Government Shutdown

[Mr. Met]

Nice job, Boehner and the Fun Bunch.

Let's go Mets! Let's go Mets! Let's go Mets! Let's go Mets!

[Tom Storer]

No, but seriously. Can we get a debate going here over the behavior of the Republican representatives, or do we all agree that they deserve loud condemnation?

[stonemonkts]

Yes, I think everyone here would agree on loud condemnation being the very least they deserve.

The reasons for their very existence are all well known by now. The facet of this that baffles me the most is the miscalculation on the more moderate wing of that party to (so far) allow extremists to dominate the discussion. Are they all so scared of losing in primaries? It is a catch-22 I suppose....fight back against the extremists, and you will lose your seat to an extremist when up for re-election. Go along with the extremists, and everyone loses out, eventually. I think the heart of the matter is the quality of person who gets elected in the first place. Not much more integrity than the local sales associate at your local car dealership.

[hornplayer]

[walto]

[Mr. Met]

Whatta bunch of clowns. Boehner knows better, that's part of the problem. And for Ted Cruz to call it "Obama's shutdown" is as like him pretending to be related to Tom Cruise. Well, maybe not as bad. He didn't do that.

[Dr Dave]

[Tom Storer]

Obama has said he'll negotiate with the Republicans if they fund both the government and debt unconditionally first. He floated the idea that they could do so on a short-term basis. I suspect he has quietly told Boehner he will trade concessions on something in exchange for the Republicans backing down on their threats. The Republicans will be able to say they only suspended the threat, since they will have allowed funding for a short term only, and that they forced Obama to "negotiate." We won, they'll crow. Meanwhile, Obama will say, "I stared down their blackmail attempt and forced them to reopen the government and raise the debt ceiling before I would sit down with them. I won!"

The question is what concession(s) he will give them. I'd guess he'll drop the tax on medical devices--low-hanging fruit since it is contested by some Dems as well, and is related to the health care act. You suspect he will also "eviscerate" Social Security, for example the cuts he already offered in the ill-fated "Grand Bargain." I'm not so sure, since the budget the Dems have agreed to has spending at Republican-approved levels already.

[Dr Dave]

[bluenoter]

[Tom Storer]

[Dr Dave]