Tactics.
In the game of golf, there is something called laying up. It refers to a tactical decision by the golfer not to take a risky shot that would, if successful, get him closer to the hole. Instead, he chooses to hit a shorter shot, away from the hazard in the hope of avoiding a costly mistake. Choosing to lose the battle in hopes of winning the war.
For those of you who enjoy golf, you know that laying up is sometimes the right thing to do, the prudent thing to do. It is a sign of maturity and earned wisdom.
And sometimes it simply means that you are a complete wimp.
Like golfers facing a water hazard while playing into a headwind, Republicans fear a government shutdown. For the last month, Congressional Republicans have been laying up.
Memory is a funny thing. Republicans remember it like yesterday. The voting public blamed Republicans for shutting down the government in 1995, and they live in fear of history repeating itself. It’s an odd thing that they can remember why the public rejected them in 1995, but they cannot seem to remember why they were sent to Washington just four months ago.
But things are different now. I am different now.
I, a pro-life conservative Catholic, and others like me helped send them to Washington for three reasons. To de-fund Planned Parenthood, to get government spending under control, and to cut Obamacare off at the knees by de-funding it for the next two years until possible repeal. By continually laying up, the Republicans are putting themselves in a position to deliver none of it.
No doubt, shutting down the government is a serious step and should not be taken lightly. After 1995, I can almost buy the idea of voting for the first continuing resolution even though it did nothing to accomplish any of the stated goals. I reluctantly accepted it as a tactic, a juke to the left before we run right. But in the subsequent 2 weeks, Republicans have done nothing to strengthen their negotiating position, in fact they have likely weakened it considerably.
Now Republicans in the House have voted for another continuing resolution to fund the government for 3 more weeks. To fund Planned Parenthood for 3 more weeks. To spend money we don’t have for 3 more weeks. To fund Obamacare for 3 more weeks.
Like I said, a tactic is a juke to the left when you intend to run right, but if you continue to run to the left it’s no longer a tactic—it’s a direction.
Republicans need to man up and do what we sent them there to do, and if that means shutting the government down. Then SHUT IT DOWN.
As long as the Democrats believe that the Republicans will not shut down the government, they are in the driver’s seat.
So let’s talk about tactics. Obama has threatened to veto the budget if it de-funds Planned Parenthood. Make him. Make him be the man willing to shut down the government to fund his cronies and contributors in Big Abortion. Make him do it.
Republicans have already shown that they are not that serious about spending, arguing over whether to cut spending by $40 billion or $60 billion dollars in this fiscal year when February’s deficit alone was $234 Billion. So trade.
Try to cut the budget by $300 billion. The Democrats will scream. Then compromise. Offer to cut spending by $200 billion or $150 billion or even your wimpy little $60 billion, but Planned Parenthood goes. Make them choose between cuts to their favorite programs and pork, or fund Planned Parenthood. Make them choose. Negotiate from strength.
Let me be very clear here Republicans, whether you cut the budget by $60 billion or $600 billion, we will still be with you. We want more, not less, of course, but we will take whatever cutting we can now and push for more later.
But there has never been a better moment to de-fund Planned Parenthood than now. Now is the time, and it may never come again. If you compromise on de-funding Planned Parenthood, if you continue to allow babies to suffer federally funded death, we are done.
Done.
Make Obama and the Democrats choose, Planned Parenthood or shutdown. No compromise. No surrender.
Don’t blink. Don’t waver. If they choose shutdown, then they choose shutdown.
Shut it down or we will shut you down.
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Republicans,stand by the convictions that you professed in November when you were voted into office and you and our nation will be blessed a hundred-fold!!!!!!!!!!!!
...maybe we should have sent you to DC, Pat. I agree 100%. Make them choose, but do not blink. Making the president veto the bill rather than defund PP would be a tremendous choice and a “tailor made” campaign commercial for Republicans. Don’t get me wrong - do this for the right reasons, not simply for “poltiical” reasons - but if that happens to come from it, so be it. Make the cuts, or shut it down. Do. It. Now.
The sexual obsession of the far right continues. He wants to shut down the US military and cut off Medicare so that Planned Parenthood can’t continue providing contraception. That’s nuts. Why not shut off agricultural subsidies worth billions? Or subsidies for oil companies? Tax incentives for shipping jobs overseas? The far right never wants to take on the rich and powerful, just the poor and innocent.
And what’s HIS plan for providing healthcare for the poor? The US is the ONLY western country that lets its poor die, courtesy of pro lifers who stymie healthcare in the name of free market fundamentalism. The pro life movement is a joke; it’s actually and anti-sex movement.
“Sexual Obsession?” - I think not. Not stopping “contraception” at PP - stopping abortion. I can understand your confusion since the struggle we seem to be having is that too many people are apparently using abortion AS contraception. I think the other things you mentioned to “shut off” should absolutely be part of the budget cuts proposed - good for you! Everything should be on the table in terms of potential cuts, but you want to talk about letting the poor (or perhaps the helpless) die? Who is more poor (or helpless) than an unborn child? And it is not just “letting them die” - but is instead actively killing them. Hardly “anti sex” in its purpose. I am not for giving PP about $1mm per day. They can keep their $360mm - all they need to do it stop performing abortions. If it represents “3% of their business” (according to them), then it seems like not much to be sacrificing. No place that receives federal money should be in the abortion business. Period.
You should turn your article into a petition.
Bob, that’s one crazy combox you’ve got there. The truth is this, we need to cut all of the subsidies you mention, AND Planned Parenthood, and the department of Education (on the Federal level), and a million other pet projects. Our national debt is a national security issue. Our funding of Planned Parenthood and many federal education issues is a freedom of conscience issue for tax payers. I will render unto Caesar his due, but I want Caesar to stop forcing me to render to Satan what is due to God alone. Republicans need to stop enabling those who would deny people of faith the right to live in a country that doesn’t force them to pay for the sins of others. Pat, thank you for stating so clearly what has/needs to happen.
Well said, Bobby. Well said, Pat, and I agree we should send you to DC. Republicans, or too many of them, need to “man up”, and do the right thing. They are being too “nice”, and certainly the Democrats are taking advantage of that. They go for the jug liar vain and we need to, also. This turning point may never present itself again, and the democrats are getting the troops in action, with millions, or billions, of Soros and others money, for a battle, a real battle, in 2012, make no mistake.
Are we up to that battle, are we ready?
Viva la Christo Rey !
Best article I have read in a long while. Right on target.
Pat, I believe they are afraid to shut down Planned Parenthood because the next step is facing the immorality of homosexual relations, Doma, homosexuals in the priesthood etc. You are right that this is what we elected them to do, but they are afraid of the consequences of the LOGIC, not the vote. I think it is a reason they haven’t got a strong Presidential candidate yet. Just how much of America does the gay lobby own?
I completely agree - and I would suffer immediately from a government shutdown because my husband works for the government. We might miss a mortgage payment, in fact. However, it’s the right thing to do.
And when will people wake up about Planned Parenthood? I’m sick of trying to convince people that it’s simply a baby killing machine. Where have people been for the last 30 years?
Well, Pam just proved my point; it’s about sex. The ‘gay’ lobby. Immoral? It’s sickening still reading such comments given the lack of morality in historical relations Christians have had with Jews, blacks, etc. It’s time to stop VILIFYING people as ‘immoral’ when that term has lost all meaning and has come to be confined to sex, as Pam shows.
Bob, Homosexual relations are IMMORAL. Objectively disordered. A child can tell that two penises or two vaginas do not go together, but that a penis and a vagina do. Trying to deflect the sin by saying there have been other sins is lame. Two wrongs don’t make a right. The sins of the past have been dealt with or are still causing the errors they brought about. Adding to the error and the sin is NOT A SOLUTION. “Do not be deceived. No adulterer,sodomite or fornicator will enter the gates of heaven.” How much more clearly can it be called immoral. Truth is not hatred. Labelling truth hatred is hatred and denial.
What’s immoral is a social system where people can’t get health care; where the rich take 10 trillion out of the economy and throw millions out of work. THAT’S immoral. But to address that would call attention to the moneychangers in the Temple, wouldn’t it? Can’t have that now! So let’s focus on the bedroom and forget the rich and powerful. More proof that it’s all about sex. You want to quote scripture? Try the part about the camel and the eye of the needle. See what the Bible thinks about the powerful.
Pam and Harvey, great points. Bob, there is nothing wrong with being rich. If we took ALL the money from the very rich and the kind of rich, it still would not even pay for this years budget. The rich keep the engine running, the small businesses keep it moving. (economy) We are speaking of the foundation of this country being washed out from under us, not the Catholic Church. Then again, immorality is a great part of the weakening of that foundation…..
Huh. What a short step it is from “Planned Parenthood is a great organization” to “all the rich are evil (and should die horribly)”.
Actually, at least in my state, healthcare is pretty easy to come by. There have been times when we needed government funded healthcare til we got back on our feet. And we didn’t even have to shoot any rich people to get it.
Remind me why it’s your place to judge (camel, needle’s eye quote) who gets to go to heaven?
There’s nothing wrong with being rich. There IS something wrong with gaming the economy so that you strip millions of their jobs while massively increasing wealth among the wealthiest. That’s the recipe for a 3rd world economy. And it’s not my job to judge. That has already been done; I was quoting the Bible. In addition, folks are already judging ‘gays’ as being ‘immoral’, so at least be consistent!
Funny thing is, Pam’s Bible quote wasn’t just about “gays”. It was also about adulterers and fornicators. So, anyone who has sex out of marriage. If you’re going to be using and quoting the same bible, consistency across the board would be great.
MEDIA REQUEST: For Pat Archbold
Pat you are invited to be on my radio show today, Wednesday, 3/16, to discuss your article: “Shut It Down”.
Your brother Matt was on the other day. His interview with us is on Creative Minority Report.
The Religion, Politics & the Culture radio show is on Mondays through Fridays from 3:30 pm to 4:30 pm EST. Radio: in Southeast Florida: AM 1040. Internet: http://www.rpconradio.com/. Nationwide toll-free, call-in number: 1-866-716-1040. A link to each show is on my Facebook wall daily at approximately 5:30 pm EST.
If you can be on, call 305-342-8930 prior to 3:00 pm EST. I hope to hear from you.
We are in 100% conformity with Catholic teaching on Faith and morals.
The greatest symbol of voter disapproval of this Democrat Administration and this past 111th Democrat Congress is Obamacare, the two thousand + pages passed only by the Democrat legislators. The Congressional Democrat leadership, which included Speaker of the House, Catholic Nancy Pelosi, locked the Republicans out of drafting this bill. Speaker Pelosi (did I say she was a Catholic - a communion receiving Catholic?) famously told the press and the American people that they, the Congress, “has to pass the bill in order to know what is in the bill.” This is legislation, unfortunately, that the USCCB was strongly supported of except for the abortion funding and the absence of a conscience clause.
In the past couple weeks it was discovered that the Democrats secretly piecemealed into the Obamacare legislation $1,500,000,000 to implement the bill over 2011 and 2012. The law becomes effective, totally, in 2013. Supposedly, only a few Democrat legislators and Obama previously knew that money was in the bill. The rest of the Democrats, and especially the Republicans didn’t know Obamacare was self-funding. Now the House Republican leadership is refusing to allow a special order that would enable the House GOP to remove that money in a future Continuing Resolution. The reason for their refusal – principle. Apparently, the new House Speaker, Catholic John Boehner, has principles and is not going to run the House the way the previous Catholic Speaker did who enacted hundreds of rule changes to enable the Democrats to do what ever they wanted. I admire the new Catholic Speaker’s principles, but I question the appropriateness of it in this instance.
This “instance” is like a poker game that is discovered, afterward, that the dealer, who won all the money, was cheating. The new dealer who publically says their will be a more proper and fairer running of the game announced the new rules. But, now, what does he do about the past cheating that he just learned about? Do the new rules he established allow him to seek justice and return of the money won illegally by cheater? If not, then the cheater is being allowed to keep the money - and is that fair to all the other players in the game - the tax payers?
There is no guarantee that the GOP will win control of Congress and the Whitehouse after next year’s election, thus, there is no assurance that Obamacare will be repealed. The Republican leadership should play the hand they got right now and force the Democrats to reveal their hand. Sooner is better than later. It’s time to stop kicking the can down the street. Billions of dollars are wasted EVERYDAY in interest on the deficit, alone. Cutting a couple billion PER WEEK from the budget - isn’t cutting it, we’re just getting deeper in debt. Cut the non essentials – Obamacare, PPH and NPR funding, NOW, and let’s see if Obama and the Democrats are going to shut down the government for those THREE things.
Bob, Pat’s article was about the Republicans not acting. My response was that there are other motives, one large one of which is the battle over homosexual relations in our society and the push to normalize immoral behavior and the powerful and RICH gay lobby. I am not saying there aren’t a thousand ways the devil tries to destroy souls.
Bob,
Seems like you’re jealous of the rich. If you were rich, what would you do for your neighbor?
We are called to judge certain actions wrong and immoral. Abortion is immoral. So is fornication and contraception. I don’t want my money to fund abortion. PP wants you to believe they’re the only game in town. Not true. Plenty of womens health centers exist that are either low cost or take Medicaid that don’t provide abortion. If you want to fund everyone’s “right” to have sex without the natural consequence of pregnancy, send them there.
Bible quotes that actually tell us to judge actions:
Take the log out of your own eye to see better how to take the speck out of your brother’s eye. (Matt 7:1-5)
Judge with right judgement John 7:24
Jesus telling us to dicuss the fault with our brothers, first alone, then with witnesses, and then the church. If he doesn’t listen, then let him be as a tax collector and a Gentile Matt 18
Paul in 1Cor 5 Is it not those inside the church whom you are to judge? God judges those outside. Drive out the wicked person from among you.
Again Paul, in 1Cor6:2-18 Do you not know that the saints will judge the world?... How much more, matters pertaining to this life!... Shun immorality.
Condemnation to eternal damnation is reserved for Jesus alone, but deciding whether an action is in accordance with the Truth is expected. That anything goes in the name of tolerance and love is anything but, and comes from the true deceiver.
It’s interesting that pointing out the fact the rich can destroy a society (Egypt, Libya, Saudi Arabia, Tunisia and hundreds of other examples) is somehow seen as being ‘jealous’. Is there a reason it’s more convenient to deny history than acknowledge it? The whole point to Pat’s article was to say we are in a crisis. That crisis was NOT caused by Planned Parenthood or contraception or gays. It was caused by the greed of the rich, as Alan Greenspan pointed out. You can obsess about what your neighbor’s doing in his bedroom. I prefer to worry about the US becoming like Mexico because people ignore the greed that’s wrecking our country.
Oh, so anything in the bedroom is okay, then? Thank goodness. That’s where I was hiding the bodies I hadn’t gotten around to moving yet. That’s right, government! Stay out of my bedroom!
On a more serious note, I think the problem is that the government is spending money it doesn’t have, yes? And I frankly don’t care right this moment how it came about. When I have the benefit of hindsight, I’ll figure it out so that, in my little way, I can see that history doesn’t repeat itself. However, if the government is spending money it doesn’t have, doesn’t it make sense to try to rectify that? Like, say, cutting non-essential programs? Like subsidizing the slaughter of the generation that’s going to have to pay for this mess?
I’ll tell you now I don’t care what people do in their bedrooms. It’s not my business. But it is my business what the government is doing with my money. I’m not interested in paying for what someone else does in their bedroom. If they chose to do stuff that leads to expensive medical procedures, they should be the ones paying for their own poor decisions.
What’s so hard about that to understand?
Shut the government down. It is the responsible thing to do.
Shutting down the government to save $327M from going to “family plannig” aka PPF? Aren’t there other ways to make a point of cutting one enemy out without having to resort to firing cannister?
That’s not as dumb as Sen. Twoomey’s notion of paying off our foreign trade deficit before the elderly on SS, the disabled on SSDI and disabled Vets. But it’s hardly indicative of good budgetary practices. But it’s not quite up there with what some Republicans and their Tea Party pals might pull if they don’t get their way: making it impossible for the government to raise the debt ceiling, thus risking the default of our national obligations here and abroad.
Think of riding an express train and in a matter of seconds (if you’re lucky) find yourself in some field and finding the utter wreckage of your train that was derailed all because some timid riders felt the train was moving too fast for their comfort. Government shut downs are one thing. In the mindsets of today’s timid train passengers, the overhead brakelines of default to really get the nation’s attention are too temptingly close everybody else’s comfort and safety.
Now I don’t want the government to be in the business of supporting a very profitable stock-trading business like Planned Parenthood; but shutting down the government to push this issue, while nary a concern is voiced about very sharp cuts to programs that have helped many families and single moms…hardly seems like the “prolife” thing to do. Let’s see what the fiscally conservative “prolifers” are keeping their silence on:
Job Training Programs -$2B
Poison Control Centers -$27M
CDC -$755M
NIH -$1B
Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services -$96M
Clean Water State Revolving Fund -$700M
Drinking Water State Revolving Fund -$250M
EPA Brownfields -$48M
EPA ENERGY STAR -$7.4M
Community Health Centers -$1.3B
Maternal and Child Health Block Grants -$210M
NOAA -$336M (includes Tsunami Research Labs)
National Drug Intelligence Center -$11M
Law Enforcement Wireless Communications -$52M
US Marshals Service -$10M
FBI -$74M
State and Local Law Enforcement Assistance -$256M
Juvenile Justice -$2.3M
COPS -$600M
NASA -$379M
NSF -$139M
EPA -$1.6B
Food Safety and Inspection Services -$53M
Farm Service Agency -$201M
Agriculture Research -$246M
Natural Resource Conservation Service -$46M
Rural Development Programs -$237M
WIC -$758M
FDA -$220M
Flood Control and Coastal Emergencies -$30M
Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy -$899M
Electricity Delivery and Energy Reliability -$49M
Nuclear Energy -$169M
Fossil Energy Research -$31M
Clean Coal Technology -$18M
Energy Information Administration -$34M
Office of Science -$1.1B
I specifically picked out some of the agencies that have or have had a direct impact on the enhancement of daily life in America. We may or may not see the direct results of these agencies immediately, but it’d be kind of risky to go without them or settle for minimal services from them all because 400 households owning half the nation’s wealth deserved to have their tax woes taken care of before the health and safety needs of a population of 300 million. Hey, who needs that Tsunami research if a millionaire can take his tax savings and put them into paying for his tax-subsidized luxury boxes in a brand spanking new stadium named after the company he owns majority stock in.
Source: http://appropriations.house.gov/index.cfm?FuseAction=PressReleases.Detail&PressRelease_id=259&Month=2&Year=2011
Steven, Don’t you think most Americans are aware that the budget cuts are always to the most necessary programs so that the little guy agrees to higher taxes or more debt or whatever? The reason Planned Parenthood is targeted is because this is one of the Goliaths that keep that thinking alive. We can’t help the right programs stay funded while the special interests control the policy.
There is absolutely no good argument for continuing to support PP. It’s a corrupt organization that engages in horrific, murderous acts. People like bob who want their money to fund abortions should feel free to make private contributions.
Maybe PP can send photos to donors, like other charities do. Of course, PP’s photos couldn’t be of smiling children, because the children affected by their donors’ beneficence would hardly be smiling. In fact, they’d hardly be recognizable as children, apart from what might have remained intact of little limbs and other body parts. Still, it would give their donors a charming memento of the good that their money has brought have brought into the world. I’m sure bob would be proud of what his money had purchased. He’s certainly proud of having taxpayers pay for it.
This is what Pat and his cohorts want for America: http://www.military.com/news/article/report-troops-may-miss-paychecks-in-a-shutdown.html?ESRC=coastguard.nl
Troops would be forced to work without pay if the federal budget impasse leads to a government shutdown, according to multiple reports citing draft guidance circulating at the Pentagon.
———
So Pat and the American right want to endanger our troops, denying them their wages…in the name of starving Planned Parenthood.
Have at it!
Pam, Planned Parenthood knows it’s in a different league and while I can see where you’re pointing to; most Americans know the difference between what PPF’s biggest money-maker is and they’re not happy with it. That’s why I believe Mike Pence should’ve taken PPF on separately and made it a bigger issue, a more riveting and compelling moral issue by treating it as a separate stand alone budget cut. Tucking it in on an appropriations bill, while technically speaking, may have been the “correct legislative” thing to do, dilutes the impact of taking the damn devil head on and making it stand on its own so the whole world can see what PPF’s about would’ve done everybody a greater favor, especially the unborn.
Pence’s Amendment had all the right moral arguments and some of the speakers on its behalf pointed to the fungibility of funds once they’re distributed to the targeted program, agency or in this case, God forgive us, a publicly-traded company. Even if a dime didn’t go to paying for a single abortion; the mere fact PPF got that money freed up its budgetary plans to accommodate its abortion business end. That should’ve been drilled home harder.
As usual, whenever abortion is debated in peoples homes or The Peoples’ House, emotions get rolling and good points get left on the floor because one particular point will get thrashed about till both sides are too exhausted to handle the others. This isn’t limited to abortion, of course. But to tuck that amendment in with a whole laundry list of a lot of other controversial cuts to a lot of programs that are truly necessary where House Members are already in a heated mood over something said ... it just wasn’t the best time for anotherwise good idea. As I see it, the GOP has the numbers already to bring it up again, and they might even be able to grab more Democrats to go along with them on a separate vote. But the Democrats were in no giving mood that night, esp. when the Pence Amendment came up for debate and while I watched the debate, all I could say was “Why now, and why this way?” Now the Pence Amendment is being used as a huge wedge of a parliamentary tool that could derail the rest of our government. I understand impatience, but this is not the way to expedite the final days of PPF. It smacked of parliamentary expediency and sure fit in with a sign my wife has saying the “hurrier I go, the further I fall behind.” Well, we all have moments like that. lol. When it comes to national politics and saving the lives of the unborn, even honest well-meant legislative tactical mistakes can put us much further behind if we rush things in the worst way. To paraphrase Pat Arnold, who’d want to be the one to face a lot of parents when they have to defend those cuts in WIC, food & safety inspection, Center for Disease Control, mental health, drug abuse programs and so forth.
Pat, the big problem with your article is that like many people of strong ideological focus, you misread elections. Yes, the republican base voted for republican congressmen to do the things you said, but the swing voters, the ones who actually gave the Republicans their victory really were voting against the democrats more than for any particular republican agenda. As much as I want to see Planned Parenthood defunded, I suspect that such a move will cost republicans votes in 2012 (not saying they shouldn’t do it, but we need to recognize the consequences).
—
The basic problem with respect to the budget is that ideologues control the base of both parties. As a result, the Republicans only want to fix the budget by cutting spending (but often not the military, even though it is a big part of the problem), while Democrats never want to cut entitlement programs. The basic fact is that we are probably going to have to both cut spending, quite significantly, and raise taxes to get the budget under control. Whats even more important is that even when we are running annual surpluses, we are going to have to keep taxes up (unlike what President G. W. Bush did) until the debt is payed down. One can only wonder how much better shape the budget would be in right now had Bush tax cuts not gone through.
@Steven
“making it impossible for the government to raise the debt ceiling, thus risking the default of our national obligations here and abroad”
Those “obligations” get paid first during a shut down which is one of the many programs that stay open during a “shut down.” Forty per cent of federal programs remain operational during a shut down.
@Steven
“We may or may not see the direct results of these agencies immediately, but it’d be kind of risky to go without them or settle for minimal services from them all because 400 households owning half the nation’s wealth deserved to have their tax woes taken care of before the health and safety needs of a population of 300 million.”
When are you ever going to get off that class envy train ride your on ALL the time” Most of those programs you listed are useless to our everyday lives. I’m willing to cut them all loose and see which ones were really needed, if any at all. How did our country survive all those years without those federal programs? And besides - where is the Church and her congregations in performing some of those human needs Jesus talked about? I don’t ever remember seeing in the Bible where He directed his followers and disciples to get governments to do the good deeds he directed them to do themselves.
@bob
“During the last government shutdown in 1995, servicemembers continued to work and continued to receive their pay.”
Facts vrs guessing. The above quote was in the article you linked to.
@Steve
“To paraphrase Pat Arnold, who’d want to be the one to face a lot of parents when they have to defend those cuts in WIC, food & safety inspection, Center for Disease Control, mental health, drug abuse programs and so forth.”
Again, I ask, where is the Church and her congregations carrying out the directives of Jesus? His directives certainly weren’t aimed at getting them to get governments to do “those” good works. No government is going to heaven, and no one who votes for such a government thinking they are following the teachings of Jesus is going to get into heaven based on that, either.
MarylandBill
“One can only wonder how much better shape the budget would be in right now had Bush tax cuts not gone through.”
Worse!
It’s elementary Mr Watson - tax cuts increase tax revenues through the increased economic activity and employment, something we are not seeing now after two years of the job stifling Democrat Administration and Democrat Congress drunken spending spree.
Steve and others - What about a (Democrat caused) government shut down. Larry Kudlow March 4, 2011.
“Reading through various reports from the Wall Street Journal and Washington Post, you get the sense that no great harm will come from a shutdown. Social Security checks will be mailed. Other benefit payments will be met. Air-traffic controllers will do their jobs. Border protection and military operations will continue. Uniformed military personnel will be exempted. The Post Office will do its business uninterrupted. And incoming revenues can be designated for interest payment on the debt.
“Doesn’t sound that bad to me. It sure isn’t the end of the world.
“Back in the the early ’80s, when I served in the OMB under President Reagan, we went through several brief government shutdowns. Yes, the Washington Monument and a bunch of public parks closed. So what? Non-essential personnel got a holiday. The rest of us had to work.
“But non-essential programs were not funded during the shutdown, and their unused budgets were subsequently rescinded. Savings were significant.”
Steve and others - What about a (Democrat caused) government shut down. Larry Kudlow March 4, 2011.
“Reading through various reports from the Wall Street Journal and Washington Post, you get the sense that no great harm will come from a shutdown. Social Security checks will be mailed. Other benefit payments will be met. Air-traffic controllers will do their jobs. Border protection and military operations will continue. Uniformed military personnel will be exempted. The Post Office will do its business uninterrupted. And incoming revenues can be designated for interest payment on the debt.
“Doesn’t sound that bad to me. It sure isn’t the end of the world.
“Back in the the early ’80s, when I served in the OMB under President Reagan, we went through several brief government shutdowns. Yes, the Washington Monument and a bunch of public parks closed. So what? Non-essential personnel got a holiday. The rest of us had to work.
“But non-essential programs were not funded during the shutdown, and their unused budgets were subsequently rescinded. Savings were significant.”
Shut it down and save a few. Keeping it running and destroy us all. The global market knows when the dollar has turned into play money and will refuse to give it the inflated value that it presumes. The GOP is getting cold feet and caving in to fear of a public backlash resulting from a month or two of government shutdown. They become myopic as they care more about blame, reelection than saving this country. We need to form a new breed of statemen; this old school has become as corrupt as the Pelosis, Reids and Obamas. (more at divine-ripples.blogspot.com )
@Ricky Vines
“this old school has become as corrupt as the Pelosis, Reids and Obamas.”
No, this is hyperbole. There is no one in public office today that could be as “corrupt” as any of those three.
The GOP House leaders are playing out a tactic that I think is misguided, but I understand what they are trying to do. The Republicans who voted for the Continuing Resolution this time are 33% fewer than the last CR two weeks ago. They are starting to get the message. I talked directly with 5 Congressional offices the past two days about this CR vote. Four of them voted for it, one against. I told them about this NCR blog by Pat Archbold and suggested they read it and show it to their members. My congressman’s office looked it up while I was on the telephone with them. I found them all respectful and willing to listen, even Speaker Boehnar’s D.C. office which I had to wait 15 minutes in order to speak to a live person.
If a lot more constituents contact their Representative at their district offices and urged them to vote against another CR if it does not contain language removing the funding to PPH, NPR, and the $105 billion for implementing Obamacare, you will see the House Leadership step up and say “We’ve tried working with you (Reed and Obama), but you are not serious about what needs to be done now to save our country - enough is enough, here’s the deal.” Then the ball will be in the Democrat’s court and we’ll see if they are going to force a government shutdown or not.
Uh oh, StillBelieve’s tossed out a challenge. This means I’m going to have to call on some of crowd of Reps and remind them to knock out those planned cuts in the IRS so the feds can show StillBelieve what redistribution’s all about. lol. And if my heroes Tip and Jim Curley were alive on this St. Patrick’s Day, they’d give him a little lesson or two. But c’mon, NPR? How am I going to listen to its newscasts with Susan Stamberg and Scott Simon and “Wait, Wait: Don’t Tell Me” and gasp, cough, sputter, n’ rumble ... if I can’t listen to “Car Talk”? Geeesh, you Republicans are professional killjoys. May the banshee of top notch reporting haunt you every night while you’re watching that Lupine “news” channel. That banshee will be so loud and piercing ... Hey brother, don’t say you weren’t forewarned. Better get some good earphones.
But Happy St. Patrick’s Day to you and everybody else I gave some extra gray hairs to! Ah, but ye earned them. lol
@stilbelieve"No government is going to heaven, and no one who votes for such a government thinking they are following the teachings of Jesus is going to get into heaven based on that, either”.
Good point. The government is no ones savior!
“Again, I ask, where is the Church and her congregations carrying out the directives of Jesus?”
They are compaigning for the Republican party.
I say shut it down! I work for the government and I want some time off. Stand for what you believe in or you’ll fall for anything!
What a terrible article - for example, Planned Parenthood prevents more unwanted pregnancies than any other organization. It’s saved hundreds if not thousands of lives by providing care to low income women.
As a Catholic, I thought part of our job was to protect the poor - not pull the rug out from underneath them in the name of capitalism.
@Greg
“As a Catholic, I thought part of our job was to protect the poor - not pull the rug out from underneath them in the name of capitalism.”
This is what is wrong with Catholics, and why abortions are so common, this kind of thinking that their job is to get government to “help the poor.” Please will somebody show me where Jesus said in the Gospels that He came to get us to get government to do what He taught His disciples and followers to do themselves?
Greg, Catholics NEVER look at a pregnancy as unwanted so logic fails from the start. GOD is the creator of all life and the life is not ours to take. Sad that a Catholic would think like that.
Greg, your defense of PPF falls flat on its upside down “logic.” They must be doing some creative public relations work for you to buy into that line. Planned Parenthood, going all the way back to its early days and relationship with the eugenics movement and Margaret Sanger and her thoroughly racist views about birth control, population control, has been anything but a friend to the neediest among us.
While I’m no friend of greedy oligharchs or plutocrats, I’m far from ready to dump the whole bucket of nuts n’ bolts with some hot tar added for good measure on capitalism. If were not for the good graces of many capitalists who’ve quietly donated funds, clothing and other necessary material goods for young pregnant moms and their babies being helped by great organizations like Birthright, who’s to say how many of those children might not have lived to their birthdays? I’ll fully agree that government has a positive role, but let’s never forget the loving kindness of individuals of all people from all sectors of the economy who’ve helped to prevent abortions. Well, there’s one major exception in the private sector: Planned Parenthood, INC. That’s right, pay close attention on the boards to how much that INC says PPF is making on top of the funds it’s squeezed out of us.
My biggest disagreement with StillBelieve and others in this thread centers on the legislative matters; not on the eventuality of cutting PPF off. It’s the how, not the what we disagree on. Huge difference.
“I specifically picked out some of the agencies that have or have had a direct impact on the enhancement of daily life in America.”—Steven
So what? Show me in Article I, Section 8 of the U.S. Constitution the authority of Congress to enhance daily life in America, Steven.
You can’t, because it’s not in there. So, if the federal office-holding pols won’t return the federal government to operating within its legal authority, shut ‘er down.
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