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.”

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.

This week's Events

The NEPA TEA Party is hosting a Fire Obama meeting Tuesday October 02, 2012 at The Cafe, 112

0 Highway 315, Plains Township, PA 18705 for 6:30pm.
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 The NEPA Tea Party has secured thousands of yard signs, bumper stickers & hand outs. It is our goal to arm teams & individuals all over Northeastern Pennsylvania with those materials to make the difference necessary to deliver the votes that will carry the rest of the state!
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Yeah, yard signs and bumper stickers will turn the tide.Maybe they will have Tri Corner tin foil hats.
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Details at the FB event page.
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I spotted 3 local debate watch parties. There maybe more.
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 Wilkes University College Republican Debate Watch Party 
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  Starting at 8:30PM

 Henry Student Center
84 W. South St.
Wilkes-Barre, PA 18701
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The local Obama For America campaign 
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 What: Debate watch party in Wilkes Barre

Where: 70 South Main Street
Wilkes Barre, PA 18711

When: Wednesday, October 3rd  9:00 pm
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Across the street my local Republicans friends will gather.

 The Luzerne County Republican Party is sponsoring a Presidential Debate Watch Party. 2 Large Screen TV's, Pizza, Cash Bar. Event is open to the Public. Please join us!

8-11PM

Mulligan's Irish Pub

41 S. Main St, Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania 18701
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Again on Facebook. 
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In the future I gotta get a laptop with wifi  so I can live blog an  event while I hang out. Before then we have to pay for a new roof. 
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This Sunday the Luzerne County Democrats have the annual picnic in Ashley.
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The Luzerne County Democratic Committee welcomes you to attend our annual Fall Picnic on Sunday, October 7th beginning at noon. The event will be held at the Catholic War Vets Grove in Ashley, PA. Congressional candidates Matt Cartright and Gene Stilp will speak at the event. Meet Democratic candidates for office and enjoy an old-fashioned fall picnic. The event is FREE.

.My Republican friends say Obama cool aid will be served.

RSVP on Facebook 
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I noticed that the CV didn't run Political Scene Monday. Maybe I should tell them what is going on or the event organizers could drop them an email.

Tea party gives gas pains to Barletta and Marino

With a few exceptions freshman Congressmen Tom Marino and Lou Barletta have voted with the Republican leadership to destroy Medicare, gut environmental regulations , cut the funding of vital agencies that protect our food, air and water then complain that they are not doing enough to protect their constituents. But that hypocrisy didn't matter much to the teabaggers.

What has got them exercised is a tax break for the development of natural gas vehicles.

Politics PA: Barletta and Marino are co-sponsors of the NAT GAS Act (H.R. 1380), which would allow for an excise tax credit for alternative fuels, a tax credit for business that produce natural gas vehicles or alternative refueling stations, and an income tax credit for individuals who purchase alternative fuel vehicles.

I have to say that I agree with them. Making the tax code even more complicated and favoring one business over another just distorts the marketplace. On the state level programs such as Keystone Opportunity Zones (KOZ) just pit pit one town and state against another and in the end the taxpayers get screwed.

Not that us taxpayers are not used to getting screwed but we don't like it but just can't figure a way yet to fix it.

Weak tea

This is just the beginning.

Is Rand Paul Already Selling Out?

So Rand Paul talked the talk on earmarks but says he will "fight for Kentucky’s share of earmarks and federal pork, as long as it’s doled out transparently at the committee level and not parachuted in in the dead of night. “I will advocate for Kentucky’s interests,” he says."

The senior Senator from Kentucky agrees “As I think all of you know, you can eliminate every congressional earmark and save no money,” the Republican leader said. “It’s really an argument about discretion.”

I think McConnell is right about the arithmetic but the symbolism is deadly.

This is just the beginning of a string of broken promises by the newly empowered Republicans. The question is will the tea party voters call them on it or will they just lay down and be trampled on like what happened under Bush because it's OK if you are a Republican to break your word.

Poll results

Who will be the next Speaker of the House?

Nancy Pelosi(D) 40 (61%)

John Boehner (R) 25 (39%)

After I made a wager with Joe Valenti of PittstonPolitics.com. I asked you my dear readers of Gort42 to give us your opinion of what would happen in the fall. And you have predicted the soft spoken grandmother from Sodom on the San Andreas will be wielding the gavel for at least 2 more years and the chain smoking guy with the orange skin will still be saying no. That tanning bed tax is a bitch, heyna.



Forbes: Tea partiers confused, taxes ‘lower by every measure’ under Obama

A Tea Party I'd like to attend

(one without a political agenda)

From TPM:

Of course, according to some other "Tea Party" types out there, it is often said that Kenya's major export is none other than President Barack Obama, who was supposedly born in Kenya, then covertly smuggled into the United States so that a biracial child named Barack Hussein Obama would one day grow up and run for president as part of a grand Marxist conspiracy.

But so far, it just looks like the Kenyans are bringing in some of their fine tea for this Capitol Hill event.