Obligatory Shutdown Blogging

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14 responses to “Obligatory Shutdown Blogging”

1. 

   JMPrince

   October 11, 2013

   I’m old enough & I’ve been involved in politics long enough to see & live though 2 attempted coups by another name, and now 2 extended government shutdowns by the same Radical Repugs. And still, somehow None Dare Call It Treason. But hey, it’s not like we don’t have the evidence for this by now, in spades and by the ton of deadly BS: Via TPM, a little remarked on yet Blockbuster revelation that has John Boehner strangely acting as Prez.
   “The House GOP’s Little Rule Change That Guaranteed A Shutdown”
   http://talkingpointsmemo.com/dc/the-house-gop-s-little-rule-change-that-guaranteed-a-shutdown

   “Late on the night of Sept. 30, with the federal government just hours away from shutting down, House Republicans quietly made a small change to the House rules that blocked a potential avenue for ending the shutdown.”
   “”What people don’t know is that they rigged the rules of the House to keep the government shut down,” Rep. Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), ranking member of the House Budget Committee, told TPM in an interview. “This is a blatant effort to make sure that the Senate bill did not come up for a vote.”

   In other words? Weaponizing the unprecedented Debt ceiling nuke, for giggles.

   Smells an awful lot like Seditious Conspiracy, as noted by not a few others too:
   http://www.dailykos.com/story/2013/10/10/1246092/-Prosecute-The-Conspirators-Who-Plotted-The-Government-Shutdown-In-Violation-Of-18-USC-2384

   And yeah, just like the last time with Succession & the Nullification Constitutional crises, these Manufactured ‘Shocks’ to our system of governance and Constitution are all about Racism and the legacy of slavery. Again. ThinkProgress has a good round up on it: “How Racism Caused The Shutdown
   BY ZACK BEAUCHAMP, 10/9/13”

   thinkprogress.org/justice/2013/10/09/2730651/how-racism-caused-the-shutdown/
   Fun times people. And always a few hours away from the end of the world. Brought to you by the radicals who are always telling us that what this place needs is ever more catastrophe, just to prove them right.
   JMP

2. 

   JMPrince

   October 10, 2013

   Slowly filling in the details here. The other Best rant on the week on the issue: via Geoffrey R. Stone Professor of Law, University of Chicago:
   “House Republicans and the Betrayal of Democracy”:
   http://www.huffingtonpost.com/geoffrey-r-stone/house-republicans-and-the_b_4027251.html

   And a really good wrap-up from Bloomberg: “Recession Looms If Treasury Uses Tools to Prevent a Default”:
   http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2013-10-09/recession-looms-if-treasury-uses-tools-to-prevent-a-debt-default.html

   Enjoy that brand new Recession with your old depression, courtesy the TP infused GOP. JMP

3. 

   JMPrince

   October 9, 2013

   And just for all those GOP ‘Debt Deniers’ who say that ‘nothing much is happening or will happen’ if we default, we have this economic record:

   Here’s the S&P Index crashing some 100’s of Points, even though we did not actually default in 2011: “Debt Ceiling Watch (III)”

   http://www.econbrowser.com/archives/2013/10/debt_ceiling_wa_2.html

   And yesterday’s movements in US Treasuries (Short term T-Bills):
   http://www.econbrowser.com/archives/2013/10/movements_in_sh.html

   Pow! The Reaction? As of yesterday? Austrian, Belgian, Canadian, Danish, Finnish, French, German, Japanese, Dutch, and Swedish 10 years are now priced below US Treasuries. Yep, that’s not too costly, right? JMP

4. 

   JMPrince

   October 8, 2013

   As the NYT reported on Yesterday, and a Better Georgia has reminded us by having a video of Lynn Westmoreland campaigning on a government shutdown in 2010, this has been a GOP goal to ‘gain leverage’ (however illegitimate and Un/’extra’- constitutional), in the planning for Years. Indeed the serious campaign to yes, kill the US in order to save it from that calm, laconic Black professor dude (who was duly elected Twice) has been ongoing seriously since January 2011. Think Progress has the time line:
   thinkprogress.org/economy/2013/10/07/2742581/the-complete-guide-to-the-rise-of-the-debt-ceiling-truthers/

   Here’s Jon Chait on the outline of details:
   http://nymag.com/daily/intelligencer/2013/10/why-the-shutdown-is-leading-to-debt-default.html

   And the indispensable Bruce Bartlett on the relevant history & legal arguments you need:

   http://capitalgainsandgames.com/blog/stan-collender/2778/must-read-bruce-bartlett-debt-limit

   It’s a sad day to contemplate the end of the world’s oldest functioning democracy. But that day has arrived, and the Rethugs did it in. And they’re gleefully cheering and hooting and hollering for US to fail all the way down. JMP

5. 

   JMPrince

   October 8, 2013

   Our ongoing Nullification Crisis continues apace. Some of the best rants of the week: Andy Sully to start:
   http://dish.andrewsullivan.com/2013/10/01/the-nullification-party/

   I did mention it’s our Nullification Crisis, even though many don’t quite know what it means? Have a UGA Prof explain it all for you:
   http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2013-10-08/is-tea-party-driving-u-s-government-to-extinction-.html

   That from Bloomberg News. It’s going to be a long week people. Look out for the bank runs. JMP

6. 

   NHOPI Dreamer

   October 3, 2013

   – Attending yoga class
   – Spending time with family
   – Sleeping in late
   – Getting car tuned
   – Making slow-cooking stews
   – Going for an extra-long run
   – Cleaning out the upstairs closets

   These are the things my friends who are federal government employees are doing while they are furloughed….

7. 

   Tim Cairl

   October 2, 2013

   My money is on the pandas

8. 

   Juliana

   October 2, 2013

   Congress popel not taking or donating their pay.

   http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/post-politics/wp/2013/10/01/which-lawmakers-will-refuse-their-pay-during-the-shutdown/

9. 

   JP Stroman

   October 1, 2013

   All I could think about was what the headline of Fox News the next day would be*

   Wow, I can’t type.

10. 

    JP Stroman

    October 1, 2013

    When I saw the Omar Little quote, all I could think about the headline on Fox News the next day… OBAMA DECLARES HIMSELF KING!

11. 

    Juliana

    October 1, 2013

    Lastest LA Times poll.

    Dang this is going to leave a mark.

    Poll: Who do you hold responsible for the shut down?
    House of Representatives (81%)
    President Obama (7%)
    Senate (6%)
    The pandas (6%)
    by tenny.tatusian edited by Stacey.Leasca 4:59 PM

12. 

    Waldo

    October 1, 2013

    So, someone pointed this out to me. We have both:

    Article II, Section I, Clause VII of the Constitution states that the president is to receive a salary “…..which shall neither be increased nor diminished during the Period for which he shall have been elected.”

    and Amendment XXVII: No law, varying the compensation for the services of the Senators and Representatives, shall take effect, until an election of Representatives shall have intervened. (which was adopted in 1992.)

    It should be a platform item to make a law for the next congress that if they shut it down, they don’t get paid.

13. 

    Tim Cairl

    October 1, 2013

    Read on Twitter that Rep. John Barrow is giving up his salary while the shutdown is in progress…kinda awesome me thinks.

14. 

    Catherine

    October 1, 2013

    Glad to report that , while cafeterias are closed , the Cannon vending area is dispensing ice cold water and snacks!