Quote :

"WASHINGTON—As the federal government shutdown stretches into its fourth day, 20 members of the Republican’s Tea Party faction announced this morning they would be willing to support a clean budget resolution bill in exchange for the president’s firstborn daughter, Malia Obama. While members of the Republican Party’s far-right wing have heretofore been resistant to any sort of deal with the White House over the issue of Obamacare, the Tea Party caucus authored and released a short, tersely worded statement this morning in which they agreed to a swift negotiation of an unstipulated spending bill if the president were to deliver “the firstling.” “The girl. Bring us the girl,” said Congressman Steve King (R-IA) as he stood beside fellow Tea Party leaders during this morning’s press conference on the steps of the Capitol. “The bill may pass, but the firstborn shall be ours.” “Heed our bidding,” added an unblinking Phil Gingrey (R-GA). “And thy wish shall be granted.” According to Washington insiders, the deal would reportedly feature a continuing resolution to fund government operations through November 15 without any modifications to the Affordable Care Act passed in 2010, including implementation of the individual mandate and the much-maligned tax on medical devices, while Malia Obama would legally fall under the protectorship of the Tea Party caucus. White House officials have declined to comment. According to Congressional aides, if the White House agrees to deliver Malia, as well as a pint of Michelle Obama’s blood, a ram’s horn, and a shard of obsidian to the basement of the Cannon House Office Building by this evening, a House vote on the bill could take place as early as Saturday. “Obamacare may be a scourge, but lo, our eyes are cast upon matters of greater import,” explained Tea Party Republican Justin Amash of Michigan’s third district. “Preparations must be made. The hour is nigh.” While some political analysts argued the surprise announcement suggests a weakening in resolve of the faction, opening the door for further movement on their stance, several Republican staffers have already indicated that the caucus will not negotiate on their declared terms and that any attempts to substitute Sasha for Malia will be fruitless. “It must be Malia,” stated Mick Mulvaney (R-SC). “First of birth. First of blood. First of the reckoning.” Experts added that in addition to limiting the damage of the current government shutdown, the deal could also avoid a protracted and dangerous battle over raising the nation’s debt ceiling in the coming weeks if members of the Tea Party determine Malia has fulfilled the prophecy. “The Tea Party has spoken,” said Georgetown professor of political science Richard Drape. “The deal has been wrought. All bear witness to the fruits of the Great Compromise, for it is with us.” At press time, a teary-eyed Michelle Obama was informing Malia that she will always love her."

10/4/2013 5:29:08 PM

http://www.salon.com/2013/10/04/10_remarkably_stupid_comments_from_the_right_on_the_shutdown_and_obamacare_partner/

Idiotic and fear-mongering comments from the GOP (and false equivalence by Wolf Blitzer).

10/4/2013 6:03:11 PM

If anyone still doubts that the GOP is literally committing extortion, here is a tweet that John Boehner's press secretary just sent out,

Quote :

"John Boehner's press secretary, Michael Steel, just sent out a link to this Bloomberg article predicting catastrophic fallout from a US debt default with this message attached: "Folks - This really, really sounds like something Washington Democrats ought to talk to somebody about avoiding. Maybe that's just me. - steel""

This is the article he linked too,

http://www.bloomberg.com/news/print/2013-10-07/a-u-s-default-seen-as-catastrophe-dwarfing-lehman-s-fall.html

Quote :

"Failure by the world’s largest borrower to pay its debt -- unprecedented in modern history -- will devastate stock markets from Brazil to Zurich, halt a $5 trillion lending mechanism for investors who rely on Treasuries, blow up borrowing costs for billions of people and companies, ravage the dollar and throw the U.S. and world economies into a recession that probably would become a depression. Among the dozens of money managers, economists, bankers, traders and former government officials interviewed for this story, few view a U.S. default as anything but a financial apocalypse."

Translation: "that's a nice economy you got there, be a shame if something happened to it...."

[Edited on October 7, 2013 at 5:34 PM. Reason : :]

10/7/2013 5:32:00 PM

By contrast the Democrats are perfectly willing to compromise provided the republicans pass a clean CR which keeps everything exactly as it is.

10/7/2013 5:55:02 PM

You mean the clean CR which includes a budget lower than the level set by the 2011 Paul Ryan budget? A budget that, at the time, was considered hilariously draconian.


(this doesn't even show the 2011 Ryan budget)

10/7/2013 6:00:54 PM

It's not really a compromise, the Republicans have nothing to "give" in this situation. It's more like they're on strike, and you KNOW how conservatives feel about government workers going on strike...

10/7/2013 6:01:56 PM

Nor does that show non-discretionary spending, which has to be addressed. Our biggest spending problem is the fact that we've done nothing to address the growth of entitlement expenditure, service on the debt, etc.

It's great that discretionary spending is starting to fall, but it doesn't in any way address the real issue.

The GOP is fucking retarded, but it's disingenuous at best to act like the democrats are without fault here. The minority party is using the only tactic they have available to them and the majority party is refusing to negotiate.

10/7/2013 6:13:32 PM

Quote :

" The minority party is using the only tactic they have available to them and the majority party is refusing to negotiate. "

LOOOOOOOLLLLL

You realize the GOP has control of the house...? And you know, before the ACA was written, there was like months and stuff where 90% of the current congressional members were in congress, they argued and argued about the ACA, and came to an agreement on how it should work, voted and passed it? THAT'S when they are supposed to negotiate.

They COULD actually work with committees now, talk to their cohorts, and convince other people that parts of the ACA need to be changed, then pass bills of this nature too.

Both the debt ceiling and budget passing have always been procedural gov. things, only recently have they become (bizarrely) "negotiating" points, and the damage world-wide has already been done. If it were to come to pass, it's worse.

10/7/2013 6:22:55 PM

You also realize that ACA passed when the democrats controlled both houses and received zero votes from house republican, right?

We also used to vote on budgets, we haven't done that in quite a while, it's been nothing but a string of continuing resolutions (for either 16 or 4 years depending on how you view the 2009 omnibus spending bill).

Don't get me wrong, fuck the house republicans, they're idiots, but the senate democrats are no better and no less obstructionist.

[Edited on October 7, 2013 at 6:37 PM. Reason : sdfsd]

10/7/2013 6:33:13 PM

It received 0 votes as a token gesture, but was substantially crafted by Republicans, based on 90s republican ideals, heavily informed by Romney's state-wide implementation of healthcare.

It's delusional and short-sighted to say Republicans didn't have their whack at ACA. There were literally months of back and forth on ACA, there were times when the bill was reported to be dead in the water, because of negotiations with the Republicans.

But frankly, that is completely irrelevant. The proper way to affect policy isn't to threaten the entire world's financial system and government. I think the republicans wanted a very public way to stick it to Obama, and just didn't care about the actual impacts of their actions, and got in too deep with their own stupidity.

The US's credit rating has already been hurt because of Republican antics, America is ALREADY viewed as a less-great of a country, we've lost power and standing amongst the rest of the world, because the Republicans have not taken care to do their job in a professional manner.

The debt ceiling should never, ever be a negotiating point, i think the retards in the Tea Party misunderstood what this actually was, or because it has the word "debt" in it, they figure it's a good thing to stake their political careers on.

The budget resolutions can always have a short-term extension passed while the details get worked out, as it has always been.

This is not an issue of the Democrats steam-rolling the process. This is an issue of not setting the precedent that holding a gun to the countrys' head is a good negotiating tactic.

10/7/2013 6:56:50 PM

Quote :

"This is an issue of not setting the precedent that holding a gun to the countrys' head is a good negotiating tactic."

This, a million times this. Especially when your demand is to repeal a law that passed all 3 branches of government and the American public via the ballot box.

10/7/2013 7:20:19 PM

Well it's a win-win for the Tea Party Republicans. They either get the Dems to cave and they get what they want. Or, they usher in the Apocalypse and get to ascend into heaven while the rest of us heathens have to remain on Earth and suffer God's wrath.

THIS IS LITERALLY WHAT THEY THINK.

10/7/2013 7:27:57 PM

There should be a amendment passed that says you can't be elected to office if your goal is to destroy the government.

Bachmann: 'End Times' Are Coming Because Obama Is Supporting Al-Qaeda
http://talkingpointsmemo.com/livewire/bachmann-end-times-are-coming-because-obama-is-supporting-al-qaeda

[Edited on October 7, 2013 at 8:11 PM. Reason : ]

10/7/2013 8:00:41 PM

19 Times Democrats Tried to Negotiate With Republicans
http://www.nationaljournal.com/congress/19-times-democrats-tried-to-negotiate-with-republicans-20131007

Quote :

" the GOP's biggest talking point of the shutdown falls apart when you consider that Democrats only started refusing to negotiate after Republicans stopped, the hour before the government shut down a week ago. For instance, through a Senate Democratic aide, here are all the times since this spring Senate Democrats tried to negotiate with Republicans by sending their budget to a bicameral conference committee. Every time, Republicans blocked the move: "

10/8/2013 1:37:51 AM

Quote :

"“This happened and as of today the United States is willingly, knowingly, intentionally sending arms to terrorists, now what this says to me, I’m a believer in Jesus Christ, as I look at the End Times scripture, this says to me that the leaf is on the fig tree and we are to understand the signs of the times, which is your ministry, we are to understand where we are in God’s end times history," Bachmann told Jan Markell, radio host of "Understanding the Times," on Saturday. “Rather than seeing this as a negative, we need to rejoice, Maranatha Come Lord Jesus, His day is at hand,” Bachmann added later. “And so when we see up is down and right is called wrong, when this is happening, we were told this; that these days would be as the days of Noah. We are seeing that in our time. Yes it gives us fear in some respects because we want the retirement that our parents enjoyed. Well they will, if they know Jesus Christ.”"

10/8/2013 9:31:36 AM

Quote :

"So, Imagine that the company you work for held a poll, and asked everyone if they thought it would be a good idea to put a soda machine in the break room. The poll came back, and the majority of your colleagues said “Yes”, indicating that they would like a soda machine. Some said no, but the majority said yes. So, a week later, there’s a soda machine. Now imagine that Bill in accounting voted against the soda machine. He has a strong hatred for caffeinated soft drinks, thinks they are bad you you, whatever. He campaigns throughout the office to get the machine removed. Well, management decides “OK, we’ll ask again” and again, the majority of people say “Yes, lets keep the soda machine.” Bill continues to campaign, and management continues to ask the employees, and every time, the answer is in favor of the soda machine. This happens, lets say… 35 times. Eventually, Bill says “OK, I’M NOT PROCESSING PAYROLL ANYMORE UNTIL THE SODA MACHINE IS REMOVED”, so nobody will get paid unless management removes the machine. What should we do??? Answer: Fire Bill and get someone who will do the fucking job. Bonus: Bill tells everyone that he was willing to “Negotiate”, to come to a solution where everyone got their payroll checks, but only so long as that negotiation capitulated to his demand to remove the soda machine. Bill is a fucking jackass. "

http://ceedubb.com/2013/10/bill-is-a-fucking-jackass/

10/8/2013 11:18:19 AM

The analogy misses that Bill was actually hired, after the employees voted for soda machines, by the board of directors in part because he promised them to help reign in the spending on company provided junk food. And also that the structure of the company is such that all POs for anything the company purchases must go through and be approved by Bill specifically to ensure that the employees don't just start voting to have the company start providing free catered food every day and Tesla roadsters to all employees after 90 days. Bill may still be a jackass, but he was hired to be a jackass.

10/8/2013 3:07:07 PM

Could you imagine the whining if it were dems doing this and requiring we "compromise" on second amendment rights, environmental reform, higher taxes, etc.?

This is no way to govern.

10/8/2013 3:18:24 PM

Quote :

"Bill may still be a jackass, but he was hired to be a jackass."

Wasn't Bill only hired because of the redistricting and Gerrymandering? (or however you fit that into the analogy)

Quote :

"Could you imagine the whining if it were dems doing this and requiring we "compromise" on second amendment rights, environmental reform, higher taxes, etc.?"

Ironically I kind of wish they had gone to something close to this extreme to stop the Iraq war.

[Edited on October 8, 2013 at 3:43 PM. Reason : ]

10/8/2013 3:42:08 PM

hey, lets all miss the point by arguing nuances of an analogy!

10/8/2013 4:05:57 PM

Really shouldn't need analogies to explain basic civility to people. But whatever, anyone who doesn't see how this all the Republican's fault is beyond help at this point.

10/8/2013 4:09:33 PM

^

10/8/2013 4:13:12 PM

The solution to this is to attach gun control/registration legislation along with a delay in obamacare tax or whatever to the CR and move on...

[Edited on October 8, 2013 at 4:42 PM. Reason : .]

10/8/2013 4:42:00 PM

haha

10/8/2013 5:13:55 PM

Quote :

"Ironically I kind of wish they had gone to something close to this extreme to stop the Iraq war."

It would have been well within their powers. Congress controls the funding and holding up a law by way of holding up funding has been a valid check for some time. This is all basic Civics 101 stuff.

Quote :

"The solution to this is to attach gun control/registration legislation along with a delay in obamacare tax or whatever to the CR and move on... "

It wouldn't be the first time two completely unrelated pieces of legislation were tied together to get them through.

10/8/2013 5:22:13 PM

If the Dems could tie something very significant into the bill like a capital gains tax increase or gun legislation I think I'd probably be ok with delaying the individual mandate for another year. At this point with the exchanges going live, people have already clearly demonstrated that they want the healthcare law. Plus it would be SOOOOO satisfying watching the republicans eat their own shit sandwich right before imploding.

10/8/2013 5:31:35 PM

Quote :

"?@mattyglesias Best analogy for the debt ceiling—it’s as if your country needs to sell more bonds to avoid financial catastrophe, but you won’t let it."

10/8/2013 5:34:41 PM

Does this make Obama borderline dictator?

10/8/2013 6:24:45 PM

Quote :

"It wouldn't be the first time two completely unrelated pieces of legislation were tied together to get them through."

it would be the first time anyone played chicken with a default for gun control, stop being a partisan joke

10/8/2013 7:38:55 PM

^ or it could be immigration reform which has more to do with government spending...

10/9/2013 7:58:22 AM

I really wish that the dems would have pulled this shit during Iraq

10/9/2013 10:15:15 AM

In that case delaying it would have saved thousands of lives, rather than doing nothing but hurt the american people.

10/9/2013 10:40:02 AM

http://news.yahoo.com/meet-one-of-the-conservative-advocacy-groups-behind-the-government-shutdown-163357339.html

10/9/2013 2:11:20 PM

Not even mad anymore. Boehner will cave, it's just a matter of when, not if. This shit was over the moment they tried to pivot away from Obamacare and onto a larger debt deal. That was the first domino. Now they are holding meetings with House democrat leadership to try and get some kind of face saving concession. That was the second domino. They have nothing, and they know it. Combined with more news like this,

http://politicalwire.com/archives/2013/10/09/independents_give_democrats_the_lead_on_generic_ballot.html

Quote :

"A new Public Policy Polling survey finds Democrats lead the generic congressional ballot 46% to 41%, including a 42% to 33% lead with independents. "

unconditional surrender, as Boehner put it, will be their best and only option.

10/9/2013 2:20:57 PM

http://www.theatlanticwire.com/politics/2013/10/shutdown-officially-worst-ever-republicans/70422/

lol

10/10/2013 8:29:50 PM

Democrats are in panic mode

10/10/2013 8:40:26 PM

i genuinely can't figure out when you are trolling or serious

10/10/2013 8:49:11 PM

The president is standing firm with his arms crossed saying there will be no negotiations while his approval rating is free falling towards a point lower than W's ever was. That is just plain arrogance. The republicans are actually trying to compromise while no democrat has the courage to call out the president for being a stubborn idiot. People are hurting and the democrats are too proud to care.

[Edited on October 10, 2013 at 9:06 PM. Reason : .]

10/10/2013 9:05:35 PM

oh it's opposite day again

10/10/2013 9:19:29 PM

pretty sure obama's approval rating is holding steady

10/10/2013 9:33:20 PM

that post doesn't make it any easier to figure out if he is serious or trolling. no one could possibly believe that... except maybe someone who is so crazy their username has campus crusade in it

^on some polls its even going up:
NBC/WSJ poll: Shutdown debate damages GOP
http://firstread.nbcnews.com/_news/2013/10/10/20903624-nbcwsj-poll-shutdown-debate-damages-gop?lite

if the GOP is doing this because the American people are asking them to, someone should tell them that they are wrong. or maybe someone should tell them how well this worked for Gingrich.

[Edited on October 10, 2013 at 9:37 PM. Reason : .]

10/10/2013 9:33:20 PM

Quote :

"The president is standing firm with his arms crossed saying there will be no negotiations while his approval rating is free falling towards a point lower than W's ever was. "

care to source that, champ?

because I'm pretty sure you can't, seeing as how the exact opposite is happening

[Edited on October 10, 2013 at 9:56 PM. Reason : perhaps you're posting from an alternate universe?]

10/10/2013 9:45:39 PM

Yeah, Obama's basically got a blank check at this point. Any bad shit that happens will be blamed on the Republicans, so he could almost start doing stuff that he knows is bad at this point, and he's fine. The republitards at this point are fucked. Their only "leverage" is something that would be welcomed by their opponents because it will be blamed on the republitards themselves, making it useless. Not only that, but if they hadn't been so fucking stupid, then all the focus would be on the Healthcare.gov debacle going on right now instead of it being practically unnoticed, and they could have used that focus to get what they wanted on Obamacare. i mean, if people can't fucking sign up for health insurance two and a half months before the mandate, that kind of puts some pressure on the administration to delay the mandate.

Seriously, the GOP could be having a damn field day with this, asking every five minutes on the floor of the House and Senate if people could sign up for insurance yet until Obama caved. Instead, Obama is basically doing that to them, slowly shutting down services that people like that don't really need to be shut down, just to prove a point, arguably costing more money to shut them down than keep them running.

10/10/2013 11:05:27 PM

Obama is in the mid to high 30s right now.

W was in the low to mid 40s the October after reelection.

10/10/2013 11:31:09 PM

last time I checked gallup (this morning) he was in the low 40s so yeah shut up

10/11/2013 6:32:34 AM

Quote :

"The president is standing firm with his arms crossed saying there will be no negotiations while his approval rating is free falling towards a point lower than W's ever was. That is just plain arrogance. The republicans are actually trying to compromise while no democrat has the courage to call out the president for being a stubborn idiot. People are hurting and the democrats are too proud to care."

Lots of the morons on golo swear by this view. Anytime anybody mentions any fault of the republicans, there response is something like "You idiot sheep, you believe everything the MSM says, but this is alllll "Mr. I Will Not Negotiate"'s fault!!!!!"

People bitch about the media's liberal slant, and sure, true journalism is a left-leaning industry. but I swear, the echo-hamber created by the right-wing media is frightening.

[Edited on October 11, 2013 at 9:49 AM. Reason : ]

10/11/2013 9:46:18 AM

To their credit, the confusion is partly because of the media (just not for the reason they claim):

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/False_equivalence

10/11/2013 9:57:21 AM

AP leans left?

10/11/2013 10:02:26 AM

(i meant "their", of course)

10/11/2013 10:20:11 AM

Quote :

"New NBC/WSJ poll shows: People blame GOP over Obama more than during the Clinton shutdown (22 point margin now) Obamacare more favorable, only 38/41 now. Generic ballot +8 Dems GOP favorability at record low 24% (lol!) while Obama at 47% Tea Party at 21% favorability, also an all-time low Boehner has 17% favorability."

Those WSJ/NBC poll results are amazing. Obama absolutely cannot fold now. The Republicans, especially John Boehner, who perpetuated this crisis need be sent home to their districts with absolutely nothing to show for it and face the political consequences. The administration is setting a precedent here, and not just for future Presidents. For future Speakers of the House and majority leaders: threaten the US government or it's credit rating and end up like John Boehner.

[Edited on October 11, 2013 at 11:26 AM. Reason : :]

10/11/2013 11:25:53 AM