An interesting point from First Read (via);
The situation in Wisconsin is also another reminder that Newton’s third law of motion — for every action there’s an equal and opposite reaction — applies to American politics. When George W. Bush, after winning re-election, tried to partially privatize Social Security in early 2005, he woke up a despondent Democratic base. When Barack Obama, at the height of his popularity, decided to take on health care, the Tea Party and an energized GOP rose to combat it. And now the physics of politics is playing out in Wisconsin, where Democrats and organized labor are resisting new Gov. Scott Walker’s effort to strip state workers of their collective bargaining rights.
I think that’s about right. This could help give Democrats the populist jolt they need. And we’re going to need it for the upcoming battles:
A high-ranking aide to Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) told Democratic chiefs of staff that a government shutdown “is more likely than not”.
And:
The SSA has put its employees on notice that GOP spending cuts could well lead to furloughs.
“It is important to note that the Commissioner has not decided to effectuate a furlough,” reads a letter from the office of labor-management relations. “However, given the potential of reduced Congressional appropriations for the remainder of the fiscal year, the Agency is issuing this notice at this time in the event that a furlough may become necessary.”
I’d say “bring it on” but I don’t want working people getting furloughed and I don’t want the economy getting sabotaged by teatard high-jinks. So I’ll say this instead: say “shutdown” again, I dare you, I double dare you motherfucker, say “shutdown” one more goddamn time.
bogart83
Fuck these assholes.
debbie
I’m looking forward to Breitbart and his minions showing up in Wisconsin. Finally, after years of Democratic weak responses, these Breitbart clowns are going to confront people who are every bit as angry and nasty as they are and who will be just as vociferous.
I think the Republicans are finally going too far. Here in Ohio, I’m enjoying the fall-out from Gov. Kasich’s calling a state trooper an idiot for giving him a (justified) speeding ticket — even as he knew his speech was being broadcast. (Yes, he is that stupid.) On a local news analysis show (Columbus on the Record), even the Republican representative had to admit that Kasich had been foolish and added that it looked like a mistake that Ohio Republicans were pushing to end collective bargaining.
General Stuck
Meanwhile, there’s trouble brewing on Planet Wingnut
It is highly amusing to watch wingnuts try to out wingnut one another. On the other hand, it is terrifying that these crazy motherfuckers control a chamber of congress. Now I am going back to weekend Galt status, to dig some on my personal bunker.
Shalimar
I wish Obama would get to the morning of the shutdown and then lose it in a press conference and really let lose on them.
“This has been like negotiating with hostage takers. There is no compromise. We do every single thing they want or the United States Government is the victim. I have tried for more than two years to deal with these people, and it’s impossible. They don’t speak in good faith. Their word is worthless. And they just don’t care what happens to all of you who aren’t rich. What happened, America? Why did we elect so many selfish assholes whose only goal is making their millionaire friends billionaires and who don’t give a damn if you and your family all lose your jobs and die in the streets?”
Suck It Up!
I feel it too. Its time Americans stopped being like crabs in a barrel. Time for the poor and middle class to see that we are all being pitted against each other over issues that don’t make their wallets fatter.
Time to push back on the Kochs. No more Koch blocking.
jo6pac
If demogods would grow a spine and keep it then may be I feel a little happier about this. Oh right they haven’t yet, yes the base is Alive but the office holders not so much except in this state.
Suck It Up!
@Shalimar:
great thing about protests is that they are lead by the people. Its very empowering to take matters (legally) into your own hands and Americans need to do that a lot more often.
WyldPirate
The Republicans are dragging their feet and snookering the Dems and the White House.
Here is what is happening. Te Rethugs are dragging their feet to run out the clock and loading up the budget for the remainder of the year with a huge number of cuts which they know the Dems in the Senate won’t pass and that Obama has already said he would veto.
So, they fuck around until the last week/second. The Senate can’t reach an agreement, or if they do it goes to Obama who has said he will veto.
The Dems or Obama will either have to cave to the Rethugs draconian cuts and slash the budget that will not only cause lots of pain across the nation and blunt the pathetic “economic recovery” or follow through on the threat to not accept the Rethug House madness or veto.
Dems hold the Senate and White House. The Rethugs and the compliant media will lay the blame at the feet of the Dems for the shutdown. The retarded American public will buy that shit all day long and twice on Sunday (despite what is going on in Wisconsin).
The Rethugs win either way. They cripple the government and cut services to those who need it most while serving their corporate masters, or they cripple/shut down the government and further stall the economy for which they can easily pass off blame to the Dems because THEY wouldn’t consider their “share the pain/broad sacrifice budget” and because the Dems are in charge by holding the Senate and White House.
The American people are too fucking stupid to understand what is going on.
Maude
@General Stuck:
If I dig my bunker wide enough, we’ll meet in the middle.
Gawd.
4tehlulz
I know this is considered horribly uncivil, and President Obama would look like a angry black man saying, but I would like for him to point out that the Republicans are shutting down the government during wartime. Isn’t that the very definition of treason?
But I’m sure Halliburton and Xe, good patriots that they are, will continue providing their services out of their love of country, and not for the steady supply of dollars, so the troops won’t really feel the effects of this horrendous policy.
patrick II
I cannot believe the Dems in congress were so fucking stupid that they did not get a budget passed last year. It is always a danger to let the opposing party wack away at your budget after an election, but this year was even worse. The dems passed a large bill their opponents are antagonistic towards and then did not pass a budget to get it funded and off to a good start its first year. Am I misunderstanding something here, or is this about the stupidist thing I have ever seen a congress do? Ok, the stupidist thing a democratic congress has ever done. The repubs are working on one-upping them right now.
Alex S.
This is really going to be as bad as it can be.
There WILL be a government shutdown unless the Democrats cut Social Security and/or Medicare/aid.
Rick Scott, Scott Walker, the new republican congressmen, they are the last and most radical wave of movement conservatism. They’ve got to destroy the New Deal now, because demographics won’t allow them to do it later on.
Amanda in the South Bay
I’m hoping that if there is a shutdown, the VA won’t be affected and I’ll still get my Gi Bill payments. I also work part time and save like hell, so I think I can weather any shutdown, but it’d sure fuck with me and make me even more depressed and anxiety ridden than i normally am.
Feudalism: Serfs Up
Finally, reason is coming to Wisconsin! Breitbart will lead the virtuous to put the rabble in their place. Don’t these Public employees know they are civil SERVANTS. They need to learn their place and the Tea Party Express is more than willing to remind this Islamo-Communist riot of their place.
Like knights of old they will ride in on their mighty Rascals™, and slay… sorry defeat this socialist dragon. Only then will taxpayers be able to prosper in this great nation under our beneficent lords of capitalism.
General Stuck
I’m with Dougj. Being responsible for shutting down the government will not be good for the GOP in particular, and will serve to wake up dems in general, like it did in the nineties when the wingnuts did it then. And that was at a time when their brand was at it’s highest. It will be a bad thing for the pain it will cause ordinary Americans, but sometimes a little pain is a needed for a wake up call. Dems and Obama are playing it about the best they can under the circumstances.
JPL
I read that since the majority of Soc. Sec. recipients have direct deposit, they won’t be affected. Is this true? Supposedly the repubs aren’t concerned because of this.
General Stuck
And if these several recent failed GOP House votes on draconian tea tard measures are any indication, it just might be that there are enough semi sane wingers in the House that remember the nineties experience, to not go full Rambo on the republic again and get the blame. It is very uncommon for so many failed votes by a House majority in such a short period of time. So we shall see.
morzer
@Maude:
Well, my bunker is going to hit China sooner or later, so y’all are welcome to join me in Soc.ialist paradise. Good all you can eat buffets, or so they tell me.
morzer
@Maude:
Well, my bunker is going to hit China sooner or later, so y’all are welcome to join me in Soc.ialist paradise. Good all you can eat buffets, or so they tell me.
Jamey
Check out the big brain on Doug!
“What. Does. Congressman. Ryan. Look. Like?! Does. He. Look. Like. A. Bitch?!?”
David B
Shutdown, dumb a**
harlana
It would have been awesome to see all republican governers follow suit and have demonstrations across the country. A national spectacle the likes of which Wolff Blizter has not seen. But I’ll take what I can get. Gooooo Packers!
Lavocat
Shit, if I ever get into another streetfight, I’d like DougJ to be on my side.
matoko_chan
YAY! now lets honor that sentiment by giving EDK the hook.
plz?
why do we need a fifth columnist at BJ?
dontcha know the teabaggers have “reasonable” goals too?
DougJ®
@David B:
Does Obama look like a bitch?
Citizen_X
@Jamey:
Well, yes, he does.
Superluminar
Why.Do. I. Put. Full. Stops. Everywhere?!???!! I’m. Like. Uncle. Clarence. Thomas’. Bitch!!!??!! M_c has. A. Better. Grasp. Of. Syntax. Than. Me.
agrippa
Shutdown?
Do it GOP!
Sir Nose'D
@Shalimar:
Shorter Shalimar: “The President of the United States does not negotiate with terrorists.”
Oh what I would not give to hear Obama utter those words.
harlana
Um, right. Then she needs to tighten her own belt and drop the make-up artists, pricey hairstylists, hair bumps, expensive jewelry, fancy suits, and high-priced heels and donate the auction proceeds to a children’s fund. Also, how bout we start with a hefty percentage of her book sales?
RSR
Bloomberg Defends Budget Decisions
PeakVT
I cannot believe the Dems in congress were so fucking stupid that they did not get a budget passed last year.
It wasn’t the fault of Democrats in general; it was the fault of Blue Dogs and their Senate equivalents. I am positive that Reid and Pelosi would have loved to have passed a budget, but the idiotic motherfucking Conservadems balked because they though being more conservative would save them. And, as progressives across the net predicted, it didn’t.
Person of Choler
A cautionary tale from Newton’s homeland about how government employees may not be as beloved of the public as they may think they are, and some consequences thereof:
http://www.samizdata.net/blog/archives/2011/02/some_british_ad.html
f_space_that
I don’t think a shutdown will be that painful to the general public. Unless Obama gives a direct order to turn out all the lights much of the data processing (direct deposits) will continue automatically. There will be many Federal workers who will be designated essential and at a minimum be on call to fix problems. This happened in 1995 where I work.
Xantar
This is a good point, but I would quibble with the second sentence. It should be more like, “When Barack Obama, at the height of his popularity, continued to be black…
Felanius Kootea (formerly Salt and freshly ground black people)
@Person of Choler: Somehow I don’t think many Americans view their children’s teachers as parasites sucking off the taxpayer teat. That’s why many kids showed up to protest on behalf of their teachers in Wisconsin.
debbie
@ Felanius Kootea…:
As did a few of the Packers. I knew there was a reason I liked that team.
chopper
one of the times i’m happy to live in NY. if bloomberg tried to take away public employee unions’ rights to collective bargaining this city would burn to the ground.