FLAIT

This is an update to my previous post.

Now that the political terrorists have stomped their feet, grabbed their marbles and shut the government down because they couldn't block, repeal or destroy Obamacare, I have additional points to make and share.

Shutting the government down will take $300 million out of the economy every day. For an economy that's still recovering from the 2008 Wall Street collapse - as well as the GOP's other terrorist attacks on it such as the 2011 debt ceiling disaster which drastically cut job growth, last winter's "fiscal cliff" fiasco and this year's shoot-yourself-in-the-foot sequester cuts - it's like throwing an elderly heart patient down the stairs for fourth time. And if Republicans block an increase to the debt ceiling in a couple of weeks, that would be like throwing the refrigerator down on top of her...and then shooting yourself in the head.

There's something very important that has gone unnoticed in this, um, "debate" to fund the government. As Chris Hayes explains, even if Republicans allow a clean continuing resolution to fund the government, not only is it 20% less than what Obama proposed, it's exactly what Republican Paul Ryan called for in his budget.

So you see how things work? Obama proposes over $1.2 trillion in discretionary spending and the Republicans counter with $967 billion. And Democrats agree to the $967 billion. My God, a car salesman would love to "negotiate" with the Democrats! Yeah, sticker price looks good to me!

Anyway, so here we have Democrats begging the GOP to please, please, pretty please allow a vote on the Republican discretionary budget, but get absolutely nothing in return except a kick in the teeth and a government shutdown.

If I was Obama, I would have told Speaker Boehner last week that if the House didn't pass the GOP's clean $967 billion CR to keep the government open, then $25 billion would be added to that $967 billion every day that the government was closed, with every dollar going towards "big government" social programs, until he passed it. And I'd do the same thing with the increase in the debt ceiling.

Enough of this nonsense. It's been going on from the day Obama took office and about time he acted like a damn President and told the Republicans to go to hell.

But since Obama's such a wimp, and handing over his lunch money to the school yard bully every day, he'll never do it. So every time Republicans throw him up against the lunch room wall they get away with it. And Democrats wonder why they haven't "eaten lunch" in years.

When the Republicans passed the Medicare drug prescription plan in 2003, Democrats opposed it because it wasn't paid for, it was a multi-billion dollar giveaway to Big Pharma, and unlike the Veterans Administration, it prohibited the government from using its enormous buying power to negotiate lower drug prices (so much for the right's own talking points about "competition" and "free markets"). And what did the Democrats do? Well, what they didn't do is scare seniors by saying the plan had "death panels," they didn't block it to the extent Republicans tried to block Obamacare, they didn't test its constitutionality, they didn't sabotage its roll-out, and they certainly didn't shut the government down or threaten to block an increase in the debt ceiling because of it.

Had they tried to pull some of that, or even whispered threats like that, Republicans would have had a conniption fit - Democrats don't want President Bush's Medicare drug plan to succeed!

Make no mistake. Republicans would never have allowed Democrats to place a single obstacle in front of its passage or implementation. And there wasn't.

Also, unlike Obamacare, every state had to take part in the plan whether they wanted to or not. So blue states have to take part in costly, corporate-driven Republican programs, no ifs, ands or buts. But when it's a Democratic program that puts much needed and long overdue regulations on the insurance companies, and brings affordable health insurance to millions of Americans, there's massive protest, stubborn defiance and spiteful sabotage from the red states. See how things work?

Anyway, that's the political side. On the mature, responsible governing side, what the Democrats did do, was make the drug plan better by closing the doughnut hole and saving seniors over $6 billion.

So why can't Republicans do the same and improve Obamacare instead of trying to tear it down? Ask a silly question...

The double standards between Democrats and Republicans are glaring. But this is what happens when Republicans are nothing but thugs, bullies and political terrorists while Democrats are pathetic wimps who allow them to get away with it.

(October 23 insert: More details about how the Democrats didn't sabotage Medicare Part D and improved it and actually saved it, is here. Not only does this and Obamacare illustrate how Democrats put politics aside and build while Republicans obstruct, sabotage and destroy, but the double standards the GOP is allowed to get away with).

Red state Republican political terrorists are still refusing to assist their own constituents with Obamacare registration, here, took the first step to make its implementation a crime, here, and are sticking it to vast numbers of uninsured in red districts, here, and the poorest here.

More proof that the GOP and the right have nothing better to do than lie, spin and play nasty partisan politics to keep that moronic base riled up and angry at Democrats is here and here.

Laurence Lewis of Daily Kos picks up my theme about Republicans and why they can't allow Obamacare to succeed, here.

Markos wonders why Republicans keep saying that Americans hate Obamacare and want it repealed, but prevents them from voting and voicing that opinion at the polls, here.

Jon Stewart points out that when Obama shut down the White House tours earlier this year (and the Blue Angels had to cancel their Fourth of July air shows) because of the sequestration cuts, the right got all bent out of shape. But now that Republicans have shut down the government, parks and museums, eh, no big deal.

Stewart also has two choice words for Sean Hannity, which he deserved, but I'd rather not print them here. So do click (you can pick it up at the 6:00 mark for both)

Proof that Republicans are sociopaths is here, here and here.

Instead of being angry, embarrassed and apologetic, Republicans are "happy" about the shutdown. In fact, Michelle Bachmann (R-Middle Ages) declared, "This is about the happiest I've seen members in a long time." Yup, trying to sabotage affordable health insurance for millions of Americans and shutting the government down is the perfect time for celebration.

This is how twisted and demented Republicans are. It would be like an oncologist happy to tell someone they have cancer because of the money he'll make treating him (assuming that person has great health insurance of course).

Imagine if the shutdown lasts weeks; Republicans would be as ecstatic as that same oncologist with a SRO waiting room.

And if Republicans block an increase in the debt ceiling and default on the debt? That would be like a cancer cluster downstream from the oncologist's office. This is about the happiest I've been in long time!

And that's your Republican "Party."

If Republicans doing back-flips and giving each other high-fives over the shutdown doesn't infuriate you enough, check out this Rachel Maddow segment where she not only shows how happy these Republicans are, but explains what the shutdown means to real Americans (Warning: keep your distance from your computer screen because viewing it will give you the urge to kick it in. Oh, wait, that sounds like something a Republican would do, for spite.).

A lot more of the shutdown's effects on Sean Hannity the lives of real Americans are here and here.

If Republicans "love their country" so much, why do these sociopaths run for public office in the first place? I'm serious. We have a lot of complicated issues to deal with that require ideas (remember them?), intellect and cooperation. But instead of being part of the solution (insert raucous laughter here), they're the problem cancer political suicide bombers.

If Republicans want to be happy and celebrate their accomplishments, they should be fixing the nation's bridges, building schools and making sure all Americans have affordable health insurance instead. But none of that would even occur to them because their priority is to sabotage and destroy, not build and invest.

So if this graphic doesn't illustrate the objectives, agenda and goals of Democrats and Republicans this fascist, Christian fundamentalist cult, than nothing will:

October 9 insert:

I changed my mind on the debt ceiling.

If I was Obama, I wouldn't wait until the 11th hour last minute government goes into default, which is where Speaker Boehner and his political suicide bombers are taking us, to cut a deal to raise the debt ceiling. The lead-up would spook the global financial markets and a delay in raising the ceiling would increase borrowing costs by at least $1.3 billion, which is what it cost the Treasury in 2011 (I guess that's "wasteful government spending" Republicans don't mind). And an outright default would devastate our economy and global economy.

A default would upend money markets, destroy bond funds, slam the brakes on lending, cause interest rates to spiral, make our banks insolvent, and deal a blow to our foreign trading partners and creditors around the globe; all of which would throw the U.S. and the world into economic disarray.

So if I was Obama, I'm not going through another week of this nonsense. What the hell for? And I'm not going to allow Republicans to put America's credit rating at risk, again, nor would I allow them to take our economy down with them when they pull the cord on their suicide jackets. So I'd take unilateral action right now by using the "coin trick" (my term). The President "can" (maybe) allow the Treasury Department to print a $1 trillion coin and "deposit" it into the government's checking account. And just like that, the government can pay its obligations. Manufactured, self-inflicted crises over.

And when Republicans are through with their temper tantrum and come to their senses (insert laughter here), and allow a vote to raise the debt ceiling, the coin can be melted down.

Of course, there's one small problem with this. It would give Republicans exactly what they've been waiting for the last five years: a reason to impeach Obama (getting him to use the "coin trick" may have been the GOP's goal all along). And that would lead to a constitutional crisis and a political civil war. Great. Bring. It. On.

In my last post I said Republicans might as well just torch the country and be done with it. It wasn't hyperbole because other than the deaths and mayhem, Republicans have, are and will destroy the country more than Osama bin Laden could have ever dreamed of.

We know the enemy, and it is us Republicans.

October 14 insert:

More proof that the right-wing movement is a cult and its most dedicated followers believers are un-American, racist thugs is here. Truly disgusting. Reminds me of this.

Not that any more is needed, but proof that the GOP wanted the shutdown and guaranteed it, is here. And more sociopathic Republican hypocrisy and "logic" is here.

October 18 insert:

So the government is open and the debt ceiling has been raised and the Republicans have nothing to show for it. Now they're trying to spin as much blame as they can off themselves for the disaster they went out of their way to create. Karl Rove goes so far as to say it was a "trap" set up by Obama himself.

But Republicans can not use the economy, the government and it's credit rating as bargaining chips to manufacture one crises after another, string them out for weeks that tie up Congress, and get rewarded for it.

Keep in mind though that 18 Republicans in the Senate and 144 in the House (144!) voted to prolong the shutdown and default on our obligations. And that's disconcerting because we might have to go through this again in January and February when the government will have to be funded again and the debt ceiling will have to be raised again. And while there are assurances that it will be different next time, those 162 Republicans, as well as those who voted to open the government and extend the debt ceiling, are vindictive bullies who are used to getting their way. So they just might try and get their pound of "liberal" flesh next time around; revenge for Democrats making them look so insane and foolish.

For a "party" that has zero intention of governing and whose agenda is nothing but obstruction, gridlock, sabotage and attack politics, tying up Congress for weeks with a manufactured crises two or three times a year is the perfect way to avoid your legislative responsibilities.

Hey, if your agenda is to prevent any and all legislation from passing so our bridges crumble and other nations take the lead designing and constructing better solar panels, then squander as much time as possible on (made up) "crises" so these issues, and many others like them, get pushed aside and ignored.

And while the right-wing base is angry with Republicans for caving (they're not used to it since Democrats always capitulate and acquiesce to GOP demands), another stubborn confrontation with Obama and the Democrats, with all its cantankerous vitriol and hostility, would be exactly what the base will be looking for. So to get them back on board, Republicans just might have to give them another shutdown.

And it'll be a great way to raise money in an election year. So what the hell, shut 'er down again might be the rallying cry next winter. What do Republicans care? It's not as if they care about the country or anything.

Instead of January and February, the Democrats should have pushed for August deadlines when Congress would be back home campaigning for the mid-terms. That would force them to fund the government and raise the debt ceiling before they left town. And if they didn't, and shut the government down again - and closed the national parks in August - then that's a shutdown the voters would remember, unlike this one.

Nonetheless, it's nice to finally see Republicans capitulate for once and be on the defensive for a change.

The shutdown took $24 billion out of our economy. And the GOP's "crises driven" fiscal policies have cut U.S growth by 1 percent over the last three years (Paul Krugman believes it's higher). And Republicans blame Obama for the "sluggish economy."

More proof that Republicans are sociopaths is here.

More proof that Republicans aren't just wrong, but couldn't be more wrong is here.

A broken clock is right more often than Republicans. Why does anyone bother to listen to them?

Question: If Ted Cruz and John Boehner were both on a sinking ship, who would be saved?

Answer: America.

Question: What is the difference between the people who shut down the government and the people who have been furloughed?

Answer: The people who have been furloughed actually want to work.

The rest of it is here.

November 2 insert:

Twenty seven Republican Senators voted to disapprove their own votes to raise the debt ceiling. So when they run for re-election they can run TV ads saying they "voted against raising the debt ceiling." No, I'm not making this up, they really did this. Here's the details along with Stephen Colbert's take on it.

I don't know who's more stupid. Republicans who think a stunt like this would work or the Republican voters who would believe it.

In case you haven't noticed, intelligence is frowned upon on the right. Smart people need not apply. Ignorance, however, is rewarded.

It's as if the GOP political cycle has become some sort of 24/7 intelligence competition. Problem is, it's a race to the bottom, and there is no bottom.

This is why Republicans deny climate change, push creationism, and are pathological liars and hypocrites and political terrorists. Because that's the level of intellect they have (and because they can't agree with the Commie pinko Democrats, out of spite).

Embarrassing exponential ignorance - deliberate and otherwise - is also why you won't find creative thinking, independent thought and individuality anywhere on the right. Strict conformity. Everyone toes the conservative opposite-of-whatever-Democrats-are-for line regardless of the truth, the facts, logic and sanity. And that's exactly what a cult is.

You think I'm kidding? Not wanting to be left out of this "competition," 79 House Republicans voted to disapprove their debt ceiling vote the day after Senate Republicans did.