On This Day: Students show their excitement at meeting President Obama during his visit to Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Charter School in New Orleans, La., Oct. 15, 2009 (Photo by Pete Souza)
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Today (All Times Eastern):
11:40: President Obama conducts regional television interviews
12:30: Jay Carney briefs the press
2:10: President Obama awards Captain William Swenson, U.S. Army, the Medal of Honor; VP Biden and First Lady Michelle Obama also attend
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Who's done more for Veterans than anyone in 30 yrs? Pres. Obama
Yet Republicans flew a Confederate flag at the WH
exposingreligionblog.tumblr.com/post/347908532…
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Nerdy Wonka (@NerdyWonka) October 14, 2013****
USA Today: Obama’s Day: A Medal Ceremony, A Senate Deal
As the Senate works on a deal to re-open the government and raise the debt ceiling, President Obama on Tuesday honors military heroism.
In the afternoon, the commander-in-chief presents the Medal of Honor to William Swenson, a former active duty Army Captain who exhibited “conspicuous gallantry” during a battle in Afghanistan.
Swenson is being honored “for his courageous actions while serving as an Embedded Trainer and Mentor of the Afghan National Security Forces … on September 8, 2009,” says the White House schedule.
…. The president will also give interviews to anchors from three local television stations….
More here
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Steve Benen: The Electoral Consequences Of The Shutdown
Democrats generally consider Rep. Lee Terry (R) of Nebraska to be one of the House Republicans’ most vulnerable incumbents, and they very nearly defeated him last year. For 2014, state and national Democratic officials — including Vice President Biden himself — reached out to a popular Omaha city councilman, Pete Festersen, and urged him to seek the seat.
Festersen declined, citing his two young children. But last week, something interesting happened: the councilman changed his mind. Everything you’ve heard of late about 2014 is true. Polls show Republican support collapsing, but the midterm elections are still a year away, and it’s too early to make firm predictions.
But this story out of Omaha offers an important reminder about the consequences of the Republican Party’s ongoing disaster — they haven’t ensured electoral setbacks next year, but they’ve certainly laid the groundwork for defeat.
More here
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Think Progress: Countdown To Catastrophe: The Latest Updates On The Shutdown And The Debt Ceiling
The government would be funded through January 15th. The debt ceiling would be extended through February 7th. The budget cuts known as sequestration remain in place, and January 15 remains deadline for an additional $21 billion in cuts. Federal agencies get flexibility in how they make the cuts required under sequestration. A committee would be established to have further talks on budget cuts. The committee would need to present a proposal by December 13th. A reinsurance tax that is part of Obamacare would be delayed. Recipients of subsidies for their insurance under the exchanges established by Obamacare would be subject to income verification
After a meeting with Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) last night, it seems that House Republicans are set to reject the deal Reid and McConnell came up with.
More here (It’s a live blog)
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Why can't we just skip to the part where Boehner realizes he can't pass anything and gives the floor to Pelosi?
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Jon Favreau (@jonfavs) October 15, 2013****
Greg Sargent: Dems Think They’re Killing GOP Debt Limit Extortion For Good
Senate Democratic aides tell me they think the possibility that conservatives will insist on another round of debt limit brinksmanship is very real. But they think they’re on the verge of rendering any such threat an entirely empty one. The idea: Decoupling the debt limit from the budget talks, and placing the debt limit deadline further out, will effectively isolate the debt limit debate and make another default extortion crisis even harder politically. By refusing any meaningful concessions in exchange for a debt limit hike this time — and earlier this year – Dems will have finally killed the “Boehner Rule” (which demands spending cuts in exchange for any hike) and driven home that GOP debt ceiling extortion will never be rewarded again.
“Of course extending the debt limit for a longer period of time would be preferable, but under the circumstances, with Republicans trying to figure out a way to get out of this mess, the idea that the debt limit has been defanged as an extortion tool was enough,” a Senate Dem leadership aide tells me. “Conservatives will still try to bring this up and they still may end up damaging the economy, because it’s been so ingrained that this is a tool that should extract concessions. But it will be hard for anyone to take that claim seriously.” GOP leaders included, presumably.
More here
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Guys, why would House Rs accept a bipartisan Senate deal when the Tea Party had that AWESOME Confederate Flag rally yesterday? Big Mo!!
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Jon Favreau (@jonfavs) October 15, 2013****
Mark Sherman: Supreme Court Taking Up Michigan Affirmative Action Ban
Affirmative action opponents persuaded Michigan voters to outlaw any consideration of race after the Supreme Court ruled a decade ago that race could be a factor in college admissions. That state’s constitutional amendment is now being examined by the high court to determine whether the change the voters sought is in fact discriminatory.
Black and Latino enrollment at the University of Michigan has dropped since the ban took effect. At California’s top public universities, African-Americans are a smaller share of incoming freshmen, while Latino enrollment is up slightly, but far below the state’s growth in the percentage of Latino high school graduates.
More here
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Dinesh Ramde: Son Of Slain Sikh To Challenge Ryan
The son of a slain Sikh temple president plans to challenge U.S. Rep. Paul Ryan in next year’s congressional election, in a Wisconsin district where support for the 2012 Republican vice presidential nominee has been strong but slipping.
Amar Kaleka, 35, told The Associated Press he’ll file paperwork Wednesday to form an exploratory congressional committee. He plans to formally announce his candidacy as a Democrat next month.
Kaleka said he wants to bring accountability and transparency back to Washington. He blamed the government shutdown on Ryan, who’s the House Budget Committee chairman, and his GOP colleagues. He said citizens are tired of career politicians who care more about staying in power than serving the people.
More here
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Washington Post: As Democrats Seethe Over GOP Tactics, Video Over Rules Change Goes Viral
In a sign of how angry Democrats are over the government shutdown, a video Rep. Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.) has posted of an obscure rules debate has gone viral.
The video shows Van Hollen engaging in a parliamentary inquiry with Rep. Jason Chaffetz (R-Utah), who was in the speaker’s chair at the time. The two men discussed why Democrats could not bring up a Senate amendment that would provide funding to return the government to normal operations.
Normally an individual lawmaker would be able to force a vote on a bill where there is a dispute between the House and Senate, but on Oct. 1, House Republicans passed a resolution, H. Res. 368, altering the rules to make that impossible.
More here
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Yahoo: ‘Prayer Pressure’: The Senate Chaplain’s Crusade To Bring Congress To Its Knees
In the course of the Senate’s ordinary business, the chaplain is a somewhat anonymous figure. After delivering a prayer when the Senate convenes each day, he fades from the public view and into the background of the daily debate. But since the government shutdown began two weeks ago, business in the U.S. Senate has been anything but ordinary as have the prayers from Chaplain Barry Black.
“Deliver us from the hypocrisy of attempting to sound reasonable while being unreasonable,” Black appealed in one of his recent morning prayers that have been doled out like daily scoldings to the deadlocked Congress. “I’m not judging and I’m not scolding, actually,” Black said. “My responsibility as a pastor is to comfort the afflicted and to afflict the comfortable. I need to be a gadfly of sorts. … I think that I should reflect the challenges of the environment that I’m working in.”
More here
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First Lady Michelle Obama prepares her absentee ballot, Oct 15, 2012 (Photo by Jocelyn Augustino for Obama for America)
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The People’s View: Crisis And Leadership: Lessons From Barack Obama
For the longest time, the press and the Republicans have whined that in the current government shutdown and impending default threats, President Obama has failed to lead. You cannot turn onany 24-hour cable news channel without hearing some pundit whining about the lack of presidential leadership. Even those who correctly place the blame on the Republicans for the suicide-bombing caucus inflicted wound on America don’t miss a chance to brandish their pundit credentials by charging President Obama as MIA in a leadership role.
They base this accusation on the fact that the president has refused to negotiate with a gun to America’s head and to pay ransom to the Tea Party. What these pundits miss is that that refusal is the leadership the president needed to provide at this critical juncture in history,and he has passed that test with flying colors.
More here
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On This Day:
President Obama holds House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s granddaughter, following the DNC dinner at the Westin St. Francis Hotel in San Francisco, Calif., Oct. 15, 2009. (Photo by Pete Souza)
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President Barack Obama applauds a student who had just sung a song to him at Dr. Martin Luther King Charter School in New Orleans, La., Oct. 15, 2009. (Official White House Photo by Pete Souza)
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Students hold out their hands to greet President Obama during his visit to Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Charter School in New Orleans, La., Oct. 15, 2009 (Photo by Pete Souza)
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A woman embraces President Obama following the town hall meeting at the University of New Orleans, Oct. 15, 2009, in New Orleans, La. (Photo by Pete Souza)
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The Obama Diary 
If anyone has seen the UK version of the House of Cards – Francis Urquhart (F.U.) – the politician who would be King – has exactly the same look at Ted Cruz – in this picture. Took me awhile to work out what I was seeing – the sly grin – the sideways look at the audience.
http://thinkprogress.org/justice/2013/10/11/2770311/craziest-ted-cruz-said-today/
Reply
This was my “last again” post on the previous thread – I was bringing it over – nice to be first as well as last 🙂
First and last already today 99ts, you’re covering all bases!!!!
And it’s not even midnight yet – I was hoping to see the democrats pass the senate bill before I went to bed – but maybe not. I shall live in hope that the GOP have a lose lose 🙂
Good morning.
b eautiful kids!
Moooooooorning everyone, mooooooorning UT – thank you for another brilliant R&S!
Anytime Chiparoooooooooooooooooooo!
G’morning UT, Chips, TOD, lurkers, everyone, and congrats 99ts on #1 🙂
What a fabulous R & S round-up – thanks UT!! These beautiful kids sure do love their President 🙂
From babes to 90 year olds – everyone feels safe with PBO – thankyou for the pictures UT
A very ‘Good Morning’ to all EST TODobots in the village! Okay then, ‘Good Afternoon/Evening’ to all other TODobots! 😉
Morning/Afternoon/Evening/Night VC!!!
GooOOOood MoooOOooorning, Ms Soon-to-be-mothering Chips! At least you won’t have to worry about midnight feedings (You won’t, right? I don’t know about puppies – do they sleep through the night?)
“…. do they sleep through the night?”
My last puppy, years back, cried through his first few nights, had me in tears too! Think I mentioned this before: I bought him a Teddy Bear, and he never cried again. But then ripped the Teddy to shreds in the garden, I was cleaning up its innards for, oh, six months.
So, one of those trucks you had dropping off Danny O’s stuff at
your*his new* house was filled with teddy bears?One? Five of them!!!
I don’t know, CC, did you ensure that you have the right of return? I have this feeling Danny might prefer…oh… say, a panda to a teddy bear.
How the Tea Party broke the Constitution
http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/wonkblog/wp/2013/10/14/how-the-tea-party-broke-the-constitution/
Priceless rant on Ed Henry walking out of presser the other day:) When Pierce is on, he’s REALLY on:)
http://www.esquire.com/blogs/politics/ed-henry-white-house-walkout-101513
Just reading it df – the threats from the GOP to crash the economy has certainly brought out the best of the best from Pierce
“You work for the bilge pump of wingnut propaganda. The “professional thing” for you to do is to slink off and do five years penance reading the hog reports on a 300-watt station in west Texas before you’re allowed in respectable company again.”
Kurt Eichenwald @kurteichenwald
4 those who doubt: House GOP to push bill to reopen government, raise debt limit, outlaw birth control, approve Keystone XL, repeal Ocare.
3 minutes ago
Fucking hell.
There are NO WORDS
Well, it’s on. They’ve decided to force President Obama to invoice the 14th and then they’re going to lauch impeachment proceedings.
Good Lord. They’ve totally lost it.
Americans, the punditry are all “hoping” for a deal to work in the Senate. If the House indeed does this, the GOP gets CRUSHED in 2014.
Suicidal caucus indeed.
I honestly don’t think the numbers are there to do it.
https://twitter.com/James_T_Aubrey/status/390116565191901185
Ah, brilliant Meta!
Horrifying—–they believe they’re doing the Lord’s work. There is no reasoning with that mentality.
No they don’t. And since the reality is they are not you don’t have to reason with them.
Mooooorning all you O’s!!!!! What a great getting up day in TODdytown, right?
So I sit here with bated breath awaiting the next episode in the never ending saga of RWNJs Gone Wild!!!
Headed to the Brink
By Ed Kilgore
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Here’s the big hangup in the House, according to an anonymous conservative “aide’s” comments to Costa:
“The larger problem, particularly as we go forward for House members, is a free Coke and crackers aren’t going to cut it with Cruz, Heritage, FreedomWorks, and the Senate Conservatives Fund,” the aide adds. “They have been selling the idea they know the winning Powerball numbers and we are about to hit the jackpot. Expectations of what is achievable and what we can get out of this remain way out of whack…. Keep in mind the activists are still calling offices pushing for the full defund of Obamacare. The message has not been relayed to the grassroots that the defund option isn’t going to happen no matter how long we hold our breath or how much we wish it would happen.”
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If that’s the deal behind the “no-deal” in the House, it really is time, right now, for business lobbyists to begin telling Boehner that he needs to put the Senate deal on the floor for an up-or-down vote no matter how many sub-factions of House conservatives freak out about it.
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http://www.washingtonmonthly.com/political-animal-a/2013_10/headed_to_the_brink047321.php
Yup. their latest line is that they’ve already passed all kinds of bills to open the government. So they’re done.
http://ataxingmatter.blogs.com/tax/2013/10/the-gop-default-enthusiasts.html
they should look at the many spending obligations of this country that are the Law of the Land and apply their own purported views of fiscal responsibility to their own calls for defaulting on the debt. They do realize that Social Security recipients are among those who will be stiffed by the default? And military contractors, Head Start providers, NIH grant recipients, NSF grant recipients, the Centers for Disease Control and on down the list of federal agencies already hit hard by the shutdown and the people already living hand to mouth as they are forced into unemployment by well-heeled Republican congresspeople with such disdain for the very government that they are sworn to serve? The federal government cannot call a friendly lunch meeting with its creditors to work out a slo-pay schedule on its myriad obligations. (And most small businesses can’t either, for that matter.)
The default enthusiasts hereby reveal that no matter what they have mouthed on Fox News in the past, in fact they were never ever worried about the amount of the federal debt. They were never ever concerned about fiscal responsibility. And they never ever were concerned that the amount of debt was bad because they didn’t want the United States to be pushed into a situation where it would be required to default. They clearly don’t care about the debt since they are now saying they don’t think default is such a big deal.
Saxby Chambliss blames defund Obamacare movement for bad debt-ceiling deal
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WASHINGTON — As Georgia Republican U.S. Sen. Saxby Chambliss made the rounds on the Senate floor this evening, he heard a lot of grumbling about their leaders’ emerging bipartisan deal to raise the debt ceiling until February and reopen the government until January, while spurring new budget negotiations.
Is that because there isn’t enough in there for Republicans? “There’s nothing in there,” Chambliss said, adding that “it’s not going to be an easy vote.”
He does not blame Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell for that. No, Chambliss said the blame for the bad spot Republicans are in lies with the arch-conservatives in the party who pushed defunding the new health care law as part of a deal to keep the government open. He did not name names, but Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas has managed to anger many in his own caucus over the issue.
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http://www.ajc.com/weblogs/political-insider/2013/oct/14/saxby-chambliss-blames-defund-obamacare-movement-b/
Open warfare in the GOP is about to get more open.
A bright spot in all this doom and gloom:
Repubs are only doing this in the hope that PBO invokes the 14th and they can then start impeachment procedures against him…IMHO that is their plan! Of course PBO is smarter than all of them put together. I see PBO using legal action against them.
They can try but it’s DOA in the Senate and it may not get out of the House for that matter.
I agree but you are using logic! Something the repubs know nothing about! Political theatre is their area of expertise!
You’re right but it’s still DOA in the Senate if it even gets that far.
yesterday they said they would impeach him if he DIDN’T ‘pay the bills’. They are truly, completely, utterly batshit crazy.
*************** ALERT FOR FRAUD OBAMACARE SITES*******************
http://thinkprogress.org/health/2013/10/15/2778961/insurance-regulators-obamacare-fraud/
Shutdown’s Radical Birther Streak Cannot Be Ignored
Press Needs to Detail Driving Force Behind Today’s GOP
By ERIC BOEHLERT
http://mediamatters.org/blog/2013/10/15/shutdowns-radical-birther-streak-cannot-be-igno/196428
David Waldman @KagroX 1h
RT @robertcostaNRO: emerging House legislation: CR + DL + med device + income verification + Vitter language || Plus a cookie.
LOL! These people are delusional, to put it nicely….
10:30 AM – Today
Staff Kicked Out Of GOP Conference Meeting
About an hour into the House Republican caucus meeting, GOP staffers have been kicked out. CNN’s Deidre Walsh reports that even House Speaker John Boehner’s (R-Ohio) chief of staff had to leave.
According to National Review reporter Robert Costa, lawmakers were “fuming” at Rep. Joe Barton (R-Texas), who made the decision to remove staff.
“Per mbrs, Barton supposedly said he had something big to say, asked staff to leave, they obliged. Then he said his usual riff. Heads shake,” tweeted Costa.
In fact, according to Russell Berman of The Hill, Barton “kicked out staff so he could complain about Vitter amendment language that takes away Obamacare member subsidies.”
— Amanda Terkel
here’s the House proposal:
Under their plan, members of Congress and the cabinet would be compelled to obtain health care coverage through the Affordable Care Act, often called Obamacare, but would not receive the employer subsidy from the government. Further, the deal would suspend a medical device tax for two years, something that was dropped from a Senate compromise in the making.
The plan would reopen the government with a spending plan that would last through Jan. 15th and increase the debt limit through the beginning of February.
Maybe this is a stupid question, but how would members of Congress and the cabinet (not staff) even be eligible for employer subsidies?
There is a big, confusing mess about that. I guess staffers would qualify for subsidies, or there was a separate subsidy or something. This back-and-forth on whether or not they qualify pissed off some Congressional staffers. I don’t know all the details, and the ‘truth’ is in murky Republican-speak but this was an issue.
To be honest, meta, I don’t like any of this. I don’t like the Senate deal either – it’s a ‘deal’ with concessions to Republicans to buy a few months. I did not see the exact language – I know a budget conference was part of it. But was it specific that this would take any and all further govt shutdowns and debt defaults off the table? I need to find the answer to that.
Bottom line – it’s not a clean CR or raising of the debt ceiling. If not, it’s the same-old, same-old.
OK, thanks. It really is a big mess and hard to sort out the details.
I’m with you on the whole back and forth and the dire need for a CLEAN CR and DL deal. Only time will tell and it’s driving me nuts.
I just tweeted Reid & the very general PBO twitter acct because I can’t take a lot of time doing this at work. I had a real need to repeat CLEAN CR and debt ceiling raise.
I’m seeing a lot of that in my TL, too.
And one ore item that will not pass the senate or the POTUS, eliminating emergency powers of the Treasury to delay default.
Are you as outraged as I am?
@Chris_Moody
House GOP members sang “Amazing Grace” together to start their meeting on a debt limit deal this morning.
POTUS standing strong.
Unfortunately I’ve always thought that they would default. We have all admitted they’re nuts, they’re hateful and they are stupid and devious. It would take a conscience to fix the mess they’ve made.. to consider the cruelty they’re inflicting on actual human lives.. they – republicans are without a conscience. All I ever knew about republicans, all I’ve ever believed about them was put front and center on display this past weekend when they flew their flag in front of the White House. They have no problem letting us default, sinking this country. They are dysfunctional, and sick and filthy drunk with their power.
Well of course – DUH!!
POTUS has changed his avi
This avitar is available here:
http://www.barackobama.com/shutdown-tweet/
PBO to meet with House Dems at 3:15……..
I think this is what upChuck Todd was getting at yesterday when he asked what planet Ted Cruz is on.
Media just look the other way and cheerlead this freshman Senator who has been in office less than 9 months. It’s not just Congress who doesn’t deserve a paycheck.
From yesterday:
LOL!! He’s good. Either that or the rubes really are that stupid.
Bonehead held everyone at bay waiting for him to come to the mic. As usual, he said nothing of any importance, except looking for fairness. Then Cantor takes the mic and says nothing, but wants fairness. Next up, McCarthy, says they believe in fairness. Rogers takes the mic and says they’re looking for fairness. Q&A and Boehner says it’s all about fairness. Soooo, boys and girls…..what’s the word for today? FAIRNESS!!!!
GOP FAIRNESS = A DEMAND FOR COOKIES TO STOP THEIR TEMPER TANTRUMS
Sounded like a cry help.
11:15 AM – Today
White House Meeting With House Democratic Leadership
The White House has announced that President Barack Obama will be meeting today at 3:15 p.m. with House Democratic leadership. This announcement came moments after the administration dismissed the House Republicans’ latest plan for a debt limit increase and government funding bill. And it comes amid reports that Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) is whipping support against that proposal, which suggests that Obama will be urging his members to simply hold the line.
— Sam Stein
PBO calls a huddle to let the players know that the goalposts will not be moved . The Teanutbutters have too many people on the field with no quarterback in sight. Not to mention, they continue to are play wtihout helmets (it hurts so good).
…….and the crowd roars
LOL!.
PBO can make them stay.
Let them go. Have PBO call them back. The optics of them leaving during this crisis will be phenomenal for their rebranding.
Proceed, Republicans.
What is this about?
When did the workweek end on a Tuesday?
JHC, they only work 100 days out the year, and they *conveniently* plan to skip town while their despicable actions have put the full faith and credit of the United States on the line?
How is this even possiblle?
I heard on Stephanie Miller this morning that the House couldn’t pull together certain people over the weekend because “they were out of town.”
OUT OF TOWN?!?! Yet fox carries on about PBO playing a round of golf during this crisis?
Un-freakn’-believable.
800,000 furloughed families. 57,000 head start kids shut out, along with 18,000 teachers.
A very long list of what is actually Unfair.
GOP John Boehner go fuck yourself.
@DavidChalian
Boehner: “I have made clear for months and months that the idea of default is wrong and we shouldn’t get anywhere close to it.”
( Does he know what day it is )
No. But when you just awoke from a binge it’s hard to get your bearings right off.
Speaker Nancy takes pretend Speaker Bonehead to the mat. She says,’It’s obvious he doesn’t have the vote, but continues to waste the people’s time’ Actually, she opened up with, ‘Was that the Speaker who was just here, he was here right?’
In other news, Thomas on MSNBC has Marsha WhatsHerFace babbling like an idiot. He has been really brutal to teanuts during their interviews.
Is that ‘Whiteburn’….surely her name cannot be ‘Blackburn’!!!!!!
Yeah, that’s the one. She said that he was asking her inappropriate questions when he read a quote by her that she made back in August about shutting the government down over OCare. Then as she was babbling on and on without so much as taking a breath, he cut her off and said, Nancy Pelosi is speaking now.
As you’ve been saying hopefruit it’s just a waste of time. Boehner knows the votes to pass the Senate deal are there.
Good morning everyone! I came here to brighten my morning. I am crushed and more than a little angry with the Democrats. I was outdone when they decided to negotiate with those anarchists and now, the Republicans are doing exactly what anyone sensible would expect. Once Dems said they would not talk until the debt ceiling was raised and the government opened, they should have stuck to their guns. I just don’t get it.
FayPax, the Dems HAVE been sticking to their guns, which is why the house GOP put out this silly plan that is going no where. The Senate “deal” was about raising the ceiling and reopening the gov’t without touching the ACA.
I understand that. Who thought because the Senate put something together, the Confederates would even consider it? I didn’t. No negotiations means, no negotiations…period. Stop trying to give them an out. They don’t deserve a fig leaf. The idea should be to destroy those idiots. Afterall, who’s to say that the end game isn’t to actually obliterate the government system anyway, so they can then put it back together piece by piece.
FayPax you cannot really blame the Dems for doing their jobs. As far as I could tell, the senate “deal” was not about giving the GOP an “out,” or a “fig leaf” but was about re-opening the government and allowing America to pay its bills at least thru the end of the year. This was even better than the Senate CR bill which was until Nov 2013.
Because the GOP House is beholden to its extremist wing doesn’t mean the Dems should be blamed for it.
Sorry, I had to leave but I’m back. 🙂 Hopefruit, I know everything you’re saying is true. I just want the Dems to leave this mess in their lap. Of course, I know they can’t do that, either. Wishful thinking. I’d just like to see the Dems give them a taste of their own medicine sometimes. I’d have a tea party and let them simmer in their own stew. And if I was President Obama, I’d be making the most populous speeches of my life. Aren’t you glad I’m not a politician. 🙂
LOL! I’m glad I’M not a politician – because I suspect I would be thinking along the same lines as you are. 🙂 🙂
Chuck Todd is pimping for the GOP and complaining about the ” heated rhetoric ” from the Democrats.
BooHoo
You damn right it’s heated! We are not dealing with rational adults and the entire world is watching CLOSELY. It’s absolutely CRAZY!
Oh please. After the GOP scorched earth and politics as a blood sport approach we are supposed to concerned about widdle GOP hurt feelwings now. Chuck Todd is perpetually joined at the tonsils with the GOP. He is one of their most reliable water carriers. No matter how disgusting their behavior he can always find a way to make them the victim. It’s just nauseating to hear him making a big deal about heated rhetoric. Especially after the spectacle in front of the White House with the confederate flag.
There must be some really good stuff on Boehner that somebody has on him. I can’t think of any other reason he’d put himself out there as being solely responsible for holding the country hostage.
Just got this from NYT:
“After more than two hours, Republican leaders walked back from a plan that had emerged this morning. Speaker John A. Boehner told reporters there are “no decisions about what exactly we will do.”
http://www.nytimes.com/news/fiscal-crisis/2013/10/15/republican-leaders-back-off-new-plan/?emc=edit_na_20131015&_r=0
More game playing and foolishness.
Sounds about right. So what else is new?
Does anyone have a link for the exact language on the Senate deal?
This is the best I can find. Is this the Senate proposal?
“The aide said it was “likely” that a provision will be included that verifies the income of those seeking an Obamacare subsidy. In return, the Democrats are pushing for a delay until 2015 of an Obamacare reinsurance tax that is opposed by unions.”
Read more: http://swampland.time.com/2013/10/15/senate-deal-to-reopen-government-still-needs-rank-and-file-approval/#ixzz2ho6bnj8G
Okay, I understand that unions don’t like this reinsurance tax. But I read a detailed explanation of it this morning (don’t remember where – changing from home to work computer). The reinsurance tax is what KEEPS PREMIUMS LOWER. It mitigates the risk for insurance companies, who then have AGREED to offer about 10% lower premiums.
The reinsurance tax is locked in for 2014 because the insurance companies have already factored it into the premiums they are offering on the exchanges. BUT if this tax is delayed for 2015, premiums will be higher, Republicans will scream, “See – we told you ACA doesn’t work.” Unions didn’t like it, I get that. But my view is that this will hurt ACA in general even if unions are ‘happy’. I do not see this as an adequate concession to Dem’s.
Frankly, am I the only one who still sees this as ‘negotiating’ to open the government and not default for a few months? How does this change the dynamic of the mess we’re in for the future?
New post.
http://theobamadiary.com/2013/10/15/shutdown-update/