Democrats: Revoke the Bush Tax Cuts or We’ll Shut Down the Government

How’s that for turning the tables?  Or maybe the Democrats could demand:  “De-fund the Pentagon and the Drug Enforcement Agency or We Won’t Raise the Debt Limit.”  “Democrats are willing to keep the government running, just as soon as the PATRIOT Act is eliminated.”

Two can play this game.  The House won’t always be controlled by Republicans.

If the shoe was on the other foot, would we still be getting all these “neutral” headlines about “Both parties are blaming each other” and “Lots of finger pointing from both sides.”

President Obama is absolutely right to refuse ANY negotiations “with a gun held to the head of the American people,” as he described it.  As soon as the GOP teahadists un-strap the bombs from their chests, we’ll talk.

And it’s imperative that the Democrats not agree to any of the Republicans’ piecemeal overtures, no matter how tempting or politically appealing.  “If you’ll sign this one little agreement, a disabled homeless veteran can take his grandson, who has cancer, to Yosemite National Park for one last visit.  Pleeeeease?!?!?!?!?”

NO.

As soon as the Democrats agree to one single heart-wrenching exception to the government shutdown, the floodgates will be open.  It’ll be the end of the day-to-day legislative process as we know it.  There’ll be absolutely zero incentive to write out complex bills with big words, pore over details, bicker over the wording, reach across the aisle, make tentative agreements, etc.  Why bother with all of that boring drivel when it’s so much easier to just govern by extortion?  Blackmail?

Can’t achieve your agenda through the legislative process?  No problem.  Just wait ‘til the federal government is about to run out of money, or we need to raise the debt limit, or we need emergency disaster relief after a hurricane.  Ready?  Write down the exact details of your wettest wetdream, strap on the explosives, and spew out your demands.

“De-Fund the Homeland Security Department!”  “Eliminate the minimum wage and suspend all workplace safety regulations!”  “Eliminate ALL funding for the Environmental Protection Agency!”

Or America gets it.

NO, There are NOT “Two Sides” to the Government Shutdown Debate

WTF is up with this “liberal media” we keep hearing about?  There SHOULD be some media bias when they’re reporting on something as blatantly one-sided as the Republican Party taking 300 million hostages.  When one side is a bunch of cocksuckers and the other side is trying to act like grownups, the media should call it like it is.  They can put away their phony “objectivity” and simply refer to the government shutdown debate in terms of the cock-sucking douchebags versus the grownups.

It’s not “biased” to point out that one person is taller than the other, or that a Ferrari goes faster than an old VW van.  And there’s nothing slanted or opinionated about saying that one political party has a gun to the country’s head and the other party is trying to defuse the situation.

Enough of these “unbiased” headlines about “Finger-pointing from both sides” and “the two parties are blaming each other.”

If a would-be victim decided to fight back against a mugger, these “unbiased” reporters would say “Oh look, there’s a fight going on.”  “Now let’s be fair to both sides.  The mugger’s version of the story is _________________”

The Republican Party has become virtually disabled when it comes to winning elections or achieving their agenda through the legislative process.  They couldn’t stop the Affordable Care Act from becoming law, the Supreme Court has upheld it, and the party responsible for the Affordable Care Act trounced the GOP in the 2012 election.  And this trouncing took place in spite of the Far Right’s massive Block The Vote drive in so many swing states.  (Solution:  More voter suppression.)

The only tactic the Republican Party has left is to hold the entire country hostage.  Delay Obamacare or the global economy gets it.  In a few weeks, when the debt ceiling becomes the next hostage, it’ll be “approve the Keystone XL pipeline, delay Obamacare and suspend all EPA regulations or the country goes into freefall.”

Where does this shit end?  Why bother with this labyrinthine cumbersome legislative process at all?  It’s so much easier to just take hostages and say “Do this or the country gets it!”

After hostage-taking and blackmailing have become more commonplace and more accepted, we might all start getting in on the act; especially with local political issues.  “I have some remote-controlled explosive devices planted throughout the Civic Center.  As long as the city council votes the way I want, nobody will get hurt.”

And if you should try the above tactic, the media will be sure to tell YOUR side of the story.

Top Eleven Reasons the Teabaggers Want a Government Shutdown

What’s so good about a government shutdown? Let the Teatards count the ways:

Slower Economic Growth: According to analysts at Goldman Sachs, a shutdown could take 0.2% off the growth of the Gross Domestic Product for every week it continued.

Housing Market Jeopardized: During a shutdown, the Federal Housing Administration would cease operations, blocking home loan and insurance applications.

Tax Refunds Blocked: A shutdown would delay $42.1 billion in refunds to 14 million taxpayers. That’s $42.1 billion that WON’T be pumped into the economy.

Deficit Increased: By increasing the costs of funding the debt, a shutdown would actually increase the federal deficit.

No More Small Business Loans: During the shutdown, the Small Business Administration will halt the processing of all loan applications. The SBA approves about $50 million worth of small business loans per day (when the government is operating).

No More Insider Trading Investigations: At the Securities and Exchange Commission, the shutdown would stop most investigations and most work on in-progress enforcement cases.

Social Security Enrollments Delayed: While Social Security checks still go out during a shutdown, applications for new enrollment will be processed more slowly. A huge backlog of applications for Social Security disability benefits would grow even larger.

Workplace Safety Inspections Halted: At the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), which polices workplace safety regulations, 95% of workplace complaints will go unanswered.

National Park Tourism Jeopardized: National parks close during a government shutdown. National park visitors spend about $32 million a day. Unfortunately, this is only when the parks are OPEN.

800,000 Federal Workers Furloughed: A shutdown would force the furlough of about 800,000 federal employees. The Treasury would owe them $174 million a day in back wages.

State Budget Problems Even Worse: If a shutdown occurs, there’ll be no federal money to help states pay the administrative costs of their unemployment programs. States will have to borrow more money to keep the programs running.


Way to go, Teajobs. We had to destroy the country in order to save it.