I suppose the feeling began about two weeks ago when I saw this:
"The fight pits Democrats against Republicans on how to address the series of across-the-board cuts known as sequestration. Democrats want to alter many of the cuts and replace about half of them with tax increases on corporations and high-earning individuals. Republicans, who gave ground on taxing high earners during the budget showdown at the end of last year, generally oppose any tax increases and want to restore military funding while making deeper cuts to domestic programs."
I guess he doesn't even read his own paper because that is one hell of a tax "increase."
The whole thing is political $hit fooley considering the behind-the-$cenes maneuvering, and defending the indefensible isn't helping, either. It's got his name on it and it is the one piece of legislation he was actually able to ram through, so come hell, high water or destruction of the working and middle class and American economy we will have glitch-filled Obamacare exchanges out on time so those in$urance companies can start booking future revenues! Everyone else got an exemption but you, American medical patie... 'er, con$umer. Making the whole thing personal is insane, and I think even the president's allies are beginning to see that now.
Related:
"Treasury Secretary Jacob J. Lew and congressional Democrats held firm that they would no longer negotiate on raising the debt ceiling, which they see as the duty of the party in power in the House. And they made it clear to the speaker that they would never accept Republican demands to repeal, defund, or delay Obama’s signature health care law. White House officials dismissed it as “a nonstarter.”
Who cares what is right for workers, the economy, or the country.
“I told him directly, all these things they’re doing on Obamacare are just a waste of their time,” said Senator Harry Reid, Democrat of Nevada and the Senate majority leader.
Representative Eric Cantor of Virginia, the No. 2 House Republican, proposed a two-step resolution to the fiscal impasse.
Under Cantor’s plan, the House would have voted this week on a stopgap spending bill to keep the government operating through mid-December at the current level, which reflects sharp, across-the-board cuts known as sequestration. That bill would have a companion resolution to withhold all money for the health care law, but the Senate could simply ignore that resolution and approve the short-term spending bill.
That's what I'm going to do here even though I am reading the articles.
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Which is where we are right now, and honestly it was disappointment to see the Senate back down when we needed them the most in what apparently was a grandstanding waste of time.
"While GOP aides say details aren’t set, House leaders are looking at an increase in the current $16.7 trillion debt ceiling sufficient to cover the government’s bills until the beginning of 2015. GOP lawmakers and aides say the debt ceiling measure will be paired with a one-year delay in requiring people to buy health insurance under Obama’s Affordable Care Act or face federal fines. They also plan to attach to it a tax reform package lowering rates and closing loopholes."
I'm sure there will be "a grab bag of other Republican measures, including specific spending cuts and regulatory changes.", starting with the debt ceiling raised until after the 2014 elections! Nevertheless, the ONE-YEAR DELAY in Obamacare is NEEDED! The Republicans need to toe the line on this at the risk of a shutdown. The agenda-pu$hing media will cite poll after poll blaming them, but in this case they are being the will of the people. We don't want Obamacare. No one does except the in$urers and pharmaceuticals.
I mean, you gotta be doing something right when the agenda-pu$hing pre$$ attacks you so:
‘‘Tea Party anarchists throw a tantrum, destructive and self-serving, not meaningful statesmanship’’
They are not the anarchists or insurgents(!!). It is the unconstitutional executive action dictator in the White House.
"Parties blaming each other as budget battle intensifies" by Philip Elliott | Associated Press, September 23, 2013
WASHINGTON — Even before a budget deadline arrives, leaders from both parties are blaming each other for a government shutdown that many are treating as inevitable.
They finally agree on something, and they are both right!
The top Democrat in the House says Republicans are ‘‘legislative arsonists’’ who are using their opposition to a sweeping health care overhaul as an excuse to close government’s doors. A leading Tea Party antagonist in the Senate counters that conservatives should use any tool available to stop the Affordable Care Act from taking hold.
They should stand on principle because it is the right thing to do. That is why the agenda-pu$hing pre$$ is attacking them.
The unyielding political posturing on Sunday comes one week before Congress reaches an Oct. 1 deadline to dodge any interruptions in government services. Although work continues on a temporary spending bill, a potentially more devastating separate deadline looms a few weeks later when the government could run out of money to pay its bills....
Does that mean the WARS will go on HOLD?
The wrangling over the budget comes as lawmakers consider legislation that would let the United States avoid a first-ever default on its debt obligations.
That's either a sloppy distortion or outright lie because it HAS happened before! I know the banker's version of history omits that fact, but it's true!
House Republicans are planning legislation that would attach a 1-year delay in the health care law in exchange for ability to increase the nation’s credit limit of $16.7 trillion.
Obama, speaking to political allies on Saturday, showed little patience for the GOP efforts to undermine his legislative accomplishment.
He's done that himself.
‘‘We will not negotiate over whether or not America should keep its word and meet its obligations,’’ Obama told the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation dinner. ‘‘We’re not going to allow anyone to inflict economic pain on millions of our own people just to make an ideological point.’’
He already has, so WTF?
Congress does not seem eager to help Obama, although there are deep divides over who deserves blame....
Not out here there is not. Plenty to go around!
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"GOP demands one-year delay in health care law" by David Espo | AP Special Correspondent, September 28, 2013
WASHINGTON — Locked in a deepening struggle with President Barack Obama, House Republicans on Saturday demanded a one-year delay in major parts of the nation’s new health care law and permanent repeal of a tax on medical devices as the price for preventing a partial government shutdown threatened for early Tuesday.
Senate Democrats rejected the plan even before the House could post it online for the public. The White House followed quickly with a statement saying that ‘‘any member of the Republican Party who votes for this bill is voting for a shutdown.’’
Good. Belgium didn't have a federal government for a year and the economy grew. Shut down the behemoth, who cares? It seems to be the only thing that will stop the greedy, money-grubbing beast (with all apologies due to beasts).
Undeterred, House Republicans pressed ahead with their latest attempt to squeeze a concession from the White House in exchange for letting the government open for business normally on Tuesday.
I think I'll call 'em tomorrow and tell them how proud I am of them and tell them to stick to their guns.
They also agreed to pass legislation assuring U.S. troops are paid in the event of a shutdown.
Yeah, the WARS WILL BE FUNDED and you don't need to give an already exhausted and near mutinous army another reason to revolt.
The measure marked something of a reduction in demands by House Republicans, who passed legislation several days ago that would permanently strip the health care law of money while providing funding for the government.
It also contained significant concessions from a party that long has criticized the health care law for imposing numerous government mandates on industry, in some cases far exceeding what Republicans have been willing to support in the past.
Cancel the phone calls. Rivero was right; this is all a wrestling match or political shit-fooley, if you will.
GOP aides said that under the legislation headed toward a vote, portions of the health law that already have gone into effect would remain unchanged. That includes requirements for insurance companies to guarantee coverage for pre-existing conditions and to require children to be covered on their parents’ plans until age 26. It would not change a part of the law that reduces costs for seniors with high prescription drug expenses.
Instead, the measure would delay implementation of a requirement for all individuals to purchase coverage or face a penalty, and of a separate feature of the law that will create marketplaces where individuals can shop for coverage from private insurers....
The exchanges need to be delayed because they are full of glitches -- but Obama doesn't want to hear that!
For a moment at least, the revised House proposal papered over a simmering dispute between the leadership and tea party conservatives who have been more militant about abolishing the health law that all Republicans oppose....
Now they are militants and insurgents!
Some Republicans breathed defiance, despite fears inside the party that the GOP would bear the blame for any interruption in government services....
Blame them? Don't you mean give them the CREDIT?
If lawmakers miss the approaching deadline, a wide range of federal programs would be affected, from the national parks to the Pentagon.
Some critical services such patrolling the borders, inspecting meat and controlling air traffic would continue. Social Security benefits would be sent and the Medicare and Medicaid health care programs for the elderly and poor would continue to pay doctors and hospitals.
All of a sudden, the sky rose!
The new health insurance exchanges would open Tuesday, a development that’s lent urgency to the drive to use a normally routine stopgap spending bill to gut implementation of the law.
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Btw, the Feds are still hiring:
"Federal hiring down, with most jobs going to defense" by Lisa Rein | Washington Post, September 12, 2013
WASHINGTON — With fiscal pressures continuing to force spending cuts, government agencies made fewer than 90,000 new hires last year, the smallest number in six years and a 37 percent drop since 2009, federal data show.
The government hired 89,689 new employees in 2012, many of whom eventually will move into leadership positions at their agencies. They include the largest number of veterans in recent years (44.7 percent), and three out of four are filling jobs at defense and security-related agencies.
(Blog editor's chin slumps to chest as he realizes this is a complete war government and economy now)
These are some characteristics of the Class of 2012, which was profiled by the nonprofit Partnership for Public Service to try to measure what corners of the government are seeking new talent even in a period of contraction.
‘‘Most people have this perception of the workforce as having grown topsy-turvy,’’ said Max Stier, the partnership’s president and chief executive. ‘‘It hasn’t. Every hire is increasingly important.’’
The partnership analyzed data from the Office of Personnel Management to draw a geographic and demographic picture of the new employees. (The nonprofit group has a content-sharing arrangement with The Washington Post.)
The drop in hiring comes as agencies face a wave of retirements by baby boomers, who are calling it quits amid budget cuts, furloughs, and poor morale caused by a negative public view of federal service.
Blame your looting bo$$es and their corporate controllers.
Not only retirement-age workers are leaving, but also younger employees who tend to move in and out of government....
Most agencies have focused on replacing as many departing employees as they can, rather than on creating new positions....
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Hey, look, it's jobs program for war profiteers, 'kay? Couldn't po$$ibly shut down that.
