[smoothy]

Who controls the Gov purse strings... the House does... who controls the house... the Republicans do. NOT the Democrats.

If the Government shuts down, it's the Democrats fault. A Bill was voted on and passed down.

What was that phrase we heard so often the last two years... "Elections have consequences"... well. They lost the house, and they lost the key to the purse as a result.

Funny... since this is LAST years Budget they didn't vote on when they still DID have control. They were so busy preventing the republicans from having any input or vote on the Socialist Healthcare bill (Obamacare) they neglected to do it.

[tomder55]

Just as the folks in Wisconsin (again backed by a big union push) are targeting Republicans for a recall instead of the Democrats that left the state and refused to do their job, someone in Washington is targeting the wrong person. A Facebook event "If Boehner shuts down the government I am taking my trash to his house," is planned if there is s shutdown.

They should target Pelosi's House since she was in charge of the House that failed to pass a budget, or Dirty Harry Reid's house because he believes Planned Parenthood funding is more important than paying our military.

The Federal government doesn't do garbage collection. But it makes it understandable why they are so fearful of a shutdown. Maybe if they'd quit listening the Schmuckster's demogogery they would see the world isn't going to end.

Anyway ,I still think the deal has already been done and they are all trying to make as much political hay out of this as possible.

As to any blame... the House already passed the CR for the budget the Dems irresponsibly failed to pass last year. It is the Senate and /or the President who will have shut down the government if it happens.

This is silly... I can't wait for the Ryan plan to get debated .

Edit... the government is responsible for picking up trash in the District of Columbia . That's easy... everyone in Congress is still going to get their pay... let them do something useful.

[smoothy]

And of course we must NOT forget the Democrats idea of "Bipartisan compromise" during the Obamacare fiasco under that dimwit Nancy Pelosi.

Which was simply... shut up you aren't the majority the last several years. SO they did it behind closed doors absent any republicans... then rammed it through without any votes...

Funny how NOW they expect the Minority party to have a say.

[excon]

Funny how NOW they expect the Minority party to have a say.

Hello again, smoothy:

Expectation plays NO part. It's the RULES, and nothing but the RULES. When you're in charge you can RAM through stuff. When you're NOT, you can't. Thems is the RULES.

excon

[tomder55]

anyway ,I still think the deal has already been done and they are all trying to make as much political hay out of this as possible.

Amazing how that 11th hour agreements get done . The President of course is taking full credit for 'the biggest annual spending cut in history' .
Of course the cut only represents a few days of actual government spending.

The real debate can now begin.

[paraclete]

Looks like you had another storm in a teacup over there, all to make your politicians feel important and in control

[tomder55]

That's the way I see it. Real debate begins in the Autumn.

[smoothy]

Hello again, smoothy:

Expectation plays NO part. It's the RULES, and nothing but the RULES. When you're in charge you can RAM through stuff. When you're NOT, you can't. Thems is the RULES.

excon

Last I heard... Republicans are a majority in the house.. and will be until at least 2012.

EDIT:

And the Operative word here is co-equal branches of government. Obama isn't a deity or even a King... and he doesn't command the House to do anything... and Prince Harry is a Senator... and the Senate doesn't tell the House what to do.

[tomder55]

Did you see the President do his best 'Rocky ' impression as he bound up the Lincoln Memorial steps to take full credit for avoiding a government shutdown ?

That was clear campaign mode channelling his inner Abe.

I think we are beginning to see his campaign strategery . He knows the country is behind the Republican agenda redefined by the Tea Party.
He could go 2 ways. He could do what Bush and Rove did in 2004 and recruit as much of the base as possible and win it from the wings.
Or he can attempt to do a Clintoon 1994 ,and take credit for the work the Republican Congress does.

Since he is close to losing the Dem wings ,his best chance is the later . That is why he bragged about spending cuts and keeping the tax rates in place.

Knowing that they are likely to have a reluctant ally in the WH ,the Repubulicans should push the Ryan budget even harder.

The next round of negotiations will be the debt ceiling .

[excon]

Or he can attempt to do a Clintoon 1994 ,and take credit for the work the Republican Congress does.

Hello again, tom:

Yup. He was real PROUD of making the largest cut in history... I LOVE the way he negotiates... Like the health care plan, he gives away HALF before he even starts talking, then he gives away the other half.

Although the house is only HALF of one third of the government, and they SHOULDN'T be able to RAM stuff through, the Democrats are running scared and the Republicans are DRIVING the conversation... In SPITE of the Democrats control of the Senate and the presidency, you ARE ramming stuff through. You've won.

Will this make him re-electable?? He might have the middle, but he lost his base. They say his base will vote for him anyway... I don't know. I don't even think the middle will.

excon

[tomder55]

On the other hand ,the only way this can be considered a Republican victory is if one factors in the increase in spending that would've been passed by a Dem Congress and President (who was looking for $40 billion in increases ) .
By the time the President signs the bill ,all the savings will have been absorbed in debt service.

The ONLY consolation I get from this is the tone change. It takes 5 miles to turn around an aircraft carrier travelling at normal speeds . Turning one around that is going full throttle requires a slow down before the turn is attempted .

The President will make his address Wednesday and unveil a shell of something that resembles a budget plan for next year.He will pay lip service to fiscal responsibility ;throw the Dems a bone by talking about taxing the rich,and otherwise remain detached . The thing I heard is that the deal made was made 2 weeks ago by Boehner and Reid ,and that they stalled it to keep the wings and the bloggers at bay. The President had no role in the negotiations.

Also it was pointed out to me that the Lincoln memorial doesn't "shut down". It's just there. The President made the claim that he prevented it from shutting down during his theatrics . It was a campaign stop of no substance.

Last night I recalled the time Nixon went to the Lincoln memorial (1970) . It wasn't a campaign stop . He really wanted to understand the counter-culture and the anti-Vietnam crowd. They had parked themselves and occupied the Memorial. This was the dark days after the Cambodia expansion and the Kent State National Guard shooting at protesters. College campuses were being shut down and administration buildings occupied by protesters . It was bigger than the recent Wisconsin thing.

He woke up pre-dawn ,and travelled with a minimum detachment of Secret Service to the Memorial where he engaged the protesters in discussion. There was no press to record this . There was conversation about places he had gone ,and other light conversation about sports . When the conversation turned to Vietnam Nixon said :

"I know you think we are a bunch of so and so's." He said to them, the President recalled Chamberlain was the greatest man living and that Winston Churchill was a madman. It was not until years later that I realized that Churchill was right." He confessed afterwards: "I doubt if that got over."

Before he left, Nixon said: "I know you want to get the war over. Sure you came here to demonstrate and shout your slogans on the ellipse. That's all right. Just keep it peaceful. Have a good time in Washington, and don't go away bitter."

AllPolitics - Back in TIME for May 18, 1970

The Lincoln Memorial has been the site of some great history. In the last year we have had Beck and Obama's side shows . Ugggh