Kidnapped by K-Mart

After all the drama of the last 2 weeks the Congress agreed to raise the debt ceiling and fund the government until early next year. The sad thing about it it is is almost the same deal that was agreed to before  the September 30th deadline. So in a way the Republicans actually got a policy victory in continuing to fund the government at levels that included the sequestration.

 But that wasn't good enough at the time so they overreached by demanding that the Obamacare be defunded to keep the government open and not default on the debts that the Congress had already run up. That wasn't a negotiating position, it was a ransom note and the President was right to reject it and refuse to negotiate. He stated he was protecting the office for future President's both Democrats and Republicans. A minority of one house house of Congress cannot demand a repeal of settled law and threaten to crash the world economy if they don't get their way. If my Republican friends want to repeal the Affordable Care Act you need to win the next election.

Texas Senator Ted Cruz took them down this rat hole and it may help his ambition to win the 2016 Prez nomination. He raised a ton of money in the last few weeks and millions signed his "petition." His petition is just a mail/email list so he can go back and hit people up for more money.

As the deadline approached the ransom demands were reduced. First it was repeal Obamacare then delay it for a year. When that was met with a steady no from the White House and the Democrats  the ransom was to reduce to medical device tax which wasn't taken seriously. You're really not going to blow up the economy over a tax on stethoscopes and tongue depressors.

At this point it started to remind me of the film Ruthless People when Bette Midler screamed " Do I understand this correctly? I'm being marked down?  I've been kidnapped by K-Mart!"

The debt ceiling has has been pushed off until February and CR lasts until January. Keep an eye on the new improved super committee that is supposed to report in December and come up with a new way to screw people on Social Security. .

Statements from our local Congresscriters.

 The first from my 3rd fav GOP guy:

Rep. Lou Barletta Statement on House CR and Debt Limit Vote

 

WASHINGTON – Congressman Lou Barletta, PA-11, tonight voted for legislation to fund the federal government through January 15, 2014 and extend the debt limit until February 7, 2014.  Barletta issued the following statement:

 

“I never wanted the government to shut down, nor did I want to default on America’s financial obligations.  After weeks of attempts at negotiations and many House votes to reopen the government, I believe we are finally on a path to move forward and get back to the work of governing the country.  While the final legislation we passed tonight does not even approach what I would have preferred, my love for this county and my concern for the well being of her people trump everything. 

 

“We cannot risk a default on our financial obligations, which would damage our standing in the world and threaten the retirement accounts of countless millions of Americans.  With this action, we reopen the government, restore needed services, get people back to work, and ease global financial concerns.

 

“As a former mayor, I always want to find solutions to problems.  During this prolonged debate, the landscape was continually changing, as were the possible paths to common ground.  I worked hard and kept looking for answers.  In the end, I chose to side with the American people and avoid near certain financial and fiscal disaster.

 

“It’s important to note that this is only a temporary arrangement, and I am sincerely hopeful that many of my concerns about Obamacare and government spending can be addressed as we move past this crisis.” 

Matt will part of the leadership one day unless he goes for a higher office:

Cartwright Remarks on Bipartisan Agreement to Reopen the Government, Prevent Default

Washington, D.C. – Congressman Matt Cartwright released the following statement regarding the bipartisan agreement to reopen the government and pay our bills: 

“Today, the American people have seen Congress reach a bipartisan agreement to reopen the government and avert a default on the nation’s bills.  While the compromise that has been reached will provide our economy with the stability it needs, we must move forward together and do more.

“After more than two weeks spent facing off across a partisan divide differences were set aside to prevent disaster.

“Part of this agreement instructs leaders to name conferees to a budget conference committee.  The hope is that this action will assure Congress continues the work of setting this country on a path to job growth and fiscal sustainability.  The conference committee, which is charged with producing its negotiated budget package in December, is the appropriate place to discuss our differing views on the best way to chart a course for economic growth.

“Now we must return to our most important job – expanding the economy and protecting middle-class families.

“Let’s get together and actually pass a budget.”

End the Tea Party Shutdown

Washington DC (October 9, 2013) – Now nine days into the Tea Party government shutdown, hasn’t the middle class suffered enough?   Not enough for Tea Party Republicans in Congress who continue to throw out absurd ransom demands in exchange for doing their job and keeping the government functioning. Brad Woodhouse, President, Americans United for Change: “Make no mistake: refusing to support clean legislation to keep the government open at the 11^th hour was the act of extortionist Tea Party Republicans plain and simple.  Some Republicans even openly cheered it on.  The anti-government Tea Partiers who are calling the shots in the House demanded a ransom they knew they would never get: killing the Affordable Care Act.

This spot is airing in Harrisburg and I will tune into the local news later today to see if it's on the air in our market. I never really associated Lou with the teabaggers because his claim to fame is the immigration issue. But then again that is a natural fit.

PoliticsPA: “The House passed several bills to keep the government open. The Senate rejected each of them, shutting down the government,” said Barletta campaign spokesman Lance Stange. “Rep. Barletta remains committed to discussing how we can re -open the government and pay our bills whenever the Senate decides to have that conversation.”

Barletta moves the goal post

Rep. Lou Barletta (R) keeps disappointing us. In this whole budget mess he sounded almost reasonable but has reverted to making unreasonable demands for his vote to fund the government and raise the debt ceiling. He voted at first to defund Obamacare and  then to delay the ACA like the rest of the Republicans. When that didn't work out and the government shutdown came along  Lou made a few lists of people willing to vote for a clean continuing resolution but that didn't last long. . Now he wants a repeal of the the tax on medical devices in exchange for his vote to fund the government.

The Republicans complain that the Democrats won't negotiate but there is no need to as the Republicans keep negotiating with themselves. They started off with defunding the ACA , then delay it and now will settle for a repeal of one of the taxes that fund it.

It's a weak position. I suppose the Dems could let them have a vote on the device tax with a promise it will pass the day after they pass a clean CR as way of saving face.

This is more of a worry.

WASHINGTON – Congressman Lou Barletta, PA-11, today called for a Constitutional amendment to require a balanced federal budget as a trade-off for raising the nation’s debt limit as requested by President Obama.

The balanced budget amendment sounds good but it is nonsense. Government finances are somewhat complicated so who decides that the budget is in balance? Will accounting ledgers go to the Supreme Court that will rule on the question 2 years later? The Constitution is about rights and processes not specific policies.

You can argue about the budget but raising the debt ceiling is non-negotiable.  

Tweedledummies

The Debt Limit Farce

Up until 2011 the raising of the debt limit was just a a housekeeping chore that Congress had to go through occasionally. Whichever party that was  in power would vote to raise it  and the opposition against, usually unanimous on both sides. The debt limit was raised 18 times under President Reagan and 7 times when Dubya occupied the the White House

Saint Ronny even warned against not raising the limit:

"The full consequences of a default -- or even the serious prospect of default -- by the United States are impossible to predict and awesome to contemplate. Denigration of the full faith and credit of the United States would have substantial effects on the domestic financial markets and the value of the dollar."

When the Republicans took control of the Senate after the 1980 election it was time to raise the debt limit again and Senate Majority Leader Howard Baker met with his caucus and told them they had to vote to raise the debt ceiling. He got the usual objections from his members like "I never voted to increase the debt limit in my life", etc.  His response was the American people elected us to govern and now we must show them we are fit to govern. The Republicans then  all voted to increase it and all the Democrats voted against it. 

Now the Republicans are moving on from shutting down the government to threatening to blow up the world economy if they don't get their way. Do you know how many financial instruments are tied to the 30 year T-Bill? Not only in this country but around the world. If the Treasury has to decide between paying the interest on  the debt or issuing Social Security checks or paying other obligations there will be chaos not seen since 1929.

As I have said before these Tea Party people are not conservatives. They are anti-government anarchists. 

There is a way out of this ridiculous situation and Sen. Mitch McConnell of all people came up with it in 2011:

HP:
Under current law, Congress raises the debt ceiling, which allows the Treasury Department to issue more bonds to pay off debts and fund projects that Congress has already authorized. Raising the debt ceiling does not authorize or appropriate new spending, but merely settles old bills. 

Yet under McConnell's plan, which he called his "last-choice option," the White House would request an increase in the debt ceiling and Congress could only block that request with a veto-proof super majority -- effectively ceding control over the debt limit to the White House. A super majority would likely be difficult to amass, especially when neither party's leadership genuinely wants the nation to default.

Here we go again

(Photo via The Dish)


After over 40 votes by the House to repeal Obamacare the Republicans now have shut down the government over this unreasonable demand. You would think that they would have learned the lesson from the shut downs in 90's. Albert Einstein said it best.

Shut down or not the health care exchanges start enrollment tomorrow. The real fear of Republicans is that health care reform will work. Bill Kristol warned against that in 1993.

I haven't seen the Democrats this united since Bush tried to destroy Social Security.

Describing these people as conservative is a misnomer. There is nothing conservative in rejecting the result of the last election. It is not conservative to disrupt the function of the government or threaten to default on the obligations of the United States.

These people are anti-government anarchists.

Phil Scollo on the air

10th CD Democratic candidate Phil Scollo comes  out swinging in in his first TV ad in his race against Tom Marino. Usually a challenger's first spot is a warm fuzzy bio piece but Scollo doesn't have the time or the money for that. He hits Marino hard over his 2 votes to end Medicare and cut funding for the Tobyhanna Army Depot, the area's largest employer. In the last sentence he says "I'll protect Medicare from Tom Marino."




PoliticsPA has reaction from Marino Campaign Manager Ryan Barton who confirms that Marino wants to preserve Medicare for current or near retirees. What about the rest of us?

Then says “Instead, Mr. Scollo should be explaining to the hardworking taxpayers of Pennsylvania why he has not paid his taxes.”

Well, he did and explained it in several newspaper stories over the last few days

He got sick and his wife got sick and that almost ruined them financially. How many times have you heard of something like this? Scollo has worked out a payment plan with the IRS so he is not dodging his taxes. The Affordable Care Act (ObamaCare) is a start to ending this kind of nonsense when everything people have worked to build gets wiped out because of an illness.

Borys has the story.

PL: Tom Marino has also had some health problems but he had taxpayer funded healthcare that got him through it.

I wish both gentlemen and the lady a full recovery.

Karen Scollo explains what they had to deal with.

Less than 10 years ago, I was diagnosed with breast cancer. I was scared--both Phil and I were.

As if that weren't enough, our health insurance company decided to deny me coverage. Suddenly, we had no option but to pay for my cancer treatments out of our pockets. If you've been through these treatments, you know how expensive they are. We were at a loss for words.

I remember being angry at the cancer, at the insurance company. We had coverage. We paid the premiums, but they wouldn't cover the chemo. What can you do at a moment like that? What can you say?

At that moment we could have faced bankruptcy -- in addition to the cancer.

Then Phil took on the insurance company, showing them that in fact they had to cover my treatments. It was an intense battle, but he won. He got them to cover the chemotherapy. We pulled together and we survived.

Like many Pennsylvania families, our family has seen its share of ups and downs, especially in the last decade during the financial crisis and economic downturn. 

But my cancer and our fight with the insurance company aren't unique stories. It's an all-too-common American story.

Too many families like ours have faced this type of two-handed battle: trying to survive and trying to avoid bankruptcy or foreclosure.

Every family who faces this experiences true tragedy. And many are not as lucky as we were.

Throughout our battle with cancer (and Phil's later prostate diagnosis) we've had to face familiar modern financial struggles as well. Medical bills. Loss of work. But families know how to survive