debt ceiling..just how much can we rely on the government to actually pay those subsidized payments to the insurance companies. Each insurance company will have a lot of fine print that might shock some people. But, like you had said before...it's the insurance companies that we really have to worry about. What trickery do they have up their sleeves?
#15
Palindromedary ~ From what I understand, the ACA is considered mandatory federal expenditure. One of the reasons the billionaires are so pissed off. The way they see it, once enacted they can kiss their generous tax cuts goodbye. I hope they are puckering up right now.
As far as the insurance company's loopholes and raising premium rates are concerned, that isn't necessarily a bad thing either. There are going to have to be problems with the ACA in order to generate the motivation to change it and morph it into Medicare for all. I mean, lets face it, Medicare for all is the future. It is what We the People deserve and demand. The sooner the better. All the ACA really represents is a means to that ends. In and of itself it is not the perfect solution; and, I think everyone generally agrees on that. Until we get for-profit interests out of our nation's health care system, we have not found the perfect solution to the problems of our nation's health care system. There should never be a profit motive in health care. It is a clear conflict of interests.
Just look at what the profit motive does to religion. I don't want greed to be the motivating factor in caring for my soul or my body. The "buck" stops here! (I'm pointing at myself.)
ie If I make a profit caring for sin, the more sin the more profit I make. Consequently, if I make a profit caring for sick people, the more sick people the more profit I make. Conflict of interests.
Don't get me started on the for-profit prison industry. Although by now you can probably figure out what I would say.
#16
ya you guys are right I like Obama's plan to. Just keep borrowing and spending its working out just great. Besides the twenty somethings will end up paying the debt off anyway. hopefully interest rates will stay low for the next 10 or 20 years for them. How much higher will the payments go up on 20 trillion dollars if interest goes up 5%.
#17
Bingo, NACHOS! You're spot-on. - Alice I.W.
#18
Beautiful, "stecoop01"! Except I would stick those pacifiers up their asses instead. - Alice I.W.
#19
Kend- with all due respect... You're like an old, scratched ponograph record, repeating the same lines over & over. Were I to go back over the past year's worth of posts and harvest together all of yours, I'd find at least 500 variations on a tired old theme: Borrow-and-spend, spend-and-borrow, interest rates ad nauseam... money-money-MONEY! Like that old Indian chief on my 'fridge reminds us on a daily basis: You can't eat money! - Alice I.W.
#20
Thank you ALICEINWONDERLAND for your enthusiasm.
The two challenges with bucking Corporate America begins with getting the majority of US Citizens (The employed, the unemployed, the retired, and students) to organize, unite, and go on a national strike/boycott, engage in Nonviolent Resistance, and Civil Disobedience...For as long as it takes! The goal would be to not destroy what remains of our economic infulstructure but to put PEOPLE BEFORE PROFIT, which does not mean that profit cannot be made.
The second challenge, and this may be impossable but is key to the goal, is to change how we view (worship) money. Now don't get me wrong I understand that the exchange of "money for goods" is how our economic system works, however money should not be held as the "end all, be all solution" towards our social issues. In fact money is often the root to our social problems...Much like War rarely resolves our social indifferences, money tends to cause people to behaive irresponsable and without true accountability.
Over the past 4 decades we have been witness to a Corporate highjacking of We the Peoples Democratic System. Key word "Democratic"...It is We the Peoples fault for exchanging a "Walk on part in The Wall for a lead role in The Cage"...buying into the lies told to us by "the Takers". Translation ALL of US have sat on our obese lazy asses and watched from our recliners while microwaving a frozen dinner as our country became Of the Few, For the Few, and By the Few. We are all accountable, You, Me, Everyone! If you voted for a Dem or Rep in the last 8 elections (with the exception of J. Carter) then you were buying into the lies, and with greedy motivations.
We ALL must realize that we cannot "fix" a problem before understanding how the problem occured. AND EXCEPTING THE TRUTH! In my opinion the reason "our" solutions often times lead to more problems is because we do not understand the original problem to begin with. We keep doing the same things over and over and over...For Self serving reasons.
I often have said - borrowing a lyric from a song a friend of mine wrote - "We must change our way of thinking so that people and planet last...We must resist the urge for power".
#21
I am right though, Alice. Somebody has to bring some reality into your little spending party.
#22
I've never said this about you, but, You are right KEND!!!
We MUST stop spending money on Wars and Policing the world...Rather we should shift that spending towards improving our education system and establishing a Medicare-for-all system. That would be money well spent (invested).
Also Kend...Solar Works! As does Wind and Wave energy. The U.S. needs true leadership in this area. Obama failed us here too! As has every president in my life time (with the exception of J Carter). As for Obama, it didn't surprise me that he didn't truely take the time to establish policy in this area...Why would anyone think that Obama was truely about "Green Alternatives" when his campaign was boosted by the Nuclear Industry.
To date the U.S. is 25+ years behind when it comes to the use and advancement of Solar, Wind, Wave, and other Green Energy Alternatives.
#23
To be brutally frank, Kend, I resent the prospects of an improved healthcare situation in the U.S. getting characterized as a "little spending party" by someone from Canada who never has to worry about bankruptcy via healthcare costs. In the long run, this Affordable Care Act will SAVE money. Single-payer would save even more. In the meantime we've better things to do with our hard-earned cash than feather the nests of billionaire CEO insurance hacks. Have a nice day.
#24
I do realize there are good Dems, but they are powerless in the face of this corruption. If Obama cares, why is he, as we speak, allowing corporations to ram through the TPP by "fast-tracking" this 'agreement' and forbidding congress from revieling it's contents? Corporations would be able to sue communities and countries over laws that interfear w/ profits. Contact Congress and say NO to fast-track TPP!
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When are We the People going to shut down Corporate America and send Wall St home???
Now don't take me for being foolish...I know that the 1%ers income can afford to "take a few days off", but my point is that We the People and We the Consumers are truely the ones incharge...Lets hit these Corporate bafoons where it counts...In their profits!!!
Buck-up my fellow country men, and REVOLT!
If you want a Medicare-For-All Health Care System...Abolish Corporate Personhood!