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Poor John Boehner, what’s a spineless, emotionally fragile, carrot-toned man to do when he signs up to lead half of a branch of government but finds that he is instead carrying the flag for a zombie invasion? What else? He fearfully marches with them so he won’t be eaten.

Despite Boehner’s casual assertions all Summer that there won’t be a government shutdown or a default on our debt, his hubris in thinking he could trick the dimwitted Tea Partiers out of their political terrorism was once again for Boehner, a crying shame (actually, “A Crying Shame” is the proposed title for Boehner’s autobiography).

After his and Eric Cantor’s very transparent stunt of having a repeal or delay of the Obamacare detachable from the budget bill failed, Boehner was faced with a critical decision. Does he stand up to the frothing-at-the-mouth anarchists in his party and say, “I won’t allow you to harm this nation of our party!” or does he say, “Well, if blowing up the U.S. economy and what’s left of the GOP is what you want, I’m willing to compromise on everything I believe just to keep my position as leader so count me in!”? If you guessed the latter, you win a box of official John Boehner brand facial tissues (they’re extra absorbant!).

There are some questionable pundits who bizarrely portray Boehner as some brilliant tactician who wants the Tea Party to have its shut down and when the public turns on them, they will be tossed out and Boehner will be rid of them in the next Congress. Now, does that sound like the John Boehner we have all come to know and loathe? In the words of John Boehner himself, “Hell no!”

What Boehner has done throughout his time as Speaker, in response to the Tea Party howling that they want ice cream for dinner right now, is to tell them that they can have ice cream for dinner tomorrow night but tonight we have to have an adult meal. Eventually, even those of limited intellect such as Tea Partiers catch on to the fact that they’re being lied to and manipulated…no doubt it has angered them as they expected to be the ones doing that.

So now, they are not accepting, “Let’s not set fire to our own House,” as a legitimate reason not to do so. They’ve been storing up the cans of gasoline and matches, they’ve been putting it off long enough, they want to commit this arson and like spoiled brats, they are not taking “But we’ll immolate ourselves!” for an answer.

So without any mature supervision in the Republican Party, this sure looks like a strong possibility to happen.

However, Boehner may be counting on the pressure from the public and the business community to push his party back from the edge. He is now standing with the extremists in his party like a battered wife and will bring to a vote a Continuing Resolution on the budget that “defunds Obamacare”…even though he knows that this won’t and can’t happen nor pass the Senate. The Senate will ignore that bill and pass their own CR that does not include the kill-Obamacare provision.

So The House, which will try to claim, “Uh-uh, we’re not shutting down the government, Obama is for not agreeing to our extortion threats!” will actually be the ones in the hot seat, with a Senate bill and Obama’s affirmation that he will sign it sitting on their desks. At that point, Boehner probably assumes that the extremists will have to fold and the CR will be passed. He may be right about that but it’s not due to any brilliant strategy on his part, it’s the result of his cowardice and the realities of the democratic process.

But what if the Tea Party loons in The House shrug off the pressure and refuse to sign a CR that doesn’t defund Obamacare? There are two possible outcomes. First, Boehner could bring it up for a vote despite ignoring the Hastert Rule…which isn’t a real rule and is a policy of not bringing anything to a vote that the majority of the party in control doesn’t approve. This is a strong likelihood as Boehner has done it before on big votes when his nutjobs won’t cooperate. That means that Dems could push the vote over the top and Boehner can claim he was serving democracy to bring it to a full vote. The other possibility is that Boehner throws up his hands and fiddles while the US economy and the GOP burns. I find that less likely but a real possibility.

Either way, the GOP is proving their disdain for the American people and democracy, trying to use extortion to force their will on a nation that clearly re-elected their President who championed the ACA, that had its Congress pass the ACA and that had its Supreme Court validate it as Constitutional.

But in the Bagger States of America, there is no majority rule, representational government or respect for the law. There is only, “I want what I want and I don’t care who I have to hurt to get it!” That is their motto yet it seems most fitting for five year olds who throw tantrums than those who swear to uphold our Constitution and serve our nation as stewards of our democracy.

Whatever happens, this only further diminishes the GOP as a party deserving of power and pursuing the best interests of the nation. They are accelerating down the path of permanent minority status (especially after 2020 and much of their gerrymandering is hopefully undone). In the meantime, the U.S. may have an aggressive Department of Homeland Security but they can’t touch the greatest threat to our nation, only voters can.

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agrippa
Member
agrippa

There is very good chance of a government shutdown.
I think that the Tea Party should be allowed to do it, and live with consequences as best they can.

choicelady
Member

Thank you for this, AdLib. It is damning in detailing Boehner’s cowardice.

He has a choice. He can put nation FIRST by ending the absurd “Hastert Rule” that demands that nothing passes unless the GOP are solidly for it. Boehner could build a coalition of more sane GOP plus Dems and pass both the debt ceiling and the CR, but he has clearly gone over to the Dark Side and is supporting the 80 extremists rather than the 138 more rational people in his own party.

If we get shut down, NO one will forget that in 2014. However insane is Cruz claiming it’s Obama and the Dems, only the hardcore will think that’s true.

But the chaos that could ensue form this shutdown? I shudder to think how people already hanging by their fingernails will ever survive this.

Boehner has shown he will abet sheer evil if pushed.

kesmarn
Admin

AdLib, my favorite sentence in your fine article is this one:

[T]he GOP is proving their disdain for the American people and democracy, trying to use extortion to force their will on a nation that clearly re-elected their President who championed the ACA, that had its Congress pass the ACA and that had its Supreme Court validate it as Constitutional.

I’m struck again by how often in the past you have called things so accurately and sized up situations so realistically. And you’ve done it again. My ardent hope is that the President holds strong on this; and I think he will.

I know that a no-drama solution to this whole thing would be the best option, but there’s some little part of me that almost wishes that the GOPTeaParty gets its “comeuppance” somehow in the process and that they learn the lesson that extortion is not part of the democratic process.

Whether they are actually capable of learning anything, though, is the real question.

choicelady
Member

I want to give a quick summary we’ve started to use in our trainings on how to enroll in ACA.

Here is how you can comply with the new health care laws:

Routes to participating in Obamacare:

1.Keep the insurance you have now from employers, private market, Medicare, whatever.

2.Buy insurance in the private market at full market rates with its standards of coverage, deductibles etc. Your rates are not regulated but set by insurance companies.

3.Refuse insurance and pay the fine to protect ERs and hospitals against your unpaid costs; pay all your own costs yourself accepting bankruptcy if need be.

4.Buy private insurance in the Exchange with subsidies that vastly reduce your costs, tie your cost to your income not the market rates, and provide huge numbers of free services, excellent coverage standards, and guaranteed access no matter your health.

Number 4 and only number 4 is actually “Obamacare”.

Any of these options is open to you. Insurance is mandated now simply to protect us taxpayers from having to pay for your costs if you default on your medical bills.

Government will not run your health care any more than it does in Medicare. It will simply help you pay for it in number 4.

Now what is so scary about that?

Kalima
Admin

Ted Cruz may style himself as a leader, but the reality is that he and his fellow travelers are just the latest in a long line of shameless grifters. And like the presidential campaigns of Newt Gingrich and Herman Cain, this grift will continue for as long as there is money to earn, and Republican voters to con.

The Obamacare Swindle (It’s Not What You Think)

“Health-care reform isn’t going anywhere. But that hasn’t stopped Republicans from using it to raise money from gullible Tea Partiers who want it defunded”.

http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2013/09/18/the-obamacare-swindle-it-s-not-what-you-think.html

Nirek
Member

Kalima, they prey on the ignorant. The very people who will benefit from the affordable care act are duped into voting for the GOP because they have hate in their hearts or are just plain ignorant.

Kalima
Admin

Yes Nirek, isn’t this what con artists and grifters do for a living? In the real world they would be arrested for this, so why can’t these crooks face the same punishment for doing the same thing? Companies are being fined for false advertising all the time, and if this isn’t false advertising, then my name is Napoleon Bonaparte.

kesmarn
Admin

Kalima, here’s a late breaking bit of news on that scam-artist Cruz. Seems his own fellow-nutters are now turning on him:

http://thinkprogress.org/politics/2013/09/18/2646991/republican-civil-war-breaks-twitter/

Later edit: Don’t know why that link won’t “go live” but the gist is that the House GOP is turning on Cruz and the Senate GOP for being cowards.

Kalima
Admin

Thanks for the link kes. If this didn’t have so many consequences for the economy and many people in need, I’d say bring out the popcorn, but now I will say, sack the buggers soon and cut their wages for six months to a year. Sad excuse for elected officials anywhere, but in the U.S. an unforgivable disgrace.

KillgoreTrout
Member

The GOP created a monster, or I should say, let a monster into their ranks. The GOP never really had a good reputation in regards to social justice and compassion, but now, their new found vote getters are an Albatross around their power hungry little necks.

The GOP is self destructing at a pretty quick pace, and for them to kow tow to the fanatical baggers, just makes things worse for them. I bet Boehner and a few others in the traditional GOP are wishing they could turn back the clock and rid themselves of this once welcome entity.

agrippa
Member
agrippa

It looks to me that there is a large faction in the GOP caucus that Boehner cannot control. At this point, he has very little actual power.

Nirek
Member

Agrippa, you misspelled “Bonehead”.