How Long?
Posted: October 2, 2013 Filed under: Federal Government Shutdown, U.S. Economy | Tags: hostage taking, Shut down 45 CommentsExactly how long can the Tea Party Republicans hold the country hostage to their unpopular demands? Well, for what it’s worth, the Wall Street and Business political donors have headed for the door and thrown in with the President. That doesn’t bode well for 2014 fundraising. Yes, the corporate overlords are speaking.
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.
The divide between some GOP lawmakers and the corporate groups that have helped shape the Republican agenda in the past is partly a result of a legacy of the Wall Street bailouts of 2008-09 and a changing communication and campaign finance landscape that has weakened the roles of corporate donors and of the major political parties.
Interviews with House Republicans from all regions of the country demonstrate the corporate community’s waning clout.
Reid has held a carrot out hoping the tea party bunnies will hop along.
Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) offered to open negotiations on tax reform Wednesday if Republicans agree to a clean resolution to reopen the government.
Reid sent a letter to Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio) pledging to appoint negotiators to a budget conference if House Republicans relent on a six-week funding stopgap.
The budget conference is something Democrats have long sought, however, and the proposal was quickly shot down by Boehner’s office.
Reid offered to include tax reform, which has bogged down in partisan politics this year, on the agenda. The letter suggested that Democrats would be willing to negotiate changes to ObamaCare as part of budget talks as well.
“I commit to name conferees to a budget conference, as soon as the government reopens,” Reid wrote. “This conference would be an appropriate place to have those discussions, where participants could raise whatever proposals — such as tax reform, health care, agriculture, and certainly discretionary spending like veterans, National Parks and NIH — they felt appropriate.”
Boehner’s office said Reid’s terms would give Democrats exactly what they want. “The entire government is shut down right now because Washington Democrats refuse to even talk about fairness for all Americans under ObamaCare,” Boehner spokesman Michael Steel said. “Offering to negotiate only after Democrats get everything they want is not much of an offer.”
Senate Democrats have repeatedly called for a budget conference, yet Reid’s letter framed it as a concession to end the government shutdown.
Senate Republican conservatives blocked 18 motions by Senate Democratic leaders to begin budget conference talks with the House earlier this year.
Okay, first of all, is “Hostage Taking 101” an actual course of study taught to members of the Bush administration? Even if this is a metaphor, it seems like a problematic model for governance. Also, Thiessen argues that Obama will have to give concessions to avoid a debt breach because he cares about the loss of millions of jobs. That seems to imply that Republicans don’t care. After all, if Republicans cared just as much, Obama could be threatening to veto the debt-ceiling hike if Republicans didn’t give him concessions.
Boehner does not seem to share his party’s sociopathic embrace of hostage tactics. Boehner resembles William H. Macy’s character in Fargo, who concocts a simple plan to have his wife kidnapped and skim the proceeds, failing to think a step forward about what happens once she’s actually seized by violent criminals. He doesn’t intend for her to be harmed, but also has no ability to control the plan once he’s set it in motion. In the end, Boehner’s Speakership is likely to end up in the wood chipper, anyway.
The pundit class on TV appears to believe we’re in for a few weeks of this. Well, alrighty then!!! Meanwhile, more than a few people are feeling the pain. So, now the House Republicans are trying piecemeal funding. The Dems are having none of it. Lots of things are different now. Here’s some behind the scenes info from the previous deals.
In previous confrontations, this would be the point at which Biden and McConnell rushed in to prevent national peril. It was those two who finalized the 2010 tax deal, the 2011 debt deal and the 2012 “fiscal cliff” pact.
For now, that seems unlikely. McConnell is fighting a two-front reelection battle, with a tea party-backed primary challenger accusing him of selling out conservative principles in his deals with Biden and a younger Democrat accusing him of being cowed by the far right.
McConnell has publicly declared that he won’t step into any talks involving increased taxes or increased spending.
Biden, meanwhile, has spent more time in the past month fanning the flames of his own presidential ambitions. A few weeks ago he attended a high-profile event in Iowa, followed by a trip to South Carolina, two of the early testing grounds of the 2016 campaign.
This has left rank-and-file lawmakers completely unsettled, with no one particularly sure how the process will unfold.
Meanwhile,we get to watch the theatre unfold on TV news. Who is eventually going to blink?
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Scary as it is I don’t want the Dems to blink on either the shutdown or debt ceiling. This may as well be fought out now as later, when we may be in worse political shape.
Fine post, by the way (through a dim haze),
you still on drugs?
I’ve cut down now and only take enough to keep the cervical collar from driving me insane 🙂
…sending gentle hugs to you too, Ralph…
But you know you’d never get anywhere as insane as Boehner and his crew.
I’m NOT saying the following are equal quantities:
Ahmadinejad
Boehner of our existence
Crazy like a fox
They are just my quick word association list that came up when I read the thing about Boehner being a wild success.
As in, yeah where have I heard this “crazy = sly” narrative before…? Sounds familiar…oh right. I didn’t buy it then, don’t buy it now.
I didn’t buy it then, don’t buy it now.
LOL! Yeah, I cannot understand either how so many fell for it!
They just get worse each time the dems give an inch. dems need to ask for the entire enchilada including the debt ceiling increase.
My feeling exactly!
“Scary as it is I don’t want the Dems to blink on either the shutdown or debt ceiling.”
You’re seeing things clearly through your haze. I totally agree and I’m not taking vicodin or muscle relaxers. 🙂
Really low dose on both 🙂
My cat agrees and she is drug-free.
My cats will blink because…yay kitteh kisses
Well we have about one and one half hours for their first blink along with Boehner chance
I think it’s time for my Kitties to take up their “health care is a right, your elected seats are a privilege” sign– their revolt won’t be tweeted. But maybe a blog pic here or two 🙂
Boehner better hurry up and get through because it’s almost time for his evening beverage.
He had his evening beverage at breakfast. He’s having next Tuesday’s 3-martini lunch shortly.
The reporters were talking last night on TV how the house chamber stank of dewar’s. Very sad.
I suppose we should pity them, but it’s really hard to do that when they treat us like garbage.
Kittehs are super negotiators thougth.
Hmmm? I must be doing something wrong where my cats are concerned. Their wish/demand is my command. There is rarely any negotiation going on here.
super negotiators get what they want 😉
I have new kitteh! I rescued her and now she’s keeping me up at night slapping at my head while I’m trying to sleep. She has no gratitude whatsoever, so I’m sure she would blink.
Kitty blinks are their way of smiling at you and giving you kisses!
Yes! Visual kisses.
Blink blink:) here is a Rue mama’s girl pic from summer
Ok pls hold while I figure out how to put it here
Congrats to both of you! She will adapt to your sleeping schedule – mine always have.
thank you…..It’s been a long time since I’ve had a very young cat. she is 6 months old and full of herself. She sits on my shoulder like a parrot. It’s hysterical. I lost my Senior Citizen kitty in 2011, Her name was Susie,she was 21 when she passed so my memories of her kitty time isn’t to clear. I also have a Calico who wandered onto my porch about 10 years ago, her name is Punkin. She was past the kitty stage when she decided she wanted to move in with me.
Wow, 21. That’s remarkable. My oldest was 18 1/2. I lost him 23 years ago and miss him every single day. He was truly the love of my life. So glad you’ve opened your heart to a very lucky new kitty.
Try getting her something wool ( an old scarf or sweater ) and putting it down at the end of your bed. Cats love wool. She’ll soon get the idea that’s her part of the bed. Worked with my baby. She “negotiated” my nicest wool scarf. Now it belongs to her.
Thanks for the tip, I’ll try that tonight, she’s wearing me out.
That’s what kittens are for. They don’t stay kittens long enough, so try to enjoy her inquisitiveness, energy & playfulness. The greatest toy in the world is called Cat Dancer. None of the pet stores in my area carry it any more, I order them online at Amazon. They are only about $3 each or less. It’s an interactive toy – you move it around in the air & the kitten will do acrobatic leaps, spins and other aerial delights. You will laugh yourself silly watching her antics. Check it out: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YhZJcuQ9QAA
Awww… Is that kitteh paw-slaps to wake up and pay attention to her?
One of mine does that when she wants to be tucked under the covers. I think I’ve learned to hold up the covers in my sleep, so she can crawl in and curl up next to me. Lol.
It could be an attention thing. I’ve offered to let her under the covers, but she won’t stay there long. Maybe that’s because I have a Chihuahua who sleeps under the cover and spends the night stuck to me like glue. I think she’s just slapping my head to make sure I’m still alive or maybe it’s because my white hair really stands out in the dark room. 🙂
A chihuahua ❤
I want one to adopt me since forever
Came close in March too 🙂 but he adopted a family before he met me.
She’s wonderful!!! She belonged to my granddaughter who decided during her 2nd pregnancy that she couldn’t take care of her properly. I’ve had Bella for 5 years and she’s the most gentle, loving and wonderful companion/friend you could imagine. She only weighs 5lbs and the new Kitto is already bigger than her. My calico/Punkin makes 3 of her. BTW, she loves the cats and the cats love her so it’s all good.
Awwwww!!!! ❤
Small dogs come in the tiniest packages (with the weakest knees 😦 but the biggest hearts. My Pomeranian angel Callie was only three lbs when we got her at 3 months. she gained one entire pound over the course of thirteen years. That bish! 😉 then she became weightless and got her wings. 🙂
Bella and Punkin …. So cute
Norm Ornstein was on The Diane Rehm show today. He’s convinced the Republicans/TPers plan to hold out at least until the debt ceiling deadline. Apparently they think it will strengthen their hand on debt ceiling “negotiations”, aka terrorist demands. It’s painfully obvious to me that all the R’s care about is keeping their gravy-train jobs & fk everyone else.
They’re just nutz
The nutwads have closed Our National Parks. We the People are considered trespassing if we go hiking. Camping out? Tough, ya got 48 hrs to leave.
http://www.wta.org/signpost/federal-shutdown-what-it-means-to-hikers
“It’s painfully obvious to me that all the R’s care about is keeping their gravy-train jobs & fk everyone else.”
Yes!!!!! And it’s been painfully obvious to me for all 3 decades I’ve been alive? I know that’s not the five decades life experience of a progressive community organizer from the South Side of Chicago though. I’d like to think Obama would know better than me not to negotiate with terrorists. Or that Pelosi and Reid would. But you don’t bring a whimpering kazoo to a hostage crisis.
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