I really hate all these ridiculous short-term CRs, putting off reality for two or three weeks at a time. If the dumbass Republicans are going to shut it down, then let them do it and suffer the consequences instead of letting them string everyone along. There may be an argument for a shutdown causing less misery in warm weather than in cold, but that might be the only mitigator. I'm so sick of these paper tigers. Make them filibuster, make them shut it down, make them show themselves for what they really are.

Whale oil, beef hooked! -Kevo

Dear Republicans:

Please please please shut down the government over protecting the rich and promoting dirty air while we have military involved in active hostilities overseas.

Thanks in advance,

Zeitgeist.

hells littlest angel,
"Make them filibuster, make them shut it down, make them show themselves for what they really are."

We need to pull the skin off their faces to expose the horrible alien monsters that reside within.

I'll be shocked if they DON'T shut the government down.
They want to do it because they want to, and they can.
Nothing else matters.
Republicans are like evil, willful children who'll do anything and everything to piss Mommy, Daddy and all of the rest of the adults off.

Maybe the voters have finally seen their true colors?
Nah!
The MSM will still push them as the party of adults on fiscal and security issues. Which is like making Jeffrey Dahmer a judge at a teen beauty contest.

This will be after the Social Security checks and other federal program assistance is done.
I have to say I despise the Republicans and they belong in the 10th circle of hell.

Following the lead of the President, the Dems have spent far too much time pushing toward the GOP positions (and dissing their base in the process), all in the name of "good faith negotiations," and look what happens. The Republican party cares about one thing and one thing only: the total annihilation of the Democratic party.

It's high time for the Dems to let the GOP pull the trigger -- the public will blame the other party for the ensuing chaos.

On a few other of Mr. Benen's posts, there have been some comments decrying his blaming voters for this mess, because, after all, they were fooled by GOP propaganda.

To which I reply, fool me twice, shame on me. If, after the past 30 years, they really still fall for GOP lies, then they aren't innocents who walked blindly into this mess.

So I agree with Mr. Benen on this: Thank you so very much, voters, for electing these clowns.

We got a 3 week extension the last time because polling and focus group data showed that the R's would get blamed for a painful shutdown. The R's are working on turning this around in the 3 weeks, NOT working on preventing a shutdown. You can bet that in this 3 week timeframe, their meme of democrat = shutdown will be taken up by the corporate press that is owned by the wealthy.

If the Dems are smart...who knows?...they will have their own PR ammo ready. But who can count on when the Dems rise to the occasion?

Like an apprentice who has discovered that a short piece cannot be lengthened , even by an application of infinite cuts , the young turks of representation are not going to get even a little bit pregnant on this .

Oh Noes
No no no !
Not a little
Not at all
For our bright lions of reason and cant

Have us singing this Paean a gift of Mighty Mighty Right

We shant and we can't
If the lights are dimmed
Against the roar we will swim
Making light of the plight
Damn the professional might
We are all fight
So fight we 'til we fright
Those emotional shills
Of orphans , widows
What the lord wills
Or sealing wax
Entitled to what
The good lord knows
Is left after the Right has their fill

Why can't the Democrats take control of the "narrative" of this story?
It baffles me how the GOP gets to control the way news is presented.

tomb: Between the likes of Faux "News" and O'Keefe/Breitbart, the GOP has the national media totally cowed. The democrats can't get any leverage on TV.

Not that this excuses the voters, I think. 2006 and 2008 weren't that long ago. They really should remember why they kicked the GOP out in the first place.

The big problem is, this hasn't been a one and done plot by the gop.They've effectively used fox
pretend news to lower the IQ's of so many citizens
and destroy so much of the economy , that now , they can finsih the job with this final shutdown.

They will have pieces in place for their final action, whatever that is, it has been a plan for some time.With no way to effectively get the message out, things may come to a tragic conclusion...

We are a nation of idiots. We have exactly the government we deserve. History will not be kind to us.

If only someone had warned Democrats that abandoning their base and moving even farther right would depress turnout and lead to exactly this result. Ah well, who could have predicted, right?

Stupid voters, choosing real Republicans over fake ones.

While the Republicans and Corporate Media must shoulder most of the blame, the Democrats have to take some responsiblity for the current situation. We do next to nothing to argue our positions. Oh, we send emails to each other, and write blog posts and comments seen by our like minded friends, but do we actually put up much of a fight.

I was encouraged by General Gard's ads, but damn it, except for Rachel's show and 7 selected districts, have those ads received any play.

Nobody is ever going to convince me that we can't do more to gain the daily narrative. We just aren't trying.

Democrats aren't interested in scoring political points with this. In all probability, most of them have bought into the corporate line on "austerity". That's their big problem. Look at Schumer — the absolute worst of the conciliators, who always talks tough and always folds in the end.

"Make them filibuster, make them shut it down, make them show themselves for what they really are."

This would work if the public could tear itself away from Charlie Sheen's latest antics for a few minutes. Worse yet, they'll see it filtered through FOX and come away determined to vote all Democrats out asap for what they're doing to America.

The Democrats could save themselves a lot of trouble by simply surrendering immediately and giving the Republicans everything they want. Does anyone doubt that's what they'll do eventually.

I'll jump in here to remind all- again!- that Big Media is just as large-and profitable- as Big Oil, Big Pharma, Big War.

And corporations have no souls, no morals, no interest in "the greater good."

Perhaps it is time to replace Emma Lazaruth's inscription with :
"Abandon all hope, ye who enter here".

Republicans are most happy as a minority party extracting the turning over of public assets to their wealthy donors and puppet masters.

I doubt the Democrats have bought the 'corporate line on austerity' but they have almost no leverage over the minority that is determined to wreck government until it advantages wealthy people and corporations over middle class people and small businesses.

What leverage do they have, now that the Koch Brother fascists have gained virtual total control over communications in this country, following the communist recipe that their father cribbed from Lenin to do the precise opposite of what Lenin wanted to do re the redistribution of wealth.

Fascists they are and they will win by exercising brute force and lawless power, until and unless they are taken down a peg or two somewhere by someone.

Changing the middle eastern dictatorships is actually a start in this: they have backed Republicans to the hilt (and vice versa; everyone assumes it is we who put them in power, but the reverse is more often the case).

I heard that "top-level" people in some agencies, formerly very optimistic, now are figuring a 50% chance of a shutdown Apr 8. This is ominous, since the previous word coming down was "don't worry don't worry don't worry".

To which I reply, fool me twice, shame on me. If, after the past 30 years, they really still fall for GOP lies, then they aren't innocents who walked blindly into this mess.

So I agree with Mr. Benen on this: Thank you so very much, voters, for electing these clowns.

Posted by: Shade Tail on March 26, 2011 at 11:40 AM

Your apologies for the Corporatist in Chief grow increasingly lame.

Obama lost the Democratic initiative in 2010 because he squandered it sucking up to the GOP the prior 2 years.

Now with his war for oil in Libya, he's gobbled up the last GOP sin he hadn't yet eaten.
~

Rather than blaming the voters who showed up in 2010, it's more accurate to blame those who didn't. Only 41% of eligible voters, turned out in 2010. There were some who decided to "show them" by not voting, and many more who are simply apathetic. Republicans have been doing their damnedest to keep it that way, and Dems didn't give them enough reason to care. They'll care more next time since it's obvious to those even paying just a little attention, that they are definitely NOT the same.

“Republicans remain unwilling to go ‘too far below’ the $61 billion in economy-hurting cuts approved by the House; they're reluctant to debate which parts of the budget the cuts can come from”

This is why Obama and the Dems need to offer up SPECIFIC legislation (tax increases on the wealthy, cuts in Corporate Welfare, defenses cuts, and cuts in subsidies to oil, timber, and mining) that is LARGER than $61 billion, so when the Republicans shut down the government, the White House and Congressional Dems can point out that even though they never even offered up any specific legislation, the Republicans went ahead and shut the government down anyway.

It seems to me it comes down to what is worse for Boehner: Being blamed for a shutdown, or making a deal with Reid and Pelosit that can pass the House with only a minority of Republican votes, and also pass the Senate. Since they would eventually have to vote funds to operate the government even if they did go for a shutdown, I think there is a least a chance that he might go for the 'one and done' solution, rather that dragging things out. I don't know how many of the non-teabagger Republicans in the house would realistically face a threat from the right next time, but I kind of think that 2010 was probably the teabaggers high water mark, especially if there is no tea-bagger representation on the presidential ticket.

oh please.

pay attention benen: there. will. be. no. government. shut. down.

obama will cave; republicans will get EVERYTHING THEY WANT AND MORE! "The Deal part deux" a made for TV cheap soap opera...complete with obama blaming it on republicans: 'because, because, because...they're mean, and they made him do it'!

I just wish obama would have the decency to hurry up and get it over with, because sure as the sun will rise tomorrow he's gutting social security and medicare. obama's little pretend kabuki is annoying as hell.

I second SW: we're a nation of idiots, and have just the government we deserve.

Stupid voters, choosing real Republicans over fake ones.
Posted by: Tom Allen on March 26, 2011 at 12:13 PM

Like Russ Feingold in Wisconsin, Alan Grayson in Florida and Tom Periello in Virginia? *Those* "fake Republicans"?

It's true that, on the whole, more DINOs got pink slips than principled, real Dems. But, by using an overly wide brush, you end up painting a simplistic -- and untrue -- picture. Some DINOs were retained. And some true Dems -- even those fiery enough for people like you -- got booted. But accepting that, more nuanced picture of what happened in November, wouldn't fit in with your "I hate Obama" pattern, so you ignore it and wave some simplistic (and inaccurate) slogans, instead.

This is why Obama and the Dems need to offer up SPECIFIC legislation (tax increases on the wealthy, cuts in Corporate Welfare, defenses cuts, and cuts in subsidies to oil, timber, and mining) that is LARGER than $61 billion....

Posted by: Joe Friday on March 26, 2011 at 1:12 PM
========================

You're right, Joe, but they won't do it. The Democratic party is controlled by people who represent those same interests. There are still some Democrats that represent the people (whereas the Republican party is a vast wasteland of corporate whores), but those Democrats have little to no power in the party as a whole.

P.S. What pluege said.
~

["Your apologies for the Corporatist in Chief grow increasingly lame."]

Well, take heart. Your silly rhetoric couldn't possibly be any lamer. But then, nothing can. You are so determined to ignore the reality that **we have the government we voted for**. And if you can vote but didn't, then you still chose the government we now have by way of your inaction.

This is the fault of the *voters*. Blather your idiocy about "corporatists" all you want; they only got in power because of the willing cooperation of the voters. None of your infinitely lame rhetoric can change this essential fact.

Difficult as a shut-down will be for lots of people, at this point I think that Obama and the Democrats have no choice but to draw a line in the sand and let the Republicans force a shut-down.

If this is going to happen, Obama should seize the moment and go on television with a speech saying what's going to happen, explaining how the Republicans are causing this to happen, and explaining what consequences will flow from it.

Fox News, Rush Limbaugh and the Republicans will scream and shout, deny this is their fault, blame the Democrats, etc. But the issue will be front and center, Obama will have framed the debate, and the Republicans will be forced to sound increasingly defensive as it became clear that they were the ones who refused to compromise--who refused to allow any tax increases, who insisted on irrelevant riders, etc.

The American people have, for decades, preferred politicians who try to work together, who are willing to compromise and form consensus. This will severely damage the GOP in the 2012 elections.

Like many in MD/DC, our household has some skin in this game and we're planning for at least a 3-week shutdown.

The bummer is that shutting down government serves no purpose. It's nothing but political blackmail using the federal workforce as hostages. And the work they do doesn't go away, it just piles up.

If a foreign entity were to somehow shutdown government, the same people forcing this showdown would be calling for B-2 bombers.

"Thanks again, midterm voters, for electing radicals and putting us in this mess."

Sometimes you have to endure a bloody nose to win a fight, but anyone (besides wingnuts) watching this will see the source of the problem is GOP extremism. That will be a rallying cry for 2012. Hurting the country to score political points is transparently unpatriotic. The President should do his usual good faith effort to be reasonable, address the nation like grown-ups when the idiots reject him, he should explain who is responsible for the first $10-11 trillion of the national debt and hang the rest on inherited Bush policies, and let the political center take out the nuts in 2012. Even some sane members of the GOP have had enough of these fools.

Of course, the Democrats could have passed a budget last summer and President Obama could have signed it in September 2010. However, the Pelosi lead Democrats were so scared of passing a budget that they put off passing a budget until after the elections in November 2010.

If anyone is to blame the budget problems it is Nancy Pelosi.

This is the fault of the *voters*. Blather your idiocy about "corporatists" all you want; they only got in power because of the willing cooperation of the voters. None of your infinitely lame rhetoric can change this essential fact.

Posted by: Shade Tail on March 26, 2011 at 1:51 PM
================

If the Democratic party doesn't offer up an alternative besides corporatists (call it the DLC, if you like...or Democrats In Name Only, it's all the same thing), then that's what we're going to get no matter whom the voters choose.

You run around the country and kick those *voters* in the rear, ShadeTail. Tell 'em the beatings will continue until morale improves! That always works.
~

Mrs. Chief and I receive our Social Security checks on the 2nd Wednesday of the month. If I do not receive mine on time in April, I will blame Speaker of the House John Boehner for the delay. If Gov't shuts down, I blame Rep Boehner. If Congress can't do the job, I blame Boehner and the Republicans for not wanting to govern but to just do political posturing.

Let's hear about something about stability. When will the market commentary stars start talking about (I suspect a few high rollers) sending the Dow Jones on the whipsawing Dow?

Wikipedia: Whipsaw
1. A change in a security's price quickly followed by another change in the opposite direction. For example, a security could rise $1 then quickly lose $2, or it could fall 50 cents then rise 75 cents. Whipsaws are significant risks for day traders and speculators who may lose large amounts of money in short-term trading.

2. To buy securities at a market top or to sell at a market bottom. That is, one whipsaws when one buys or sells securities at exactly the worst possible time. One whipsaws out of fear or out of misreading market signals. To whipsaw is also called to chatter.

GE reveals a cozy relationships of our government to financial kingpins & high rollers that are jeopardizing stability. Protest movements are rising now Wisconsin, Michigan, and of course Ireland, Greece, Portugal and now UK.

Tea party agents of provocation in our states are willing to throw the dice once again with announcement of new cuts to disrupt state revenues. This is getting ugly now that taxes on the poor are coming out in recent proposals of consumption taxes and the continuation of bank foreclosures.

"Thanks again, midterm voters"

Oh no, thanks Democratic Party for giving people sooooooo many reasons to support them in the midterm. Reasons like escalating the war in Afghanistan, approving Deepwater Horizon, putting Wall Street hacks in charge of half the government, and on and on and on.

I know that many democrats are probably sorry they did not come out and vote in the mid terms and that many think it will be put right next time, I am not so sure, the damage done in the mid terms is wreaking havoc by republican governors killing the unions, also doing their level best to stop the young people, minorities and the elderly from voting, in fact any group that might vote for a democrat. To top it all Koch's are going to spend unlimited funds thanks to citizens united, so our prospects may be bleaker than we think. I personally think that we elected Obama to do an impossible job i.e. fix a destroyed economy, manage two Bush wars and clear the debt, while the right have abused and vilified him from day 1. Whatever his salary - it is not enough!

And to add to the above, we expected it to be done in 2 years!

All well and good for the Oldsters , who are getting by . The lingering disaster for the young Mr and Mrs Youngster , whose relief from the worst recession/depression since Republican idol , Hoover , is a faint heart and the callouses on their belt tightening thumb .
These wonderfully counterintuitive approaches at governing and policy from the never give an inch to anyone aside from , Defense contractors , Farm subsidies , Pharmaceuticals and their lobbyists , Upper income tax cuts , Corporate tax cuts , Inheritance tax fights , Peoples sex orientation , Peoples ethnic origin and an especially visible downer is people who are browner , Religious persecution , Theocratic twining with Corporate rule , ruling a womans body the property of the state , ruling a womans dress as probable cause to (switch 'em!) incite/invite assaults , and last but not least , to prosecute non whites for being presumed guilty in Louisiana (Arizona) in case there is a bored sheriff or prosecutor , or an offended neighbor who feel some (brown) folks are getting uppity (or getting by better than their neighbors) is getting out of (racist white) control .
Just because the effective quality of life for the unwashed masses is devastated , the civilization we seek as nation protects Republican supporters from caring . With the coming poll taxes and new rules for identification slimming the opposition to Republican populism , what can go wrong with rubbing a little unwashed noses in the dirt ?
Hey ! It worked in Iraq , Rwanda as minority hegemony , Israel and South Africa for generations of minority concentration camps rule . We have the technology , we have the will , suppressing everyone who steps out of line will step in front of a taser , then into a prison work force . Karl Rove has dreams too .

The pattern is all set.

Obama will throw up his hands after the fact, say that all the stars aren't aligned for him to get his way about X or Y, and decry the lack of bully pulpit that would allow a political leader to shape the course of events.

Step One is altering that course of events is announcing immediately that if the GOP shuts down the government, Democrats will not agree to any deal to 'un-shut' it that does not include a surtax on millionaires to raise deficit-cutting revenues (currently polling between 80-90% approval). Given that the #1 goal of the GOP is to never increase taxes on the wealthy, if done convincingly enough, that should be all that is necessary for the GOP leadership to compromise and go back to their base saying, "We tried but we have to wait until we can either control the Senate or the Presidency come 2012 or later."

"Thanks again, midterm voters, for electing radicals and putting us in this mess".

Thanks again, democratic party leadership, for permitting the Blue Dog's tails to wag the party's every strategic and tactical consideration.

"Is a looming government shutdown unavoidable?" With th present bunch of rodeo clowns playacting as politicians there is no hope. Republicans want to destroy America for their own personal gain. Fascists all who toady to KOCH and lobbyists to destroy American Democracy for fascism! Charge anyone against our democracy with TREASON

Needed, from Steve and whoever can pitch in: a deep, drag-out-the-dirty-laundry look at just WTF is wrong with today's American voters. Sure, too many Democrats stayed home and many were disappointed etc. in their own Party, but that doesn't account for all the clods who pulled the R levers.

"...Dems need to offer up SPECIFIC legislation (tax increases on the wealthy, cuts in Corporate welfare, defense cuts, and cuts in subsidies to oil, timber and mining)..." Joe Friday @ 1:12 PM.

I prefer not to give Republican/Teabaggers anything they could use to distract the public from their own incapacity and unwillingness to actually govern, but I must say that I like this idea very much; although with a slight modification.
My personal opinion is that there WILL be a shut-down, most likely for less than two weeks because anything longer will interfere with SS payments and I don't see Boehner risking the ire of so many who vote for him. However, the negotiations during the shut-down would be the perfect time to introduce such proposals as suggested by Joe Friday. Since the media will likely trot out the old "Democrats need to offer SOMETHING", what better time?
Might even get some of it in the Budget...

Perhaps -- without suggesting solutions -- this bit of information will be helpful:

I became a registered Democrat, an elected Precinct Committeeman, county webmaster, state webmaster, state Publicity chair, and a delegate to the Democratic National Convention to FIGHT the encroaching Republican nightmare.

I spent ten solid years in the trenches of the organized Democratic Party (Will Rogers notwithstanding).

In 2004, I had to quit, in order to fight Republicans. Democrats "fight" all right. But only among themselves.

Good! I work for the fed gov't and get a vacay! I think i will just clip coupons....my family will be all right and we do need to do something about the deficit.

Oh no, thanks Democratic Party for giving people sooooooo many reasons to support them in the midterm.

Exactly. There's nothing for progressives here!

http://whatthefuckhasobamadonesofar.com/

Hey, that's a great link, AK Liberal. I mean, if you're into mind-bogglingly trivial, school uniform-level policy trivialities as opposed to, oh, 10% nominal (20% real) DISemployment as far as the eye can see, big banks bigger than ever, people's homes still being stolen, and on and on and on.

Oh, and Bradley Manning is being tortured, and Obama thinks that's appropriate treatment. Nobody with a moral compass can support that.

this is a dance we've had several times lately. In the end, Boner will give the TeaParty branch of the Republican Party it's pound of flesh and allow the government to shut down. After which the government will eventually start up again. I'm not really sure, at this point, if I care when that happens. Look at Canada, our neighbor to the North...it's government has just been dissolved!
Look at Mexico, our neighbor to the South, it's government is at the mercy of drug dealers. And we, the United States of America, is at the mercy of people like Bachmann, Gingrich, Huckleberry, Walker,Palin, McCain, Boner, McConnman and on down the line.

I'm so old I can remember back in 2006 and 2008 how the Republicans were going to be a 'rump regional party'. What happened? The F**cking Democrats happened, that's all it took. Laugh at the Republicans or look at them in horror but there is virtually NO f**cking difference between them and the Ds.

[Goodnight, Political Animals. We will be back in the morning with fresh threads and moderators to keep the thread-fouler away. -Mods]