Love this video – thank you Zizi
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Today (all times Eastern):
12:05: The President meets with members of the Financial Services Forum
1:0: Press Briefing by Jay Carney
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Reuters: Obamacare Health Exchange Websites Had More Than 10 Million Unique Visitors On Day One
The online health insurance exchanges at the heart of President Barack Obama’s healthcare law opened for business on October 1, although technical glitches stalled the launch in many states.
Here are some first day statistics reported by the exchanges, states and the federal government:
* About 2.8 million people visited healthcare.gov – the main website for the 36 state exchanges being run by the federal government – between midnight and mid-afternoon, theU.S. Department of Health and Human Services said.
* NY State of Health, New York state’s exchange, reported 7.5 million website visits by mid-afternoon.
More here
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ThinkProgress: Headlines Capture Huge Demand For Obamacare Across The County
“A first-day rush ,” “strong early interest ,” “high volume” — those are just some of the words animating Wednesday morning’s headlines about the first day of enrollment in Obamacare’s health care marketplaces.
Though the federal and state based websites experienced glitches and delays, leaving many frustrated, the strong public appetite for obtaining coverage appeared to surprise officials and undermined conservative claims that the public doesn’t know or care about the law.
More here
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Michael Hiltzik (LA Times): The truth is, Americans love Obamacare
…. Here’s the truth: The American public loves Obamacare, with as many as 88% in favor, according to one survey.
How can that be, when polls regularly show a plurality of respondents with an “unfavorable” view of Obamacare? … The answer, of course, is that most Americans have no idea what’s in the law….
Here are figures from Kaiser’s March 2013 poll:
Tax credits for small businesses to buy insurance: 88% in favor.
Closing the Medicare drug benefit doughnut hole: 81% in favor.
Extension of dependent coverage to offspring up to age 26: 76% in favor.
Expanding Medicaid: 71% in favor.
Ban on exclusions for preexisting conditions: 66% in favor.
….. If you agree with those provisions, congratulations: You love Obamacare. Yet when respondents are asked how they feel about “Obamacare,” they’re against it.
More here
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Shopping for affordable, quality health care? Share your @Obamacare stories as you #GetCovered: http://t.co/3uIPvzVGbE
— Barack Obama (@BarackObama) October 1, 2013
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ThinkProgress: Obamacare Enrollment Is Beating Expectations
On Tuesday, Obamacare’s state-level insurance marketplaces opened to the public, marking the start of a six-month enrollment period that will stretch into March. Although there’s been some confusion around the health law’s new marketplaces — also known as “exchanges” — initial reports suggest that a significant number of people are seeking out information about reform. States across the country are overwhelmed with huge amounts of traffic to their new exchange websites.
Here are some of the early details about Obama enrollment emerging on a state and national level (this post will be updated as the day continues)….
See here
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Every person who signed up for health care today is someone the GOP must take health insurance away from to achieve their ultimate goal.
— Dan Pfeiffer (@pfeiffer44) October 1, 2013
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Paul Krugman: Good Glitches
So, very early reports are that Obamacare exchanges are, as expected, having some technical glitches on the first day — maybe even a bit worse than expected, because it appears that volume has been much bigger than predicted.
Here’s what you need to know: this is good, not bad, news for the program. The glitches will get fixed; remember the calamitous rollout of Medicare Part D? …
The big fear has been that a combination of ignorance and misinformation would keep people away …. or because Republicans had convinced them that the program was the spawn of the devil, or something. Lots of people logging on and signing up on the very first day is an early indication that it’s going to be fine….
Full post here
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From Eclectablog – see his hilarious post here
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In case you missed it, from British TV yesterday, this is delicious:
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Spandan (The People’s View): How GOP’s Desperate Anti-Obamacare Push Backfired and Helped Spread the Word
As Americans rush to check out their options and sign up for their piece of Obamacare, right wingers are desperate to find any straw to grasp. To that end, they have all been hilariously complaining that Obamacare is “not ready for prime time” because – get this – Healthcare.gov and state exchanges have had glitches due to overwhelming traffic. To follow their logic, the Affordable Care Act is a failure because people overwhelmingly want it. The GOP’s main TV propaganda outlet, Fox News, is helping out with a running tally of these glitches, although as far as I can tell, they have no interest in actually getting people signed up.
But the Republicans may have helped the rush of people going to the exchanges, looking up their options, and signing up. For 3.5 years constantly since the passage of the Affordable Care Act, Republicans have consistently and continuously bashed the law, tried to repeal it some 45 times, and blamed it for everything but your kid’s bad grades in school.
At some point, if you raise enough stink, people get curious….
More here
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LOL @ #Obamacare‘s mischievous grin. Eat it @gop #teaparty #tcot pic.twitter.com/NJNNvVdXjZ
— amk4obama (@amk4obama) October 2, 2013
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Bob Cesca: That Thing About Congress Being ‘Exempted’ from Obamacare? Huge Whopper Lie.
This is one of the trickiest political lies to come along in quite some time, so bear with me as we walk through it.
You might’ve heard just about every Republican member of Congress, along with Fox News and AM talk radio, shrieking about how President Obama has “exempted” Congress from Obamacare. The point they’re trying to make is that Obamacare is so awful and so ridiculous that the Obama administration has offered Congress a Get-Out-Of-Obamacare-Free card.
Taking it one step further, they’re insisting that if Obamacare isn’t good enough for Congress, why should the American people be forced to endure its awfulness? The people should be exempted, too, which means the elimination of the individual mandate, and, without the mandate (a Republican idea by the way), premiums would skyrocket and the law would explode. Political sabotage, pure and simple….
More here
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Here’s that Jimmy Kimmel video again:
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Your morning funny:
TPM: Rick Perry: Implementing Obamacare ‘A Criminal Act’
The Affordable Care Act has been branded as unconstitutional by many Republicans, but Texas Gov. Rick Perry (R) ratcheted up the condemnation on Tuesday. Implementation of the 2010 health care law, Perry said, actually amounts to a “criminal act.”
More here
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Just interviewed a small biz owner – a republican- who signed up for ACA enrollment. Hasn’t had coverage in 13 yrs. pic.twitter.com/kTZKVpuP8h
— Dave Jordan (@DJNYC1) October 1, 2013
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Dan Froomkin (Al Jazeera): Shutdown coverage fails Americans
U.S. news reports are largely blaming the government shutdown on the inability of both political parties to come to terms … This sort of false equivalence is not just a failure of journalism. It is also a failure of democracy.
…. Blaming everyone is simply the path of least resistance for today’s political reporters. It’s a way of avoiding conflict rather than taking the risk that the public — or their editors — will accuse them of being unprofessionally partisan.
But making a political judgment through triangulation — trying to stake out a safe middle ground between the two political parties — is still making a political judgment….
So, no, the shutdown is not generalized dysfunction or gridlock or stalemate. It is aberrational behavior by a political party that is willing to take extreme and potentially damaging action to get its way. And by not calling it what it is, the political press is enabling it.
We need a more fearless media.
Full post here
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TPM: Obama Cancels Trips To Some Asian Countries Due To Government Shutdown
President Barack Obama called the leaders of Malaysia and the Philippines on Tuesday night to inform them he would not go forward with scheduled visits to those countries due to the government shutdown.
Obama told the leaders that he was committed to traveling to both countries later in his term, according to White House readouts of the calls.
The president is scheduled to travel to Indonesia and Brunei for a trip beginning Sunday, according to the White House.
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The New York Daily News has a question for Boehner and Cruz: pic.twitter.com/bQFFh6iBNH
— TheObamaDiary.com (@TheObamaDiary) October 2, 2013
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Steve Benen: The consequences of callousness
…. The Wall Street Journal had a related item on the shutdown’s real-world effects:
At the National Institutes of Health, nearly three-quarters of the staff was furloughed. One result: director Francis Collins said about 200 patients who otherwise would be admitted to the NIH Clinical Center into clinical trials each week will be turned away. This includes about 30 children, most of them cancer patients, he said.
Got that? Children with cancer will be turned away from NIH clinical trials. Why? Because House Republicans won’t take a center-right budget deal that enjoys bipartisan support….
Full post here
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New Column: What History Will Say About Oct. 1, 2013: Launch of Obamacare v. Government Shutdown http://t.co/9XUeChZRW3 via @thedailybeast
— Michael Tomasky (@mtomasky) October 2, 2013
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ABC: Shutdown Blocks Kids With Cancer From Clinical Trials
For every week that the government shutdown continues, 10 children with cancer will not be able to begin their clinical trials….
John Burklow, a spokesman for the National Institutes of Health, estimated that 200 patients would experience these delays each week of the shutdown. Since 15 percent of these patients are typically children, and 33 percent of these children have cancer, that means the patients facing delays would include about 30 children per week, 10 of whom have cancer, he said.
Federal health programs are down thousands of employees, which hampers clinical trials and disease outbreak surveillance.
More here
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Greg Sargent: Dems to GOP: No Obamacare extortion. Period, full stop.
House Republican leaders are now making it be known that they want to “negotiate” a way out of the government shutdown crisis. It’s unclear what Republicans would be willing to concede in this negotiation — if anything — and it’s also unclear why Democrats would want to be drawn into a negotiation in which only they are expected to make concessions. But that’s what Republicans are claiming. Other reports suggest Republicans may start to vote on bills funding the government piecemeal to ease political fallout from a shutdown.
In an interview with me today, Dem Rep. Chris Van Hollen responded to all the GOP chatter: No negotiations that tie funding of the government to the undermining of Obamacare. Period, full stop.
More here
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#TheGovernmentShutDownBecause Republicans can see what’s coming for them if they stay on the job… pic.twitter.com/tkmFnN9VIR
— RB Blair (@TuxcedoCat) October 1, 2013
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TPM: With Traditional GOP Allies Defecting, Big Business Takes Sides With Obama
Having failed to persuade their traditional Republican allies in Congress to avert a government shutdown, business leaders fear bigger problems ahead, and they’re taking sides with a Democratic president whose health care and regulatory agenda they have vigorously opposed.
President Barack Obama is embracing the business outreach, eager to employ groups like the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and Wall Street CEOs to portray House Republicans as out of touch even with their long-established corporate and financial patrons.
Yet, the partial closing of the government and the looming confrontation over the nation’s borrowing limit highlight the remarkable drop in the business community’s influence among House Republicans, who increasingly respond more to tea party conservatives than to the Chamber of Commerce.
More here
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On This Day:
President Obama greets former Olympic athletes, including Jackie Joyner-Kersee and David Robinson, at the Bella Center in Copenhagen, Denmark, Oct. 2, 2009, prior to the Chicago 2016 presentation to the International Olympic Committee (Photo by Pete Souza)
The President talks with Ron Klain during debate preparations in Henderson, Nev. Sen. John Kerry, D-Mass., background, played the role of Gov. Mitt Romney during the prep sessions, Oct. 2, 2012 (Photo by Pete Souza)
President Obama views the Hoover Dam during a stop at the 1,900-foot long structure which spans the Colorado River at the Arizona-Nevada border, Oct. 2, 2012 (Photo by Pete Souza)
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MooooOOOOoooorning!
The Obama Diary 
GM all
😀 GM, Japa!
So close. I hope our minor spat of the other day is all forgotten. Ooops, I didn’t mean to remind you.
Wiped clean, and completely forgotten, Japa! I laid my sword down after you stated that *I* was the inadvertent initiator. Wouldn’t want my offspring to discover traces of me being a rabble-rouser. Got to set an example, you know!
Mooooooorning Japa, moooooorning everyone.
GM never to be former future bride. (And you probably thought I had forgotten.)
Wait.
Does that mean we’re on, or we’re not?
I always want to keep people guessing.
You’re a cruel, cruel man – you’re leaving me in confused limbo here.
Congrats Japa! Good Morning (albeit late morning) TODers!
Good Morning friends 🙂
Hi, Libra! Day 2 of rollout – another day of great stories, I feel sure!
That JK video is hilarious, the amount of ignorance that dwell within some people is unreal.
LOL! 🙂 This is really a great idea to get people more interested in the law. Jimmy Kimmel is giving Obamacare good publicity by appearing to be just giving a survey of random folks on the street. I think he’s an O’bot in disguise….
G’morning Chips, TOD, lurkers, everyone, and congrats japa, libra and vc on 1st-place tie!! 🙂
Glitches you say?
Good Morning TOD. Lots to read. Now to see what is happening in DC.
THE “STRUCTURAL PERVERSITY” OF THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
How to Depose John Boehner
By Jonathan Chait
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The wanton, tragicomic stupidity of the shutdown does have an explanation, to be sure. It’s an expression of the structural perversity of the House of Representatives. The bizarre makeup of the House has forced the government into a state of paralyzed dysfunction, teetering on outright catastrophe, for the last year. The glimmer of hope — far from likely but now conceivable — is that the drama of the shutdown has pushed into the open what had been obscured, making it finally possible to imagine the contours of a solution.
.
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This sounds unlikely, and it is. But it’s not impossible. These sorts of coups have happened in the state of Washington and in Texas. It is, sadly, easier to imagine this happening after the disaster of a debt-ceiling breach than before, even though it would be far saner to forestall a catastrophe than to react to one. But it’s increasingly clear that House Republican rule is an unmitigated and unsalvageable calamity for the United States, and resolving that calamity is where the energies of sane people must be directed.
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http://nymag.com/daily/intelligencer/2013/10/how-to-depose-john-boehner.html
lmao @ teabagger & Obama toon.
Wow. I gave up Jon Stewart for Lent, so I missed this. Good!
How Republicans Blocked a Key Obamacare Benefit—Without the Shutdown
http://www.motherjones.com/politics/2013/10/charts-obamacare-medicaid-expansion-states-race
http://www.washingtonmonthly.com/political-animal-a/2013_10/hell_on_earth_for_conservative047149.php
The top story all day was that Republicans had shut down the federal government because President Obama wouldn’t defund or delay the Affordable Care Act. The other major story was that the government’s servers were crashing because so many people were trying to see if they could get insurance through Obamacare.
So on the one hand, Washington was shut down because Republicans don’t want Obamacare. On the other hand, Obamacare was nearly shut down because so many Americans wanted Obamacare….
It was strange and slightly perverse to watch Obamacare open and be flooded with people desperate to sign up for health insurance even as the government closed because Republicans wanted the law ripped out, or at least delayed. In some quarters, Republicans mocked Obamacare’s technical problems, but the jokes were wan: Overwhelming demand for the law is not a boon to the GOP’s position.
This is, of course, precisely what Republicans were scared of: That a law they loathe would end up being enthusiastically embraced by millions of Americans — and thus proving permanent. It’s Obamacare’s possible success, not its promised failures, that unnerve the GOP.
From Ezra Klein during a moment of sanity:)
Hi Chips, hey everybody.
I missed so much of yesterday on all the good news on Obamacare because what I call my second child, (my loyal friend, companion, pet poddle) died yesterday morning.
I lurked most of the day until during the evening because I was so, so sad. My little guy was suffering way too much.
But how about that Obamacare, right?
Have a great day, folks. Off to work today.
Hiya Africa, I didn’t see your news about your dog until later yesterday – as I said, I’m so sorry, it’s such a painful experience, as Jovie knows from recently too. Look after yourself.
you have a good day too Africa, take care of yourself.. again, I’m very sorry for your loss.
Yes Africa, my deepest sympathies to you. The hurt will subside gradually; the memories will be there to sustain you and one day you will smile and laugh and embrace those memories. {{{Hugs}}}
I am so sorry for your devastating loss. I’ve been there way too many times. I totally understand the deep love and loyalty you shared. You were blessed to have each other.
It is the final, profound, sacrificial act of love when we have to make that heartbreaking choice.
Please accept my heartfelt condolences. Come here for support when you need us.
So sorry. Every loss of a pet friend has been crushing grief for me.
Feel the same as Bill R.
From experience, I know it’s hard now, so devastating and bewildering.
Hopefully the faux fights here at TOD will cheer you up (joke).
I’m so sorry that your poodle died last night, but at least he won’t be suffering anymore. You are both in my thoughts and prayers.
Let’s not let MSM paint the both sides nonsense.
Interesting….and the analogy to the debt ceiling and our appendix…well, that’s priceless:)
http://www.nytimes.com/2013/09/30/opinion/obama-should-ignore-the-debt-ceiling.html?_r=1&
GM all and thanks, Chips, for a super roundup. I’m beginning to think that the Republicans have gone the stop too far that we’ve all been waiting for. The truly dimwitted tea party reps can strut all they want, but a lot of the still semi-sane are starting to get very nervous. The shutdown is not going over well with most constituents who may dislike government in general, but want their services, damn it. My sense from calling our local congressmen is that they’re flooded with angry calls and are anxious about the impact on their own election chances. I’ve been e-mailing our county contacts urging them to use this opportunity to register Dems and get them out to vote in this year’s elections and then start organizing big time for 2014. Those who might normally feel complacent and sit out local races have to feel the urgency this time. The message: “Republicans have shown themselves INCAPABLE of governing at any level–national, state and local. Let’s make sure they don’t get the chance.”
Every rotten thing that happens offers us an opportunity. I think we need to start harnessing the anger and disgust people feel now and start turning that into a political force.
Last night Tish James won the NYC runoff election for the citywide office of NYC Public Advocate. She has no opponent in November so Tish will be the PA.
Apart from Ms. James massive credentials and charisma this election has tremendous implications for New York and the rest of the country.
It signals the end of media control and Citizens United money control over our electoral process.
Tish James’ election completes the Plutocrats to Populist shift in New York.
California had that shift in 2012—Barbara Boxer and Jerry Brown defeated Meg Whitman and Carly Fiorina who ran on “I am Rich” platforms.
Now CA has raised the minimum wage and eliminated their deficit.
Bill deBlasio swept to victory in the mayoral primary and Will be the next Mayor of NYC.
As Tish noted in her victory speech: She was outspent 3 to 1.
Every newspaper and tv station pushed her opponent.
Chuck Schumer, widely respected in NYC, filled up our airwaves in favor of Dan Squadron.
As Tish’s support was noticed by the Powers That Be the strategy evolved into ignoring the election. Predicting that nobody would show up. Nobody cares about this election, etc.
The People, united, did show up.
Through the power of the internet we will make our voices heard. We will vote. In every election. And we will win.
Thanks for the update.
Senate Democrats believe that they can use their leverage in the government shutdown to force House Republicans to solve the shutdown and the debt ceiling together.
Hmm? Not according to Old undependable Chuck Todd. He said this morning that in three days, TBGOPers are happier for their tactics are working. They are united, blah, blah, blah……
Good Morning TOD.
21.5M Plus visits. WTG TODers!
Congrats on the 3 TODers who won 3 Gold medals 😉
Chuck Todd and others like him think that journalism is about reporting the score…no where does he say that what the GOP is doing is damaging our democracy…he is not a sports announcer just giving us the score…this is not a game…this is real..
MUST READ! We can’t have this, now can we??? Not under a DEM PRESIDENT!
http://thepoliticalcarnival.net/2013/10/01/proof-this-shutdown-is-intentional-the-gop-official-plan/
Okay, we got our shutdown. It’s the blame game. It’s time to investigate the reasons we’re in a government standstill, this muck and mire.
The ACA is only part of the reason. If this was an isolated issue, that would give credence to the argument that this shutdown is all over Obamacare. But it’s over something much bigger. It’s the economy, something Republicans are supposed to excel with.
So with a h/t to Laffy who yesterday did a wonderful piece on TPC using Bill Maher’s rant, I want to point out a few things, then end up with a real eye-opener from Rachel Maddow.
Laffy’s post had to do with the eighth largest economy in the world going from a $60 billion dollar deficit in 2010 to a $1.2 to $4.4 billion surplus projected in 2014. Those numbers come from BUSINESS INSIDER.
This isn’t even talking about the entire US….but only the state of CA!!! Imagine how wonderful it would be to have a nutjob free America!! WE CAN DO THIS:)
Yes we can, df, yes we can
Wow. Go CA. Why aren’t the dems tom-toming these pesky facts?
CA did it because we have a Dem Governor who received mentoring from Jesuit priests. He is not a heartless selfish politician like the profit-seeking GOP.
And the VOTERS (just barely) squeaked by a measure to raise taxes on the top 1/2 of 1%:
Simple economics, not the voodoo econ that GOP and MSM so love.
I would also mention the Gov made some unpopular cuts as well. He is trying to build up CA back to a world class state after years of incompetent Repubs ruining it and getting us into debt. The last time we had a surplus Dick Cheney screwed us over through Enron taking our electricity hostage if we did not pay huge amounts. We had rolling black outs until CA Gov paid, people got made and recalled Gov Grey Davis and he got Awful Arnold.
Miss Ann completely misses the irony of going on cable TV and saying that if Willard was elected Obamacare would be DOA. That’s what happens when you have too much undeserved privilege. Your brain capacity starts to shrink – FAST.
Tell Queen Ann, November 6th 2012, Willard wasn’t elected, so grow up and get over it. Someone who been through breast cancer ought to have compassion for the women out there with no health insurance who are going through it, and Queen Ann ought to be fighting for women with no health insurance to get affordable health insurance. But all she care about is her own.
Someone needs to tell Queen ann, imagine that you are poor with NO medical insurance with MS, then imagine yourself fortunate enough to have insurance only to have a lifetime cap on what they spend and once you reach that cap, you, your husband, children are without insurance. You try to get insurance with another company and they ALL deny you coverage due to a pre-existing condition. If you are able to get insurance it will cost your family $60K a year with a $10K deductible you can’t afford….then tell me we don’t need Obamacare.
The Operative word is “IF”…..so imaginary like, oops. I would have to bite my tongue. I don’t want to offend anyone.
She lost. No do over. That is life. FORWARD!
Ann, it was Not Your Turn as you had predicted in April 2012. Get a freaking Life.
Jimmy Kimmel piece is proof that it’s all about the I hate Obama and anything dealing with Obama. Or it’s about they are dumb dam idiots, maybe both.
Both, Anniebella!
I may have said it before, but I think it bears repeating here. DWS was one of the unsung heroes of the 2012 campaign.
Thus MSM trying to put nonsense out there that there’s a problem between DNC & OFA.
STANDING OVATION for this article. A must read. Must be shared everywhere!!!
“So, no, the shutdown is not generalized dysfunction or gridlock or stalemate. It is aberrational behavior by a political party that is willing to take extreme and potentially damaging action to get its way. And by not calling it what it is, the political press is enabling it”.
“We need a more fearless media”.
Having failed to persuade their traditional Republican allies in Congress to avert a government shutdown, business leaders fear bigger problems ahead, and they’re taking sides with a Democratic president whose health care and regulatory agenda they have vigorously opposed.
President Barack Obama is embracing the business outreach, eager to employ groups like the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and Wall Street CEOs to portray House Republicans as out of touch even with their long-established corporate and financial patrons.
Yet, the partial closing of the government and the looming confrontation over the nation’s borrowing limit highlight the remarkable drop in the business community’s influence among House Republicans, who increasingly respond more to tea party conservatives than to the Chamber of Commerce.
On Wednesday, Obama is hosting chief executives from the nation’s 19 biggest financial firms. Moreover, the Chamber of Commerce has sent a letter to Congress signed by about 250 business groups urging no shutdown and warning against a debt ceiling crisis that they say could lead to an economically disastrous default.
Law of unintended consequences and all that.
I’m amused by Dan Froomkin from Ajam. I am not home to watch continuous AJAM coverage, but the hour I caught this morning – I might as well have been watching msnbc. As I said – maybe this was an anomaly. But it was one Republican shill after another, and a hapless anchor twit who read her script, obviously knew absolutely nothing about the subject, asked questions that led to the RWNJ talking points and had no pushback whatsoever.
I told Hubby to watch carefully today and ‘report’ back to me.
Nero is certainly fiddling while Rome burns – I went to C-span to see what was happening
“House Rules meets on bills to fund parts of the Government” What part of “Fund the whole government” do they not understand.
Pierce seems to have gone into morbid pessimist mode – he does that at times – makes me feel somewhat more Optimistic. I have not before seen the Democrats so together as to what needs to be done,
It is to be hoped that after 2014 they can fund the government to a more reasonable level – many people are suffering from sequester before this shutdown. But really good to see how well the ACA is working.
Howdy all you O’s!!! What a great getting up day in this neck of the TOD woods!!
So an interviewer shows a clip of a Repub congress critter bashing OCare. The interviewer then asks Robert Gibbs ‘it’s been two days, shouldn’t PBO have planned for that type of blow back regarding any glitches’. I’m like ‘duh’, Gibbs rolls eyes and sighs.
This is why you can’t get all worked up over the coverage by these folks. You got to love them. They’re spinning this thing in a million directions at the same time. News after 2017 will seem downright dull.
I remember well that last shutdown. The effect of it was to see not only the GOP irrationality and extremism, but also to see how much they really do rely on govt services individually and as a community and country.
I remember it, too, Bill. Lived in DC area at the time. It was dreadful. Every business suffered.
Late to this, but LOVED the BBC video posted yesterday.
paraphrased, of course.
BBC anchor:
Are you thrilled to be joining the civilized world (with Health Care)?
Freedom Works:
No, not all.
And, on that note:
I went to healthcare.gov. While I have employer-purchased health care, it does not include much in dental. It’s still busy, so I may wait until later in the month to check and see if I can find a better plan than the one I had years ago and had to leave because of issues with premiums. It also didn’t cover my dentist either.. But even there has been change. A basic eye/dental exam now has no-copay!
Daily update: still blank fields on the security questions when I try to create an account at healthcare.gov .
Oh so you eventually got through the tech problems to complete your ACA signup?
Nope. Security question fields are still blank (once I get that far) and I am unable to create an account. If I have one actual complaint – there should be a way to view the products on the exchange for Illinois even without creating an account. I think that’s a major failing but that’s the failing of IL’s hybrid system with the Feds. I’m perfectly fine with signing up through healthcare.gov. What is counter productive, however, is that I can’t even see the products I want to compare.
Wow. Condolences to his family. http://talkingpointsmemo.com/livewire/thriller-author-tom-clancy-dead-at-66
What the MSM won’t tell you:
That’s EXACTLY the word I used in the email to my Rep!!!!
These “legal” structural changes in money, media and redistricting are not going away. They are superempowering small political movements to act in extreme ways without consequences and thereby stymie majority rule. If democracy means anything, it means that, if you are outvoted, you accept the results and prepare for the next election. Republicans are refusing to do that. It shows contempt for the democratic process.
President Obama is not defending health care. He’s defending the health of our democracy. Every American who cherishes that should stand with him.
That in a nutshell is what is at stake.
James Madison and others wrote about this. It came to fruition in 1860 with the Civil War. It started again in 1992 and has continued since then. The GOP is Only happy when they are in power. Then they use the Media to drown opposite views as unpatriotic, unAmerican, etc.
Good article, but Mr. Friedman omitted something big in his list: the responsibility of the media in general, who is not interested in truth telling anymore. When you don’t push back HARD against lies, against nonsense, well… lies and nonsense prosper. And when you’re too much of a coward or you’re too lazy to confront politicians who contradict themselves, well… politicians continue to play games.
Look at what’s happening now. Boehner and his gang screaming that dems don’t want to negotiate, while in fact republicans have refused 18 times to work in conference over the budget. Have you seen a lot of effort from the media people to confront Boehner on this hypocrisy ? Of course not. It’s all about “who’s going to blink”.
I hope and hope and hope that the true nature of the danger finally penetrates the “conventional wisdom” of the national media. The President has been very clear about what’s at stake. Congressional democratic leadership has been clear too. Now a few voices in the media are speaking out. I hope this gains traction.
[Lana, I think it was you who asked for a link to DC Mayor Grey re: all essential? I found this link:]
Mayor Vincent Gray submitted a letter to the Office of Management and Budget today declaring that all D.C. government operations are essential and will go on even if the federal government shuts down. Oh, it’s on. […..]
.
http://dcist.com/2013/09/gray_to_congress_all_dc_government.php
Thanks! I did want to source that to someone who lives near there. Very helpful.
What bs is this from the WSJ? Restore Obamacare funding? ACA funding has Not been affected by shutdown.
The Wall Street Journal reports that President Barack Obama has invited the four congressional leaders to the White House to discuss the government shutdown and debt ceiling on Wednesday.
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Why ?
According to the WSJ: [President] Obama will use the meeting—the first with congressional leaders since the shutdown began Tuesday—to press leaders to reopen the government and reiterate his position that he won’t negotiate on the debt limit or under the threat of a continued shutdown, the official said. http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052702304176904579111091033132998.html
Good to hear. thanks.
Not to be disagreeable but I see it as the GOP is hiding its massive defeat as the entire country applauds Obamacare behind its government shutdown.
In other words the shutdown is the distraction.
Triumph of ACA is the cause.
House will consider FIVE “rifle shot” mini-funding bills today: 1) Vet Affairs 2) DC 3) Parks 4) NIH 5) Military Reservists
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Nope….pass the clean CR and move on.
Sorry, but piecemeal is not happening….if PBO and Senator Reid have anything to say about it.
piece-meal bills won’t go anywhere
This is brilliant https://twitter.com/cshallwriter/status/384935341318103041
Indeed.
Best tweet of the day!
Here’s another along the same lines.
Here’s my response:
““We’re pleased the president finally recognizes that his refusal to negotiate is indefensible,” a spokesman for House Speaker John Boehner (R-OH) said in a statement. ”
That’s Boehner speak for “please Mr President bail me out again”. This tune has been playing since he got the gavel. Boehner paints himself into a corner talks tough but pretty soon starts transmitting that familiar SOS signal begging PBO to save his bacon. Rinse and repeat.
I am very mindful of the real damage the shutdown is having on the lives of ordinary people and why it should be resolved ASAP;
but I must admit that a part of me did not want PBO to offer these extortionists ANYTHING & prefer that they stew in their own mess.
that is WHY I am going to defer to PBO and see what he handles this – ( and it is also one reason I could NEVER be half-the-person PBO is because at some point rationality deserts me)
I’m with ya on all that.
Just To brighten folks up today. This made me cry……but a happy cry.
I was thinking about Jovie’s new puppy when I saw this. I hope this is well received as I meant and mean it…..
Love is in the air.
I’m going top need a ship-load of tissues after that, just lovely! Thanks Nena.
YW Chips. I can’t stop shading tears. Happy tears. I have watched it 4X now.
That is MAJOR.
Good Morning my Chips and TOD family.
Everyone, please have a beautiful day. President Obama will be fine and all of us who will continue to help him move us to a better position. They thought they had him I 2012, but we prevailed. No Time To Give Up Now.
Please keep in your prayers and meditations those who are suffering because of this mess. Please.
Use your visits to your banks, food stores; mall visits; churches; hair/barbershop salons; gas station; mail-delivery to spread the word. I did just that while standing before my bank teller yesterday. She was so happy to hear about where to go for “real information” about the ACA Bill. Being on the west coast, we have approximately 5 million ppl who need insurance. Know your site place within your state and share it with people you come in contact with while running your errands.
Thanks Chips for all that you do for all of us and our President.
()(((((((((((((((((()))))))))))))))))))))))) Love you so much.HZ
As zizi stated earlier above, PBO is not in the mood for the GOP’s BS. No Piecemeal bill will be accepted, so the GOP might as well give up the stunts NOW. PBO is going to double down and demand even more….please proceed, GOP.
10-02-13….Jay’s Presser at the WH set for 1:10PM ET……;)
http://www.c-span.org/Events/WH-briefing-on-Shutdown-and-Government-Funding/10737441830/
Chat away!
http://theobamadiary.com/2013/10/02/chat-away-252/
Here are the Democrats – doing what the people sent them to Washington to do. Anyone who tells you that there is no difference between GOP and Dems is lying, and probably a closeted GOP or GOP sympathizer….
HF2 please repost this so many can see it on the nest post.
Thank you Dems and Ms Pelosi.
Your wish is my command Nena!! 🙂