Good for those who have said they will vote YES for a clean CR! Both my congressman, Rob Wittman and Elena’s congressman, Frank Wolf have stated they are now willing to send that clean CR. It only will take 217 votes to reopen the government today. Congressman Bill Young, one of my favorites, has also said yes to the clean CR.
From looking at the math, it appears that John Boehner is simply not being truthful He does have the votes if he adds the republicans noted in the video to the 195 definite democratic yeses,. Boehner, do the math!
This has really gone on too long. Today the VA regional offices will shut down because of additional furloughs. Furthermore, we are only 9 days away from the debt ceiling deadline. The debt ceiling issue absolutely must be resolved. The nation’s economy is at risk. This is not a game of chicken and it cannot be treated like a game.
I would encourage the President to simply bypass congress and do what is necessary to keep our nation afloat. We can’t allow juvenile delinquents to bring this nation to its knees.
I might agree with you that the Democrats deserve majority blame for the Housing crisis. But the republicans get plenty of balme about financial derivatives and absense of regulation.
This just in … Boehner is threatening to immolate himself on The Mall if Obamacare is not defunded … story still developing.
The House voted to pay military death benefits ($100,000 within three days of death). It remains to be seen if Harry will allow a vote in the Senate on that. In the meantime, I understand that the Fisher House Foundation has volunteered to the Pentagon to pick up those payments during the shutdown. While the Pentagon cannot by law seek charitable funds for something like this, it can accept offers and apparently has done so with regard to the FHF.
@Rick Bentley
When Bush attempted to increase regulation of the derivatives…the Democrats objected. Fannie and Freddie were big players in the derivatives. Of course, without the derivatives, NONE of the Democrat’s plans for those mortgages would have worked. The lenders had to hedge somehow.
Of course, once the public found out about free money….all bets were off. I blame the public.
If I and my wife were smart enough not to fall for that malarkey about borrowing more and more….and refinanced to the existing amount of the loan…. I blame the greedy public.
Bush had no clue what a derivative was. Give me a break. Most people had no clue what a derivative was.
Nice try.
Blaming the public is rather counter productive.
“When Bush attempted to increase regulation of the derivatives…the Democrats objected.”
I find that hard to believe. I don’t remember Bush wanting to slow down the party.
A number of 2001-2008 efforts by the GWB administration to warn about Fannie and Freddie and propose either closer regulation of them or the creation of an entirely new GSE (government sponsored enterprise) with tighter controls. Heaviest activity was in 2005 when SecTreas Jack Snow asked the House Financial Services Committee to create a new GSE for this purpose. Biggest opposition came from Rep. Barney Frank, who claimed that there were no problems at Fannie and Freddie. Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid tried to block any such action in the Senate as an attack on the poor. A GOP proposal for a new GSE was introduced but filibustered to death by Sen. Chris Dodd. Asst SecTreas David Nason made another effort in late 2008 but got nowhere with it.
It’s very difficult for poor people to get into a house without greedy crooked realtors and even dirty greedier ‘crookeder’ financial institutions.
Then there were the developers around here throwing up expensive poorly built houses built on the backs of the immigrant population. I guess that was Obama’s fault also.
I am sitting here trying to figure out how any of this has to do with those 217 votes we keep waiting for so the govt. can open back up.
What I am seeing is a lot of republican sympathizers trying to throw out shiny objects all over the place to fools us so we don’t start asking why the Speaker of the House hasn’t followed through with what he said he was going to do.
I have been reading all evening about how crappy the democrats were in the past. Who cares? I care that the tea party is controlling the Republican party and that the speaker is running scared.
@Wolverine
Thanks.
@Wolverine
http://www.utsandiego.com/news/2013/oct/09/denial-of-death-benefits-shame-on-president-obama/
White House press secretary Jay Carney said Wednesday that the president was prepared to act unilaterally to resolve the problem. But Carney also insisted the denial of death benefits was House Republicans’ fault. Those claims are not mutually sustainable.
Soon afterward, the White House announced that the Fisher House Foundation — a private organization that helps veterans in need — would provide the death benefits and be reimbursed after the partial shutdown. At about the same time Wednesday, the House voted unanimously to authorize paying survivor benefits. Thankfully, this problem is going to be solved, one way or the other.
But the outrage should remain. On Wednesday, CNN reported that on Sept. 27, days before the shutdown began, the Pentagon was already telling reporters it planned to suspend death benefits.
So for two weeks, the Obama administration has been anticipating this nightmare would come to pass — and did nothing to pre-empt it. Only when the Pentagon began denying death benefits and the backlash began did the White House realize this ploy was a political misstep and seek a fix.
Thanks, Cargo. Looks to me like a “temporary adversity ” is being overcome by some cooperation, albeit not without a bit of bumbling and grumbling. Good sign, I would say. Hopefully we may see some more of this. Donations in order for Fisher House. Good people.
@Wolverine
Just found out here: http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2013/10/bastards.html
Neither the President, Reid, or Boehner are responsible. It is all Hagel’s direction. Typical of him. And I agree with this opinion….
“The next time Hagel shows up in front of troops, they should just all silently “About Face.” Until the CSM or CDR detonates, then they can turn back. The point will have been made. “
Let’s go back to the topic. Trashing the Obama administration isn’t going to make your side look any better. Right now they look like crap.
If any troops ever turned their backs on the Secretary of Defense, they should all get a dishonorable discharge. I would feel the same about someone doing that to Rumsfeld also and I couldn’t stand him. That is dishonorable, disrespectful behavior.
I cannot believe the Park Service went into the Claude Moore Colonial Farm in Langley and tossed all the volunteers out. The Park Service hasn’t had a thing to do with that historic place since they abandoned it budgetarily in 1980 and a private foundation run completely by volunteers took over all responsibility for it. Now the PS comes back and forces the closure of an entity they kissed off over 30 years ago. Yeah, right. Your man Obama is looking real good. Turning the Park Service into a bunch of “enforcers.” I would say that Obama is starting to catch up bigtime in the crap department.
Did Obama have a motorcade that took him over there to throw the volunteers out?
How long did you have to dig for that one? How about explaining to the rest of us how this obvious mistake is the fault of the President.
@Moon-howler
Hagel’s cynical decision was also disrespectful.
So you advocate a total breech of discipline as a response? What is it that Hagel did, in your eyes?
Since when did the military get to be egalitarian? For that matter, Patton was disrespectful.
@Moon-howler
Actually, Wolverine didn’t have to dig at all. I reported that two days ago. The admin instructs the executive branch..which includes the Park Service. And it was not a mistake. It has been done on purpose…just like closing road side stopping areas with cones to prevent people from pulling over and looking at Mt. Rushmore or attempting to block access to Mt. Vernon.
The President is like the CO of a ship. EVERYTHING is his responsibility in the executive branch.
Cargo, you do not know that anything is done on purpose. Why would you say that? At least have the decency to say it is your opinion rather than trying to state your opinion as a fact.
Why are you worried about Mt. Rushmore? There are so many things far more important than Mt. Rushmore. Start with the people who aren’t getting a pay check or the US credit rating or the status of people’s retirement accounts. Getting to pull over and look at Mt. Rushmore becomes small potatoes.
There are people out there trying to keep things afloat with a shut down government. Mistakes will be made. Why is the government shut down? Because some A-holes in the house won’t vote for funding the government. Its really that simple. The finger points only one way, regardless of you running around with the bag of shiny objects in hopes of distracting us.
I have been following the “debates” here on Moonhowlings for awhile now. It seems to me that the right blames everything on the Dems and the left blames everything on the GOP. For the sake of brevity, let us designate the right’s arguments as “puppies & kittens”. Let us now designate the left’s positions as “warm fireplaces and cheesecakes”. Now every time a right winger wants to make a point here… cut the crap and type “puppies & kittens”. You lefties do the same thing only type “warm fireplaces and cheesecakes”. I think this will make an all-around more decent discussion and make us all feel better.
Warm fireplaces and cheesecakes.
@Moon-howler
I’m saying that it was done on purpose because the Park Service threatened them with losing their license. As for “worrying” about Mt. Rushmore…..why aren’t you worried that the Park Service is petty enough to block off road side turn outs on public highways where people might pullover for a scenic view? Someone ordered that action. It’s incredibly petty.
Why is the gov’t shut down? Because the Senate and the President are so extreme that they refuse to do what EVERY other party has done with divided gov’t. They will not negotiate a compromise.
Sorry, Moon. Compromise does not mean do it the Democrat way. There are people trying to keep things afloat. Those people have passed numerous bills to fund the gov’t. Too bad the Democrats care more about a gov’t program than funding the gov’t or the American people.
I’m not trying to “distract” you. You will never blame the Democrats or Obama. I’m pointing out how petty, extreme, and incompetent your side is.
I simply think you are full of crap.
Why don’t the banana republicans you think are so great just hold reproductive rights hostage? How about Medicare? How about Medicare D rx?
That makes about as much sense. Established law should never be held hostage nor negotiated to keep the government from being shut down. I don’t care what law it is. There are ways to change laws. Shutting down the government so everyone cowers is simply wrong, undemocratic and un-American.
Cargo, Wolverine – I agree that the Democratic Party was the primary driver on pushing mortgages to people with bad credit. But I was speaking of another issue – financial derivatives and their trading. This was probably the larger factor in the 2008 “crisis”. The GOP gets more of the blame for that one.
I would say greed was the motivation.
And the great Mr. Greenspan .. the Ayn Rand devotee that we collectively decided to treat as if he were some type of wizard.
O.K., Moon. I guess we can agree. Re the Park Service and the Claude Moore Colonial Farm: looks like the White House staff is managing to fumble some of their control of the Executive Branch in the shutdown situation. Seems like the Prez also got surprised by the Pentagon’s handling of the military death benefits as well. An operational command and communications problem it would appear. First year of leadership? Well, o.k. Fifth year? Baaaaaad!!!
Wolverine, I think you are focusing on the wrong thing. You are fiddling while Rome is in danger of burning. I could give a rat’s ass what the park service closes at this point. It is so immaterial to the well-being of this country.
Very few people are as in lust with national parks than I am, so when I say that, don’t misinterpret my sentiments. The national parks are some of our most treasured possessions, as a nation. I hope they stay shut down, if nothing else to protect them from harm.
You might want to watch Ken Burns National Parks documentary to see how man has tried to squander our national parks. You are more than willing to use them for political purpose. I see little difference.
Well, I would have to agree with Mr. Bentley. As I recall, the actual derivatives market was an effort by major financial entities to save themselves from a bundle of losses in a housing market bubble enabled by the Dems in Congress and by Andy Cuomo and Janet Reno in the Clinton administration. The whole thing, the government-enabled housing mess and the subsequent derivatives shenanigans, ought to be lumped together, in my opinion, and the guilty ones figuratively horsewhipped on the same parade ground at the same time. That whole thing from beginning to end was stupidly mishandled or insufficiently opposed by government and mixed later with determined private greed. Shameful as a whole is the operative term, I would say.
I simply think you are full of crap.
Why don’t the banana republicans you think are so great just hold reproductive rights hostage? How about Medicare? How about Medicare D rx? Established law should never be held hostage nor negotiated to keep the government from being shut down.
Yes, I know you think that I’m full of crap since you are a liberal apologist for Obama.
Why don’t they? Because we are busy trying to PREVENT more dependency. One fight at a time. Any law? You really want to go with that? Because we’ve had some horrendous laws. Since Obama and the Senate have absolutely no intention of amending, changing, delaying any part of ACA, please suggest a way to get them to do so without penalizing by withholding funding? That is the way the game is played. The GOP is using their constitutional powers. That is why they were elected. Try to stand for something more than your bank account. My money is in the market too. But you are willing to give control of health care to the same abusive gov’t that implemented Fast and Furious, Benghazi, allows exportation of weapons to terrorist countries, used the IRS and NSA for illegal purposes, wants your access to your financial records merely to allow you to LOOK at what you might get from Obamacare with no way to delete said info, and will use the executive branch punitively to advance their PR and illegally to advance their agenda. You want rule of law? You don’t like banana republics? Then why are you supporting such a corrupt president?
And now all the House wants is a delay….which is desperately needed.
http://www.volokh.com/2013/10/10/james-madison-anticipates-possibility-government-shutdown-predicts-house-representatives-can-prevail/
And thus the House is acting COMPLETELY within their prerogatives in the utmost American way.
I have it on good authority that Rome is not burning. And I don’t even own a fiddle, much less play one.
I do, however, have decades of work and living experience with so-called “banana republics.” And I see the term poorly applied here. The signature hallmark of any “banana republic” is el chefe supremo, the big boss, le grand patron, the guy who controls the levers of power over military and civilians. He is, in effect, the “top banana” in a “banana republic.” Ergo, whenever someone starts tossing the term “banana” around in partisan reference to claimed screwups within the USG, I feel a natural obligation to focus on the banana at the top of the political heap in order to enter the conversation. Now, just who might be the “top banana” in this town at the moment? I do have a feeling that the feller is starting to slip on some of the second term peels.
“As I recall, the actual derivatives market was an effort by major financial entities to save themselves from a bundle of losses in a housing market bubble enabled by the Dems …”
Good god that’s a slanted perspective. I thought they were doing it to rake money in hand over fist; you see it as a defensive maneuver against liberals.
Cargo, if you think this is the American way, then don’t complain when Nancy Pelosi becomes Speaker, threatens to defund the military, and comes for our guns, so that we can’t keep our children from being indoctrinated, and possibly sodomized, by the liberal secural progressives (“S.P.’s) who we all know are out there. Don’t come crying about it when Pelosi puts an illegal immigrant in every back yard and has schoolchildren singing socialist anthems.
It will happen next election and I don’t think Rick is kidding about the illegal immigrant in every back yard.
Mr. Bentley, the involved lending institutions, arm twisted by Cuomo at Treasury and by Reno at the DOJ, to approve potentially problem mortgages, decided to take unusual measures in order to avoid the losses facing them when the whole program went bad, Defensive? Absolutely. But not unheard of in business, for the love of Mike. Greed? If you wish. But business always tries to find ways to cut losses. I’m not arguing one way or another at this point, but one would think it would be obvious from my previous post that I was personally not happy with any aspect of the thing. I do find it rather weird that someone who could not even remember the historical details of the Repub-Dem Fannie and Freddie fight under GWB is now pontificating on the alleged “slanted perspective” of others.
Reno at DOJ? What on earth are you talking about, Wolverine? The only Reno I can think of at DOJ was Janet Reno. She hasn’t been there in a long time.
Yes, Janet Reno at DOJ during the Clinton administration. When Treasury ran into difficulties in getting certain lending institutions to participate in this special mortgage program, they got Reno to use DOJ legal threats against those same institutions if they continued to hold out. I posit that’s how the whole mess got started. Good intentions but an ill-conceived program with very bad consequences. Sound familiar maybe?
What I recall is DOJ having to get involved because minorities were still being excluded, having nothing to do with q1ualifying income.
Why do you think they were excluded? naturally lending institutions are going to trump up low incomes etc since the information is private to start with, when talking to the public.
“I do find it rather weird that someone who could not even remember the historical details of the Repub-Dem Fannie and Freddie fight under GWB is now pontificating on the alleged “slanted perspective” of others.”
Yeah, I’m happy to do so. I think that most Republicans are anal-retentive maniacs. They want to retreat into the past, and are becoming increasingly strident about their desires to keep the world from turning or progressing forward. They always assume the worst about America, not because it’s a rational way to live, but because that is their psychology – they are the babies who enjoyed the sensation of holding their poop in, and tend to resist change with all their might. They tend to be insular little freaks who live in a constructed world where it’s hard to get any light or optimism in. They are creating their own weird religious order based around buzzwords like “liberty”, “freedom”, and “Obamacare”.
@Rick Bentley
Meh…. she’s been there before. See…I expect the Dems to win eventually….. no one stays there forever.
And she WILL act just as you describe ANYWAY. That’s what she attempted the last time. Or did you forget the “WE WON.” attitude and the locking out of all Republicans?
@Rick Bentley
And I had a nice rant insulting you because of your description of Republicans/Conservatives, thus revealing what you think about the commenters on this site..
But… I’m not. I’m not going to sink to your immature level.