Bizarre twist in government shutdown debacle

 

Commensurate with the season, there are tricks and sometimes treats in obscure DC politics. As of a few minutes ago the US is technically shutdown, exactly like the Teaparty wing of the GOP intended and promised. But the latest political move in that saga by John Beohner is so strange it makes one worry the Speaker of the people’s House is suffering from something more serious than an embedded, intractable faction. And I don’t mean that in the usual funny way at the Speaker’s expense, it’s so irrational its almost cause for worry as far as Boehner’s state of mental health. It’s a little hard to explain why this so insider sad/funny if you don’t follow arcane procedures. The gist of it is he has requested the CR go to a conference. That has some people scratching their heads and that’s saying it nicely.

A crappy analogy might be a football coach being being interviewed on live TV and suddenly blurting out he demands the NFL draft commence in the third quarter of the ongoing football game. The announcers, officials, and fans on both sides would be a little confused and, probably, a little horrified. They would sure feel, shall we say, totally uncomfortable? As in imagine you were taking your family and your new date out to eat for the first time together, and that person happened to get blacked-out drunk and then publicly crap and piss their pants in the middle of dinner?

It’s just so strange, no one knows how to respond outside of giggling uncomfortably at Boehner. It took about five minutes for the main laughing jags and after-spasms to back off before I could calm down and write this [Read more…]

Shutdown translating into big bucks for both parties

It’s the dollars, always the fucking dollars. Everyone here knows that Ted Cruz and his pals are raising a ton of cash on the shutdown delusion. That’s part of the reason his own cronies are angry; Cruz is wringing every lst drop out of the RushBo swamp and cutting down more than his share of the low hanging fruit by many anonymous GOP accounts. The scam is a simple one: by pretending they can stop Obamacare, the dollars are rolling into to Teaparty coffers (Something similar is happening on the progressive side). That’s why you keep hearing over the top rhetoric about it being the ‘worst law since slavery’ and so on. That’s what brings in the rubes and their small dollar donations.

I don’t know if the GOP is really all that afraid it will succeed, they live in a delusional world, but a few do seem to be aware that some of the endless dire-warning lies will be exposed. Maybe there’s relief ahead for all of us, today is a special day: Sep 30 is end of quarterly fundraising, so the intensity may diminish a bit starting this week: [Read more…]

Conservatives will bear the blame for government shutdown

sfl-chan-lowe-ted-cruz-tea-party-darling-20130-001

According to this CNN poll conducted over the weekend, 46% say they would blame congressional Republicans for a government shutdown, with 36% saying the president would be more responsible and 13% pointing fingers at both the GOP in Congress and Obama. That 36% who blame the President is bolstered by about 20% of the nation who would blame him for anything. We’re going to get to test this data, because we’re heading for a government shut down in a few hours and nothing seems to able to stop it.

At issue is healthcare for millions of people, something conservatives have always been against. Whether it was Medicare or CHIP or Obamacare, they hate the idea of poor and middle-class people seeing doctors and being treated. It’s bizarre but that’s the ground they’ve staked out: [Read more…]

Florida teaparty hoisted by their own teatard



 

Indeed, that title has a delicious double meaning because of this deal. It’s kinda funny. Background: so on Oct 1, 2013, Obamacare goes live in the sense you can enroll if you are eligible. The images linked above take you to some basic info on how it will work. But briefly, there are these super websites that each state was supposed to set up. With info and links and enrollment checklists for various policies offered under the ACA. Because this WH and HHS are relatively competent, they anticipated two important things: some states would drag their feet because they’re currently run by the inmates dedicated to destroying evil Obamacare, and the online process would be confusing to many who are eligible, especially people who don’t spend a lot of time surfing. [Read more…]

The IPCC is out and so are the climate denialists

The “pause” in perspective. Chart courtesy of NASA GISS using meteorological station data of annual-mean surface air temperature change and base period 1951-1980

The IPCC is out with a new analysis of climate change and the verdict is hardly a surprise: there is a 95% probability that human industrial activity is far and away the dominant factor in forcing higher temperatures. Which means it’s time for the usual suspect to justify their extravagant salaries by taking to the pages of various publications and spread misinformation as far and as wide as fat stacks of cash and their wingnut enablers allow. [Read more…]

Last call & closing time

paypal_logo

Paypal email is DarkSydOtheMoon-at-aol.com

Thanks for the donations folks. This is my last bleg for now, unless something lucky happens, I’m sure it will be right back for the Holidays. For those who’ve asked, I’ve secured a physical address and posted it in the first comment below that is safe to send written checks or money orders to. Address envelope to Stephen Andrew, the bank tells me it’s fine to leave the payee blank. Thanks!

Conservatives release hostage demand list

paypal_logo

Last day for bleg: Paypal email is DarkSydOtheMoon-at-aol.com

Republicans have leaked their demands for not plunging the nation into economic apocalypse and it’s even more revolting than usual. Would you believe it’s a wish list of tax breaks and cash giveaways to big business and rich people, deregulation, neutering consumer protections for Wall Street, and a big “fuck you” to everyone else? [Read more…]