U.S. Shutdown Nears

[phkrause]

WASHINGTON — The federal government on Sunday morning barreled toward its first shutdown in 17 years after the Republican-run House, choosing a hard line, voted to attach a one-year delay of President Obama’s health care law and a repeal of a tax to pay for it to legislation to keep the government running.

http://www.nytimes.com/2013/09/29/us/politics/budget-talks-government-shutdown.html?_r=0

[phkrause]

What a bunch of jerks that work for us!!!!

[Planey]

What a bunch of jerks that work for us!!!!

Not sure that 'work' was the word you were looking for, pk...

[phkrause]

Originally Posted By: pkrause

What a bunch of jerks that work for us!!!!

Not sure that 'work' was the word you were looking for, pk...

So what word do you think I should've looked for?

[phkrause]

Yes, those do sound good.

[Ted Oplinger]

Hmmm....these "extremists" backed off their defund ObamaCare stance, attached a simple rider to delay to outroll of the program for a year (hasn't Obama already illegally done this for several politically favored interests anyway?) - and the Democrats refused it. Majorly bad strategy.

Given a clean CR with a rider to do what we now know should have been done, and the Democrats crow loudly they won't accept it and won't "negotiate".

Yep, that's good clear independent thinking there...

This is not about doing what is right. This is a cynical political move embarked by the Democrats for one purpose - try to reclaim one-party rule again.

With all the hype about the "conservative minority" making a train wreck here - did it ever occur to anyone to tally up the total elected representation held by each party? Republicans outnumber Democrats by a significant margin.

Meanwhile, The White House has ordered tremendous overreaches on parks that operate on private funds alone - not a single Republican ordered that one. Democrats still loudly crow they aren't going to negotiate; while the public sees that nearly 95% of the government workers furloughed hasn't brought the economy to a sudden halt.

And again in the meantime, the House continues to send Appropriations Bills for individual Departments and Agencies (as has been standard business practice for over 200 years) - and the Democrats reject them. Pictures are broadcast of the House-Senate Conference Committee having Republicans present, ready to do work, but Democrats are absent, saying they will not negotiate...and neither have they put forth reasonable budget proposals, either.

Democrats have operated only on a constant flow of Continuation Resolutions to fund the government, to hide the Democrat's enormous expenditures from the people, and the Republicans have finally grown a spine, said "Enough is enough!" - and this bothers people?

If the Democrats have such a winning hand, they would not need such a PR campaign to "win" this round. However, they no longer have a monopoly on "the Message", and the People are getting the "Rest of the Story" in spite of the propaganda being unloaded in record amounts. They see the Republicans are doing precisely what they were put in charge of the House for - control the purse strings (their Constitutional duty to this is clearly spelled out, even as Democrats refuse to acknowledge their party rejects the responsibility to do theirs).

While Democrats claim some sort of mandate just by winning the WH and keeping the Senate, they refuse to think the country gave the House a mandate because Republican representation INCREASED, despite Obama's victory.

America sees the Republicans finally trying to be a real opposition party - and all Democrats can do is throw a tantrum because they must actually work together with Republicans, instead of unilaterally demanding policy by fiat and executive order?

It has been 3 days, and the message the Democrats are giving is only being accepted by their own hard-core base. ObamaCare has collapsed, right out of the gates. Lots of bad optics are getting out (like Mr. Reid's callous remarks about both why would he send money to treat kids with cancer, and that he's got a government to serve and a shutdown to manage - his constituents aren't his main concern). Republicans are being seen by Americans as willing to meet and negotiate, while Democrats refuse to meet unless it is to say 'No, no negotiating."

Americans are finding out life will go on - the sun still rises, the lights still come on, the gas pumps still operate, the stores are still open. The longer this stretches out, the bad optics are going to catch up with Obama and his merry bad of nay-sayers.

I think I will pop some more popcorn - this novel is going to get real interesting before it is over.