American Politics Thread 2013: I'm a cool Rodham grandma in the USA

i am, i guess

And the prez ses he won't do Fourteenth Amendment magic.

http://plainblogaboutpolitics.blogspot.com/2013/10/the-brilliant-leave-town-option.html

the thing as i think weve discussed is there is no real magic option, trillion dollar coin or whatever, as its mostly about legitimacy market confidence and whatnot

i mean while were talkin crazy 80s SNL-star comedy-style outcomes, if the GOP tries to leave the air traffic controllers could just stop working, its not like theyre getting paid rn

http://blogs.reuters.com/felix-salmon/2013/10/14/the-default-has-already-begun/

^ sums up my view on things

yeah thats a good piece

who would have thought the dollar would fall apart because of a republican dine-and-dash routine?

default happens thursday, right? and the only chance of avoiding it is if house accepts whatever the senate proposes last minute?

pretty much. that'll teach america to vote for a black guy!

http://www.people-press.org/files/2013/10/10-15-13-01.png

pretty sly and semi-convincing piece of radical writing here:

http://jacobinmag.com/2013/10/tea-party-yankees/

basically, "the tea party is correct in loving the constitution the way they do... and that's why the constitution is bad gree hee hee"

poll shows 10% of americans know how finance actually works

man this shit is gonna SUCK

once we default we'll be greeted as liberators

jack lew should commit ritual suicide on the steps of congress in protest

http://www.moviewavs.com/php/sounds/?id=bst&media=M4RS&type=TV_Shows&movie=Simpsons";e=default.txt&file=default.m4r

where are reinhart & rogoff now? they wrote a book documenting every time a country has ever defaulted on its debt: http://www.bloomberg.com/video/u-s-will-not-default-on-its-debt-rogoff-says-p1fNXwjLSyCzMhipcB8T~Q.html

um, shit?

https://twitter.com/tackettdc/status/390187773841252352
Michael Tackett ‏@tackettdc
BREAKING. Sen. Feinstein says ``it's all fallen apart''

https://twitter.com/SuzyKhimm/status/390189070170992640
Suzy Khimm Verified account ‏@SuzyKhimm
Sen Chris Coons really bleak about the state of negotiations right now. "We're in very dangerous territory."

not sure flopson but think someone upthread posted bruce bartlett's blogpost documenting every major advocate of default in recent decades?

http://economix.blogs.nytimes.com/2013/10/14/for-many-hard-liners-debt-default-is-the-goal/?_r=2&

to totally mix metaphors, the republicans can kill two birds with one stone -- repudiate the debt, a looooooongterm goal; and scapegoat a president they've sworn from day one to destroy -- all in one fell swoop! GOP! GOP!

Now, Durbin told reporters, Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell is in the position of having to wait for some signal on the next steps from Boehner before he takes any further moves.

"McConnell is waiting on Boehner and Boehner is waiting on his caucus," Durbin said

NY Times

and the caucus is waiting on a plane at DCA.

focused like a laser on jobs

CNN's breaking news is that Ted Cruz convened a SECRET MEETiNG in the basement of DC's Tortilla Coast restaurant.

Just walked by there the other night - feel like I'm so close to history

I hate living in these historical times.

quick everyone get to tortilla coast (really?) with pitchforks.

i'm trying to picture tortilla coast.

maybe wear your flair.

http://www.tortillacoast.com/location_capitolhill.htm

wait – weren't they at Tortilla Coast last night too? What must their margarita bill be like?

Apparently, just nudging up against default last time ended up with the US paying an additional $1.3B in higher interest on outstanding loans.

JF, do you have a source for this? (Sorry, at work and not able to google quickly.) I mean, it completely stands to reason. I would like to have some $ facts to confront my go-ahead-and-default friends with.

wait a sec

when I went to the inauguration, Tortilla Coast was our group meeting point before we got in line

I saw it on Maddow last night. xp

Anyone who seeks a repudiation of the US national debt as a goal is just baffled and frightened by large numbers they don't understand. It's sensible to be troubled by the debt at current levels, but repudiating it would be like amputating your leg because you have a broken toe.

they are doing it because they have body integrity identity disorder iiuc

Maddow's show is really good about sharing all their citations, so it's in here somewhere: http://maddowblog.msnbc.com/_news/2013/10/15/20967291-links-for-the-1014-trms

have we hit upon the curious fact that house republicans gathered and sang amazing grace http://talkingpointsmemo.com/livewire/house-gop-sang-amazing-grace-at-caucus-meeting

theyre unclear i guess that the point of the song is to have regret for enslaving peaople

anyway barring the republicans packing up and leaving town it seems like were at the same place we ever were, waiting on boehner to break the hassert rule

It's unclear if he even can now, after the system got rigged on 9/30. Doesn't Cantor or a surrogate of his have to bring up everything now?

i havent seen any serious news orgs touch that one, they can prob just insert the stuff into some other bill or something id image

The ability to bring bills to a floor vote, or not, is the very basis and foundation of the speaker's power. For all intents and purposes Cantor appears to be the de facto speaker atm. So why is Boehner the one the WH and senate dems are talking to?

what

They're not talking to Boehner; Boehner doesn't exist anymore.

Amazing grace! How sweet the sound
That saved a wretch like me.
I once was lost, but now am found,
Was blind, but now I see.

'Twas grace that taught my heart to fear,
And grace my fears relieved.
How precious did that grace appear
The hour I first believed.

Through many dangers, toils and snares
I have already come;
'Tis grace hath brought me safe thus far
And grace will lead me home.

The Lord has promised good to me
His word my hope secures;
He will my shield and portion be,
As long as life endures.

Yea, when this flesh and heart shall fail,
and mortal life shall cease,
I shall possess within the veil,
A life of joy and peace.

When we've been there ten thousand years
Bright shining as the sun,
We've no less days to sing God's praise
Than when we've first begun.

--John Newton, 1725-1807

these lyrics are pretty terrifying in this light

yeah honestly that is the scariest thing so far

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/post-politics-live/liveblog/live-updates-the-shutdown-8/?id=a09ae07a-4898-4ac7-95b4-cbd3160044ce

House Republicans are regrouping around a new version of their bill to reopen the government and raise the federal debt limit, with a vote by the full House expected as soon as Tuesday night.

The measure would raise the debt limit through Feb. 7, as in the original proposal. But it would fund federal agencies only through Dec. 15, creating the threat of another government shutdown just before Christmas if lawmakers fail to resolve a dispute over deep spending cuts known as the sequester.

Republicans decided to drop their bid to repeal a tax on medical devices that helps to fund President Obama’s health-care law. But in addition to denying employer subsidies to lawmakers and members of the executive branch, conservatives insisted on denying those subsidies to their own congressional staffs as well.

Republicans also adjusted another proposal to make clear that the Treasury Department would be only temporarily barred from using extraordinary measures to juggle the books after the Feb. 7 deadline.

GOP leadership aides said the new measure had been submitted to the House Rules Committee, the first step to a vote on the House floor. But as Speaker John A. Boehner (R-Ohio) and his leadership team continued trying to round up support for the bill, aides said it remained uncertain when a vote before the full House would take place.

If Republicans manage to push the measure through the House, it would go to the Democratic-controlled Senate, where Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) has voiced strong objections to ending employer health subsidies for congressional staff. Democrats are also insisting that the Treasury Department maintain flexibility to manage the next debt-limit deadline.

But it would fund federal agencies only through Dec. 15, creating the threat of another government shutdown just before Christmas if lawmakers fail to resolve a dispute over deep spending cuts known as the sequester.

holy shit they really are stupid and indifferent to history

Boehner and Cantor every day remind me more and more of the two corporate villains in Robocop.

Cantor should be wary of any evening visits from Mike Conaway bearing a DVD and grenade.

http://mimg.ugo.com/201107/6/1/5/202516/cuts/robocop-toxic-waste_480x270.jpg

Boehnor and Cruz

"The old man thought it was pretty important, BONER."