1

Politically, it's dynamite.  Fiscally, it's not nearly enough.

That's the rub.  We've sent politicians to fix a problem caused by politics.

2 Shut'em Down

3

There's a lot of frustration within the GOP over the two-week CRs. I don't really understand that. We're cutting a little every week. Why be frustrated? Every time we cut another $2 or $4 or $6 billion it's all to the good.

While this is a welcome change, it's too little, too late. That is how dire our financial predicament is.  To channel Monty, we are so boned!

4 We're cutting a little every week. Why be frustrated? Every time we cut another $2 or $4 or $6 billion it's all to the good.

In another 300 or 400 or 800 weeks, the budget will be balanced.

5
Why not shut it down?

People have had enough of supporting  pink-haired idiots with snakes.

6 Yes it's a good strategery, but I'd like to see several more zeroes on the ends of those numbers.

7 4 We're cutting a little every week. Why be frustrated? Every time we cut another $2 or $4 or $6 billion it's all to the good.

In another 300 or 400 or 800 weeks, the budget will be balanced.

Just in time for me to come down & par-tee!

8 The rift within the GOP House ensures it won't get passed, unless they suddenly change their minds. Don't they also have a rule about posting legislation online within 72hrs of a vote?

9
And Auntie Zetuni can go fuck herself, too.

10 I agree, Ace. I think it's a fine strategy. Just starting the ball rolling in the right direction. The momentum will come.

11

52/2= 26

26*6 billion = 156 billion

So if we can get 6 billion every two weeks, we'd be cutting 156 billion.

 

unless my basic arithmatic is wrong

12 8 The rift within the GOP House ensures it won't get passed, unless they suddenly change their minds. Don't they also have a rule about posting legislation online within 72hrs of a vote?

Is this a rule-rule?  Or more like a guideline? 

13
shit, I picked the wrong thread to tell the story about the muthafuckin snake on the muthafuckin T.

14 I don't get why everyone is so concerned about keeping things open.  

Shut it down till you pass the $100 billion saved mark, shouldn't take too long, then fund the rest.    It's not rocket surgery.

15 Is this a rule-rule?  Or more like a guideline? 

Posted by: Kratos (Ghost of Sparta) at April 06, 2011 12:40 PM (9hSKh)

The great part of Congress is, there are no rule-rules.

16

The Democrats are little kids in the checkout line, holding their breath because they want some candy.

Let them pass out.

17
can't afford to lose the pink-haired-snake-owner-on-disability vote

18 Can A Shutdown Be Averted? I Think So
You can't shutdown SKYNET.

19
Think about it.

Because we suffer from Public Relations Deficiency, we must tailor our strategy and policies to fit our easily-to-overcome shortcomings.

20

unless my basic arithmatic is wrong

In this case it is, since we're already over halfway into the fiscal year.  But, still, something in the neighborhood of $72B is better than deficits.

Which is what we'd be getting if the dried-out old hag from San Francisco estmeed former Speaker of the House were in charge.

21

There's a lot of frustration within the GOP over the two-week CRs. I don't really understand that.

Because every day that passes, Obamacare becomes more entrenched and not addressed.

22 Unfortunately, a CR can only cut certain things, not the big stuff we all want, that's in the next budget.  My guess is that this will come to a head when we reach the debt limit.  that is when the deal will be made, govt shutdown or not.

23 I have added $50 billion to the budget to create our nation's first Strategic Crunk Reserve. Crunk, I'm told, is a vital component of our African American community. As President, I stand for your right to get crunk.

24 12 8 Is this a rule-rule?  Or more like a guideline? 

I think it was a promise made in The Pledge, which some freshmen have voted against bills because "the rules" weren't followed to the letter.

As for the looming shutdown, Capitol Hill scuttlebutt from Politico, The Hill, NRO, etc. says that while the freshmen are more open to compromise, a good number of RSC members will are not. I'm not sure McCarthy could get enough votes for this.

25 Re:  military pay

I don't get it.  Some federal workers involved in law enforcement, public safety, health, etc get paid but our soldiers in a hot zone don't?

That shit needs to change.

26 OT - Whoa, per Drudge Beck has been axed from Fox

27 The part about the military not getting paid is BS.

28 21 Because every day that passes, Obamacare becomes more entrenched and not addressed.

It's defunded and repealed in the '12 budget.

29 DRUDGE REPORTING BECK OUT AT FOX.

30 I really didn't need that particular red siren headline today. just when I was starting to feel positive. terrible, awful timing. bastages

31 26 OT - Whoa, per Drudge Beck has been axed from Fox

I was at the Blaze and saw a headline that he was transitioning off TV.  I clicked the link and it was out of commission.  left and hunted around, came back to the Blaze and the Blaze was totally down.

Got back on about two minutes later and the header was gone.  Nothing about it.
Weird.

32

 

^{_{DRUDGE REPORTING BECK OUT AT FOX.}}

If it means Red Eye will be aired even 2 minutes earlier, good riddance.

 

 

 

33 A shutdown of the government? Oh, the horror! How would we ever survive without the wise, caring, progressive guidance of the FDA, the EPA, the ATF, the Departments of Labor and Commerce, Education, Health And Human Services, etc., etc.?

Answer-we'd get along just fine without the motherfuckers, and if we are shut down long enough, maybe enough people might actually see that, and then we might actually be able to get something done about reigning in this government.

Shut the motherfucker down, Democrats. I'm fucking begging you.

34

I know this is heresy but shut-downs don't actually save any money on the discretionary side and absolutely nothing on the entitlements side.

Almost every government contractor out there has clauses built in to their contracts to avoid them taking the hit in the event of a shut-down.  In a lot of cases, Uncle Sugar pays the contractor a premium for his failure to pay on time.

Thus...we pay for what the contract is, and then a sizable penalty for failing to pay them on time since the government was shut down. 

Federal worker salaries?

When we did this in 1995-96 the workers were paid retroactively anyway - for not working.  Reason?  The government was highly likely to lose the cases in court.

So, I don't really understand the jonesing for a shut-down.

35 Business Insider says he's killing the show but will stay busy until his contract ends.

36

Posted by: Miss'80sBaby at April 06, 2011 12:49 PM (UO6+e)

Can you point me to something that has more info?  How can that be, they can't even get the 2011 budget set.  Defunded in '12 might be the plan, but I want to see the law. ...and why wait?

37

Regarding Beck at Fox, I recall hearing him mention something a few weeks ago about some info his researchers had uncovered regarding Fox and he was wrestling with whether or not he should sit on it. It may well be that he's decided that he can't work there anymore.

38 Here's what was posted at The Blaze (seems to have disappeared)...

FOX NEWS AND MERCURY RADIO ARTS ANNOUNCE NEW AGREEMENT

(New York, NY) Fox News and Mercury Radio Arts, glenn BeckÂ’s production company, are proud to announce that they will work together to develop and produce a variety of television projects for air on the Fox News Channel as well as content for other platforms including Fox NewsÂ’ digital properties. Glenn intends to transition off of his daily program, the third highest rated in all of cable news, later this year.

Roger Ailes, Charman and CEO of Fox News said, “Glenn Beck is a powerful communicator, a creative entrepreneur and a true success by anybody’s standards. I look forward to continuing to work with him.”

Glenn Beck said: “I truly believe that America owes a lot to Roger Ailes and Fox News. I cannot repay Roger for the lessons I’ve learned and will continue to learn from him and I look foward to starting this new phase of our partnership.”

Joe Cheatwood, SVP/Development at Fox News, will be joining Mercury Radio Arts effective April 24, 2011. Part of his role as EVP will be to manage the partnership and serve as a liasiaon with the Fox News Channel.

Roger Ailes said: “Joe is a good friend and one of the most talented and creative executives in the business. Over the past four years I have consistently valued his input and advice and that will not stop as we work with him in his new role.

“Glenn Beck” is consistently the third highest rated program on cable news. For the 27 months that “Glenn Beck” has aired on Fox News, the program has averaged more than 2.2 million total viewers and 563,000 viewers 25-54 years old, numbers normally associated with shows airing in primetime, not at 5pm. “Glenn Beck” ahs dominated all of its cable news competitors since launch.

And here's the story from Business Insider:

http://tinyurl.com/3uykhha

39 Regarding Beck at Fox, I recall hearing him mention something a few weeks ago about some info his researchers had uncovered regarding Fox and he was wrestling with whether or not he should sit on it.

Julie Banderas is a post-op tranny?

40 Okay maybe that's not so bad. It's hard b/c we lost Beck on the radio here in Philly due to shenanigans locally (Soros or some sort of special interest had him pulled). I still can't believe no one else locally has picked up his radio show. it gives me the chills

41

So, I don't really understand the jonesing for a shut-down.

Posted by: Sean Bannion at April 06, 2011 12:52 PM (sbV1u)

The shutdown is merely an effect of what we're jonesing for: more principle, less compromise.

42 i'll take cut it all now please for 300 trillion dollars alex

43 If this thing gets shut down, I'll finally have some time to work on my golf game.

44

WZ: Patrick Leahy Horrified at Thought of Obama Not Being Paid During Government Shutdown, Scolds Fellow Dem Barbara Boxer For Suggesting It

45

The shutdown is merely an effect of what we're jonesing for: more principle, less compromise.

So even if the principle does not achieve the desired effect, we're down with that?

I'd like less compromise too, but that's not the way politics works.  Unless you own both the White House and Congress - like we've seen the last 2 years.

46

OT

*FLASH*

Fox reports nada on Beck, but does report on the discovery of the largest reservoir of unobtainium ever discovered. Who will claim the mining rights?

47

The strategy is working -- slowly, but what, are we children who need to win now instead of slowly over the course of weeks?

This is sarc, right? If not, its very very lame.

What is the strategy that you claim is working? Has John Boner cut you in on his "strategic thinking" but sworn you to secrecy about the details? What does this awesome strategy deliver "over the course of weeks" as you put it? $12b/week? That gets us where? If we do $12b this week, is it far more likely we will do $120b next week?

48 I think Beck got too close to the truth, came up against some truly powerful people, was required to mitigate the truth somewhat, and determined he can't abide that.
Shit, he took on Soros and his presidential puppet.  Who is gonna win that battle?

49

For a bill to be available that guarantees funding to the military, during a time we are in three active wars and a bunch of other crap and the Senate dems and their Indonesian to refuse to pass and sign it, constitutes the worst sort of attack on America one can make, in my book.

I'd like to see the Republicans offer up a clean bill that addresses only military funding and in doing so show that while there can be debate about continuing resolutions and cuts the Republicans are willing to put national security above party politics. Force the Democrats to vote for or against military funding. 

50 We're cutting a little every week. Why be frustrated? Every time we cut another $2 or $4 or $6 billion it's all to the good.

A couple billion here, a few billion there, and it'll still take a long fuckin' time to balance the trillions this Obama jackass has put us in the hole.

51 So, I don't really understand the jonesing for a shut-down.

The shutdown is a means by which people can see how much Government doesn't really affect their lives.  If people can go for two, three, four, or however many weeks while the government is "shut down," we can start having some serious discussions about the role of government in our lives, and the costs (not just monetary) attendant thereto.

52

Well...I made arrangements with my kids should the possiblity of a shut down take place.  They don't have much in the way of outstanding debt (one kid still owes a few thousand on her truck, but she has enough saved back that she could swing a payment or two out of her savings), but they do pay for the care of their animals -- I can cover that for a month plus their cell phones (that they have to have, courtesy of their jobs); it's going to be tight, but manageable.  That's the major concern for them, that their animals get taken care of -- which is a shitty thing, them deploying soon and all...can't expect boarding places to not get paid, but what do you do when you aren't getting paid yourself?  And the main thing is: through no fault of your own. 

What will be crappy is if their credit rating gets clobbered -- they've both worked hard to establish good credit and save money (not easy on their salary), both are up for promotion, and both have high security clearance; I'll kinda be ticked if all of this shut down business not messes with that. Hell, I'm already ticked that the frakkers would play games with that -- don't pay people that you are (increasingly) sending into kill zones (with a shitty ROE)...to quote a rising youtube star: "you jackass!"

I'm also going to prepare myself for another round of dealing with worried, scared, and increasingly restless neighbors -- my husband and I are tired, and we have people asking us "what now? what do we do?"...it's hard to give them answers to their questions.

53

This is sarc, right? If not, its very very lame.

What is the strategy that you claim is working? Has John Boner cut you in on his "strategic thinking" but sworn you to secrecy about the details? What does this awesome strategy deliver "over the course of weeks" as you put it? $12b/week? That gets us where? If we do $12b this week, is it far more likely we will do $120b next week?

We got into this mess incrementally. If you really think we can get out in one fell swoop, I don't know what to tell you other than Get Real.

You really want a repeat of 1995, a Pickett's Charge of a gov'ment shutdown? Even assuming the MFM isn't as powerful now, it still is powerful enough.

54 37 Can you point me to something that has more info? How can that be, they can't even get the 2011 budget set.  Defunded in '12 might be the plan, but I want to see the law. ...and why wait?

Here's the full bill at the House Budget Committee website: The Path to Prosperity

Repealing and defunding ObamaCare is on pp 30, 40, 46, 52, and probably others I didn't catch from skimming.

55

The shutdown is a means by which people can see how much Government doesn't really affect their lives.  If people can go for two, three, four, or however many weeks while the government is "shut down," we can start having some serious discussions about the role of government in our lives, and the costs (not just monetary) attendant thereto

That's a better answer.  One with which I am in general agreement.

Unfortunately, I work for the Federal government so a shutdown does "really affect" my life, and my mortgage payment, and the stockage level of my refrigerator, and my kid's next doctor's appointment....

56

So even if the principle does not achieve the desired effect, we're down with that?

Posted by: Sean Bannion at April 06, 2011 12:57 PM (sbV1u)

If you're saying that gummint in shutdown is more expensive than gummint in operation, I'd have to see some numbers.  And even if it is, the point of the shutdown is not to save money on a shutdown gummint, it's to get the electorate to get in the ears of the Democrats.  Then serious cuts can be made.  Cuts that would far overshadow overtime for gummint workers.

57

Unfortunately, I work for the Federal government so a shutdown does "really affect" my life, and my mortgage payment, and the stockage level of my refrigerator, and my kid's next doctor's appointment....

Posted by: Sean Bannion at April 06, 2011 01:04 PM (sbV1u)

Then you better go get in the nearest Democrat's ear, huh?

58 Shut 'er down! We'll (fairly) decide who to blame.

59 Posted by: Sean Bannion at April 06, 2011 01:04 PM (sbV1u)

That's the thing- government shut down, making government smaller, etc., do all have negative affects on very real people.  At least, I assume you're not some bot programmed to drop comments on random blogs...

Anyway.

The fact is, though, that it needs to happen.  To quote the famous axiom, the Needs of the Many outweigh the Needs of the Few.  America, in general, needs a smaller federal government, which tries to do less and therefore performs its core functions with more efficiency and facility.

60 From FNC: 85 House Republicans call on Reid to resign

61

Then serious cuts can be made. 

The serious money, the money that's going to sink us all, is in entitlements.  The stuff we bitch about daily like NPR, foreign aid, NEA...it's a drop in the bucket.  None of it even amounts to a rounding error on the total budget.

Nothing, and I mean nothing, happens to entitlements in a government shut-down.  That money is still spent because there is a legal requirement to spend it. 

If I were advising the majority leadership on this, I'd take Ace's route.  Keep cutting but throw down all your political chips down on Ryan's budget, because he's the first guy to address entitlements in any serious way.

62 The fact is, though, that it needs to happen.  To quote the famous axiom, the Needs of the Many outweigh the Needs of the Few.  America, in general, needs a smaller federal government, which tries to do less and therefore performs its core functions with more efficiency and facility.

Posted by: AllenG (Dedicated Tenther) at April 06, 2011 01:08 PM (8y9MW)

Except in this case, the Many is almost everyone, and the Few is almost no one.  In an economy where gummint is somewhere close to its proper size, there'll be jobs for every former gummint worker and for every underpaid gummint worker who wants to earn what he's worth in the private sector.

Short-term pain, which is being felt by damn near everybody except gummint workers, for long-term gain, gained by damn near everybody.

63

Then you better go get in the nearest Democrat's ear, huh?

Yeah, I'll do that.  'Cause, the Dems, they listen to guys like me every day.  You know, ex-military, white, goes to church, in a heterosexual marriage, couple of degrees...

Yeah, the Dems are all about helping guys like me.

64 Never fear: the Dems will engineer an impasse and shutdown when they feel it will do the most damage to the GOP. They think 2011 = 1995. I think that the House GOP is prepared to get thrown in that briar patch this time, and the Dems are going to find that a shutdown doesn't do them any more good than the Porkulus or ObamaCare did.

65

The serious money, the money that's going to sink us all, is in entitlements.  The stuff we bitch about daily like NPR, foreign aid, NEA...it's a drop in the bucket.  None of it even amounts to a rounding error on the total budget.

Nothing, and I mean nothing, happens to entitlements in a government shut-down.  That money is still spent because there is a legal requirement to spend it. 

If I were advising the majority leadership on this, I'd take Ace's route.  Keep cutting but throw down all your political chips down on Ryan's budget, because he's the first guy to address entitlements in any serious way.

Posted by: Sean Bannion at April 06, 2011 01:10 PM (sbV1u)

The point of the shutdown is not to save money.  The point of the shutdown is to have Democrat constituents screaming at them to get with the program.  If that doesn't happen, neither entitlements nor anything else will be cut.

This week-to-week stuff is better than nothing, but is not satisfactory.

66 I thought the National Parks/Smithsonian shut down issue got taken care off because of their fee-paid status and endowments outside of the annual budget?

67

Yeah, I'll do that.  'Cause, the Dems, they listen to guys like me every day.  You know, ex-military, white, goes to church, in a heterosexual marriage, couple of degrees...

Yeah, the Dems are all about helping guys like me.

Posted by: Sean Bannion at April 06, 2011 01:13 PM (sbV1u)

If enough of us do it.  If you don't do it, it will surely not help.  And again, cutting government is better in the long run for everyone, even gummint workers.

68

If that doesn't happen, neither entitlements nor anything else will be cut.

Then nothing else is going to be cut.  Because that's not going to happen.  Hell, just take a look at how all of a sudden Dems who were screaming about Bush and war in the Middle East are cool with The One doing it.

Intellectual consistency is not a characteristic of most Dems.

69

The stuff we bitch about daily like NPR, foreign aid, NEA...it's a drop in the bucket.  None of it even amounts to a rounding error on the total budget.

Be that as it may, that stuff is political dynamite, and it is way past time for Republicans to blow it up. Once these programs are slashed, the bigger stuff can be tackled, much like cleaning out the small stuff in your house makes it easier to do the serious home improvement projects.

70 I would counter-offer a smaller cut -- but increase the political pain; ie: waive Davis-Bacon in addition to defunding Planned Parenthood.

71 When more than half the country is getting net benefits from the govt, you end up with a paradox of both unsustainablity and the inability to cut.

So we will wait until reality intervenes in the unstoppable force meeting the immovable wall, otherwise known as when the SHTF.

72

All right then...let's do what we can to get in the Dem's ears.  Should be fun calling Dick's office.  I think if my kids have to go payless, then so should he.

Maybe it's time to take to the streets?  No more wasteful spending that the country can't afford, no more playing games, no more being unserious.

73 I'm also going to prepare myself for another round of dealing with worried, scared, and increasingly restless neighbors -- my husband and I are tired, and we have people asking us "what now? what do we do?"...it's hard to give them answers to their questions.

Do you live next to one of those group homes for the developmentally disabled? Seriously, who goes around asking their neighbors what to do if the government shuts down for a week or two?

74 Shutdown = WIN

That Pew poll looking to assign blame for the shutdown like most polls is really annoying in the way it frames the debate.  How about they do another poll where they ask who gets credit for a shutdown?

75

Then nothing else is going to be cut. 

Posted by: Sean Bannion at April 06, 2011 01:16 PM (sbV1u) 

So.  The shutdown won't work, so we should do everything we can to avert a shutdown, and let the Dems know that we will.  And in averting a shutdown, we will also, incidentally, ensure that you keep receiving a paycheck.

Does that about cover it?

76 Seriously, who goes around asking their neighbors what to do if the government shuts down for a week or two?

I think people (in blue states mostly, and probably in cities) believe if the federal government is shut down, banks won't open the next day and money just won't work anymore.

77

Once these programs are slashed, the bigger stuff can be tackled, much like cleaning out the small stuff in your house makes it easier to do the serious home improvement projects.

I'm with you.  I like the analogy.  But that analogy doesn't really work in this town, and that's just the way it is.  The only thing keeping me sane is, I can't wait to get out of this town. 

Seriously, it's like bizarro world here.

Your points are all well-taken, but I've sat here watching this circus for the last 5 years now.  I had another tour here in the mid 1990s too and....nothing has changed between then and now.

They all think they're smarter than you.  Period.  When real people, like you all, ask their Reps and Senators logical questions, I've seen them (regardles sof party) give the polite answer.  Then they turn around, roll their eyes, and discount you as quick as you came. 

Because.  They.  Are.  Smarter.  Than.  You.

They're all legends in their own minds.  Dems do it more the Repubs do.  But I've seen enough of it on both sides to know I hate this place.  All of this BS is same shit...different day.

Own both houses and the WH in 2012, things might change.

A little.

78 I think we will see a two week compromise, then a one week shutdown.  Timed to the spring break schedule of the DC area schools.  Gotta be practical.

79 This is the real lesson of the B Hussein Precedency.  America has shown that no one can ever trust our federal government again.

Concur.

80 We're cutting a little every week. Why be frustrated? Every time we cut another $2 or $4 or $6 billion it's all to the good."

The last time the congress critters patted themselves on the back for cutting a couple billion, they jacked up the spending by three times that amount -- in the same day!  They don't take this seriously. 

The difference between what the Repubs vs Commies want to cut is less than one percent.  The overall figures of what each party is laying claim to cutting from the entire budge is something like one-tenth of one percent for the Commies; the Repubs want to cut closer to two percent. 

I'm whelmed under.

81 76  It's not the gov't. shutdown that concerns them -- it's what happens if this administration gets its way that has them spooked. 

82 #82 is a comment worthy of mass mailing.

83 I would counter-offer a smaller cut -- but increase the political pain; ie: waive Davis-Bacon in addition to defunding Planned Parenthood.

Posted by: Jean at April 06, 2011 01:18 PM (WkuV6)

Ebola Present already said that any bill defunding PP will not get signed by him.  So we got that goin' for us.  /sarc

84 I think it's useful to know that the agencies and departments only lay off non-essential personnel and close non-essential services, and they (the agencies) get to decide what those are. The Park Service has always been pretty much an environmentalist/liberal collection of employees and practices and they can be counted on to curtail services that will elicit the maximum volume of howls from the public. That is a strategy they have employed for years and one they discuss internally as a useful strategy in these types of situations. I would be very surprised if you wouldn't find the same thing in EPA, HHS, Education, Energy and all the rest that have a liberal constituency (hell, that may be all of them now, I guess). In the end, a shutdown will not affect the daily lives of 98% of the public and the employees will get some time off which won't counted against their annual leave balances and their "lost" pay will be reimbursed.

85 Almost forgot.  Mark your calendars for May 16.  General Brackets O'Mom Jeans's commie friends have timed the next Gaza Flotilla, the apex of the Lerner "Wall-Street Takedown" and the "spontaneous" U.S. Day of Rage (which will be advertised on Twitter and FB) for that day.

via Beck

86 86 I'm almost afraid to ask, but, what is butt hash?

87 Don't know if butt hash is just an internet gag or if kids are really doing it.  Saw it on The Hostages blog.

88 Of course, Boehner could double-down -- pass a deeper cut - say 24B, and adorn.  I would offer a lighter cut with more political pain, the 12B cut, and a deep cut - passed as bills, not talking points of TV.

89 Barry is a hostage taker,  and you know, sometimes you have to accede to a few of their demands, like sending in the pizzas they demanded.

90 92 I think that might be the way to go.  No more playing around with this childish bastige and his supporters.

91 Count me among those who would choose Ryan's budget plan as our hill to die upon.

BUT we need to be on the air 24/7 about Obama taking off again.  He went vacationing and dancing in Rio as he started the war and while the Japanese crisis was at its most fearful and uncertain stage, now he goes off a-politickin' and sucking up to Al Sharptongue and others while we are on the verge of a shutdown.

Is there ANYTHING this man takes seriously beside golf and partying?

We should be beating him about the head and shoulders with his dereliction of duty every day from now until we are rid of the jerk.

92 Note to FBI and Secret Service:  the references in the above post to "hill to die upon" and "beat him about the head and shoulders" are METAPHORS.  You don't need to get all nervous and jerky about them. 

Give Big Sister a nice sloppy kiss for me - with your mouths, though, mmmkay?

93 There's a lot of frustration within the GOP over the two-week CRs. I don't really understand that. We're cutting a little every week. Why be frustrated? Every time we cut another $2 or $4 or $6 billion it's all to the good.

The fear is that they if they keep on delaying the fight and delaying the fight, that in the end, they really won't have it. They will wait until all the energy dissipates, and then puss out. If only we could really believe that this time, the establishment Republicans will stay true to the principle, then we wouldn't have to think we have to be constantly watching them for the sign that they are ready to sell out.

94 Military funding needs to be cut too, and I mean significant cuts. It can be done by freezing all future civilian hiring at the Pentagon and drastic reductions in overseas bases, especially European ones.

Everything else needs to be cut and Social Security needs to be privatized. Totally do away with the FDA and the EPA. Anything less than that isn't even worth talking about. In fact, anything less than that and you might as well increase spending, and at least enjoy the ride while it lasts.

95 I thought it was Reid and Obummer who wouldn't accept any more CRs.
And as per the WI vote, the country is about split down the middle now with the half that are riding in the wagon, whipping on the other half that are pulling it.  This pleases the Obummer immensely for it is the riders who will fulfill the great Cloward Piven strategy of overwhelming the system. I wish I could find a place to sit in the wagon.

96 Ace: Cuts of $4 billion or even $12 billion over 2 weeks are still WAY too small, because we spend around $60 billion in the same time span. If you prorate them over a year, that's $104 billion and $312 billion cut from an insane budget deficit of $1.5 or $1.6 trillion. See, you frame them as "cuts" of a few billion that you can support, but all you're really supporting is temporary budgets that constitute a trillion dollar deficit if continued for the rest of the year. That's not even remotely acceptable, & I don't understand how you conservatives can support them. Bush's $400 and $500 billion annual deficits were already unacceptable, and we called him a big-spending RINO for it. Now we are in much worse fiscal shape than we were a few years ago, and it's now acceptable for conservatives to support trillion dollar budgets?? Give me a break!  "But every little bit helps, and small cuts now open the door to even bigger cuts later."  That line of reasoning is USELESS for this reason: For every 2 week resolution that cuts $4 billion from a $60 billion proposed budget, not only are we still $56 billion away from even balancing the budget, but we've also locked that huge debt in for those 2 weeks. Then for the next 2 weeks, you start back at $60 billion in the hole, so you do the $4 billion in cuts and maybe do another new $4 billion. So you borrowed $52 billion for those 2 weeks. Yay now in one month we've added $108 billion to our national debt. Even if we end up finding enough cuts to stop borrowing money and balance the budget, months and months down the road.. even after all those cuts. We now have to find even MORE cuts just to pay back the billions and trillions we just borrowed (plus interest) to get us back to the debt we have right now when Ace says "$4 billion in cuts is acceptable." And by that point, with rising interest rates, the debt payments may outpace any cuts you might get, because you know the Dems will become increasingly resistant to cuts as we make more of them. If we're not willing to force a government shutdown now, why wouldn't they call our bluff down the road, when their most favorite programs reach the chopping block? No Ace, $4 billion in cuts not acceptable now. A yes vote for those cuts is a vote against a balanced budget and a vote for billions and trillions in new debt. The only way we will ever again get a balanced budget in this country (and the Republicans all say they are for a BBA) is to say that there is no alternative, except a government shutdown. Spend the money we receive in tax revenue and not a dollar more, because we won't approve a budget that spends more than that. Let Obama and the Dems in congress play political games with the country til Jan 2013 if they must, but the alternative is to watch the national debt go from $14.3 trillion now to $17 trillion or more. Every Republican should be willing to sacrifice their career to prevent that. And I will be voting third party in 2012, for a true conservative, if the Republicans in the House fail to stop the borrowing now.

97

WI has been the final straw for me. If a well articulated argument (which is what I think Walker and the Rs made) about the insanity of having the state government act as a dues collection arm of a public employees union and the unbalanced nature of “collective bargaining” between public employees and government politicians doesn't resonate with the public to achieve more than a 50-50 vote balance for the Prosser Klovenhoof election, then we are DOOMED!

98 101 night seem off topic, but it indicated the nature of the number of riders on the wagon compared to the number of makers pulling the wagon while being whipped by the riders.

99 That's something to look forward to: a sob story at CNN about how federal workers might be furloughed or even laid off. Probably too much to hope for the story to point out that we NEED federal workers to be laid off in huge numbers, so they can go get productive jobs in the private sector. Yes it will suck for those workers during the transition, but we should be looking for ways to help them do it quickly. Sounds like Lisa's just going to drum up support for federal workers so that they get to keep their government jobs, who cares if the economy keeps tanking as the private sector is crushed under the burden of trying to support the party in the public sector. Prove me wrong Lisa at CNN; good luck w/ your piece.

100 Please tell me why the fuck social security checks keep getting sent, but military payroll checks do not.  Seems like that should be the other way around.

101 It's $12 billion for ONE week, not two.