GOVERNMENT SLOWDOWN, DAY NINE
[We interrupt this diary of the government slowdown to bring you this might-as-well-be-true exchange between a reporter and our president. — Ed.]
I have some questions for you about this government shutdown [it’s really a “slowdown,” but play along for this post! — Ed.], Mr. Obama:
- Do you think the Republican-caused shutdown is bad for the country, or really bad for our country?
- Do you think the Republicans will ever negotiate with you, or will they just keep shutting the government down forever?
- How angry are you at Republicans for causing this shutdown, Mr. President?
God, I admire your ability to take on my tough questions without flinching in the slightest.
Thanks for that Pat, now I won’t have to watch C-Span today.
askeptic (2bb434) — 10/9/2013 @ 7:07 amI finally watched the video of the speech the potus gave. It made me ill just listening to it. the video stopped before he took any questions.
felipe (70ff7e) — 10/9/2013 @ 7:16 amObama’s job approval is at 37-53 and falling. Way to go, Park Service.
DRJ (a83b8b) — 10/9/2013 @ 7:21 amTrouble in paradise: President Obama and Senate Democrats split on debt ceiling strategy.
I blame Ted Cruz.
DRJ (a83b8b) — 10/9/2013 @ 7:31 am3. The Imperial Mounted Park Gestapo didn’t just choose itinerant retired RVer’s to abuse but tour groups mid-repose. All those Asian tourists with the expensive cameras will now return with another ugly American legend substantiated with pictures.
I fully expect this weekend’s payback to exceed all indignities so far imposed.
http://watchdogwire.com/texas/2013/10/08/truckers-shutdown-termed-unstoppable/
gary gulrud (dd7d4e) — 10/9/2013 @ 7:48 am“As you bend over backwards to help the Middle Class and America’s poorest, does it ever ‘get to you’ that the Republicans are so mean-spirited and desirous of a failed Union?”
dfbaskwill (ca54bb) — 10/9/2013 @ 7:51 amI saw an interview with one of the organizers of the trucker protest who said their ultimate goal is to impeach Obama.
Civil disobedience has always been a liberal tactic. I’m not sure they will enjoy having the tactic used on them.
DRJ (a83b8b) — 10/9/2013 @ 7:55 amWay to go, Park Service.
I believe a very high percentage of people throughout government shares Obama’s politics and party affiliation. It must be similar to the situation within the media or academia. That’s why various forms of corruption — from A to Z — take root and truly flourish when a major decisionmaker (eg, mayor, governor, president) is of the left.
I shudder to think of how many layers of very excessive corruption have seeped into the federal government since 2009.
Mark (58ea35) — 10/9/2013 @ 8:03 amI agree they are very liberal, Mark. It almost makes me willing to reconsider the spoils/patronage system.
DRJ (a83b8b) — 10/9/2013 @ 8:06 am7. And I saw one where their goal was arrest, extralegal action, against all infesting the Republic, who have usurped the Constitution.
gary gulrud (dd7d4e) — 10/9/2013 @ 8:16 amI don’t know. When does the shutdown begin?
CrustyB (69f730) — 10/9/2013 @ 8:59 amYou forgot: “Why are Republicans such a**holes, Mr President?”
Kevin M (bf8ad7) — 10/9/2013 @ 9:22 amGod, I admire your ability to take on my tough questions without flinching in the slightest.
(A little bird whispered in my ear)
ropelight (be6fe4) — 10/9/2013 @ 9:28 amYesterdays new conference was basically this:
Reporter: Mr. President will you negotiate with the GOP ?
Obama: No
Reporter2: So are you saying you won’t discuss anything with the GOP ?
Obama: That is correct
Reporter3: So can we mark you down for “No negotiation” ?
Obama: Mark me as a No
repeat a dozen times …
JeffC (488234) — 10/9/2013 @ 10:09 amThere are a lot of unhappy Brooklyn hockey parents because the hockey rink in Gateway National Park remains closed despite being a big moneymaker for an urban federal park that otherwise loses money. Imagine a lot of people around the country are asking the same kinds of questions about similar closures; why is something that generates positive revenue not open?
Bugg (ddac6e) — 10/9/2013 @ 11:19 am“The fact that we are here today to debate raising America’s debt limit is a sign of leadership failure. It is a sign that the U.S. Government can’t pay its own bills. It is a sign that we now depend on ongoing financial assistance from foreign countries to finance our Government’s reckless fiscal policies. … Increasing America’s debt weakens us domestically and internationally. Leadership means that “the buck stops here.” Instead, Washington is shifting the burden of bad choices today onto the backs of our children and grandchildren. America has a debt problem and a failure of leadership. Americans deserve better.”
— Sen. Barack Obama, March 16, 2006 before voting against raising the debt limit.
Adding $8 trillion more, no biggie.
Bugg (ddac6e) — 10/9/2013 @ 11:23 amObamacare websites are so screwed up that they literally can’t sign up people in sufficient quantities to meet the law. Assume that they do many times better than to date, and actually handled the amount of users claimed:
6 months = 183 days x 50,000 per day (set-up capacity) = 9,150,000.
What genius figured that you can sign up the 48.6 million uninsured Americans (Democrats made up numbers at one point) in 6 months on a site that can only handle 9.15 million (total) capacity ?
SPQR (95c543) — 10/9/2013 @ 12:18 pmDebbie Wasserman Schulz (whose name still sounds like a test for STD ) is asked how many people signed up for obamacare insurance:
“Waaaaa, that question is not fair! Waaaa”
SPQR (95c543) — 10/9/2013 @ 12:25 pmCivilian mows Lincoln Memorial lawn
http://twitchy.com/2013/10/09/god-bless-that-man-civilian-defies-shutdown-theater-mows-lincoln-memorial-lawn-pics-video/
SPQR (95c543) — 10/9/2013 @ 12:27 pmSPQR, the site is primarily designed to collect personal data. Letting you sign up for insurance was an afterthought.
It’s working exactly as designed. It’s a metaphor for the whole s***sandwich called Obamacare.
Steve57 (a3cd20) — 10/9/2013 @ 12:30 pmDebbie Wasserman Schulz (whose name still sounds like a test for STD )
Heh!
nk (dbc370) — 10/9/2013 @ 12:48 pmSPQR, has that lawn mowing civilian been arrested yet?
Dana (6178d5) — 10/9/2013 @ 12:50 pm#20, Steve, you’re correct, it’s more of a data collection operation than an application process. A self-employed friend in his mid-30s (Auto Electric systems specialist) tried to sign-up yesterday.
He provided specific personal information for about 90 minutes before he was instructed to respond to a confirmation email. He did so immediately but was notified his application could not be processed because he had failed to respond promptly and if he wanted to apply he needed to start over.
He did, spent another 90 minutes on-line providing the same information, got the same email confirmation request, responded immediately, but as before was instructed to start over for failure to respond in a timely manner.
ropelight (be6fe4) — 10/9/2013 @ 12:56 pmFurloughed Park ranger continues search for missing hiker:
DRJ (a83b8b) — 10/9/2013 @ 1:50 pmThe Idaho Park ultimately got a shutdown exemption to hunt for the hiker.
DRJ (a83b8b) — 10/9/2013 @ 1:51 pmMeanwhile, the privately operated Pisgah Inn in the Blue Ridge Mountains is reopening after being closed by Park Rangers who blockaded its parking lot. But it isn’t reopening because the White House or Park Service saw the light. It’s reopening because a federal court issued an injunction.
The report says all the other concessionaires, facilities, and campgrounds on the Blue Ridge Parkway remain closed.
DRJ (a83b8b) — 10/9/2013 @ 1:56 pmDRJ – they are intentionally spending more money than they would spend under normal conditions, to actively block access and revenue. It is perverse.
JD (5c1832) — 10/9/2013 @ 1:59 pmWell, it looks like government run hospitals are getting pretty close to the dismal standards of patient neglect we see at NHS hospitals.
SPQR (768505) — 10/9/2013 @ 5:03 pmWell, I ate a little dog ’bout an hour ago
Took a look around, see where the barricades go
Threw a little old lady outta her Lake Mead bungalow
Are you a lucky little illegal right in plain sight
Or just a little old lady in the sights of spite
Sights of Spite (three)
woo … cmon
VA woman, VA woman, VA woman, ain’t no check soon
nk (dbc370) — 10/9/2013 @ 5:21 pmUnconstitutional office holder berates the Empty Suit(tm).
SPQR (768505) — 10/9/2013 @ 5:23 pmI liked her press conference with Darrell Issa, SPQR. The Democrat message is getting muddled.
DRJ (a83b8b) — 10/9/2013 @ 6:19 pmHere’s a good cartoon about the shutdown at Roll Call, which is not the place I usually see things like this.
DRJ (a83b8b) — 10/9/2013 @ 6:20 pmI agree, JD. It certainly looks that way.
DRJ (a83b8b) — 10/9/2013 @ 6:20 pmDRJ–about an hour ago I got a robocall that started in Spanish and then continued in English, “please listen to this important message from Senator Wendy Davis”. I slammed down the phone before I could find out what important message little state senator Wendy from Texas thought she so very urgently needed to impart to me here in Illinois (in either Spanish or English). But I can probably guess.
Now the only way our home number could be on her, uh, list is because of communication I’ve recently had with my senior United States senator and with my useless congresscreep. And from my stated positions it should have been rather obvious both to them and to their staffs that I was not “of the left” (H/T Mark).
Among the things about this that peeve me is the way she was positioned to low info voters as someone very, very important– a Senator— as if she were in Washington.
Of course Rick Perry has been trolling Chicago in person and taking out full page newspaper ads begging businesses to move from Illinois to Texas. That’s ticked of a few people, too. It’s getting harder and harder to figure out if Texas is going to secede from the union in a pique, or forceably take over the world. What is your opinion on this?
elissa (8d66d6) — 10/9/2013 @ 6:47 pmI think we should secede first and then take over the world. It’s much cleaner that way.
DRJ (a83b8b) — 10/9/2013 @ 6:50 pmDRJ, I really really do not like hot peppers and spicy food. What will I do?
elissa (8d66d6) — 10/9/2013 @ 6:54 pmI’ve got a Santana Energy Services office literally next door to me. They’re a Texas-based Enron lite reselling gas by promising lower prices than Peoples Gas and Nicor. Madigan has already had them in court for some of their tactics. Texas license plates right in front of my house got me excited till I found who they were.
nk (dbc370) — 10/9/2013 @ 6:56 pmBesides, we’ve been working on secession longer.
http://politix.topix.com/homepage/7894-texas-railroad-commissioner-barry-smitherman-is-preparing-for-secession
Steve57 (a3cd20) — 10/9/2013 @ 6:56 pmAs for Wendy and Rick, they are typical Texans. We think well of ourselves in a way most people view as arrogant and we view as positive thinking: If you don’t believe in yourself, why should anyone else?
DRJ (a83b8b) — 10/9/2013 @ 6:59 pmDon’t worry about the hot food, elissa. We have so many different types of Tex-Mex that I guarantee you will find one you can tolerate. Plus, you could dump sour cream on top and it cuts all the heat.
DRJ (a83b8b) — 10/9/2013 @ 7:01 pmI really really do not like hot peppers and spicy food. …or football and big hair!
If any state is going to successfully secede, it will be Texas. (Although Northern Cali and Southern Oregon are determined to secede and become Jefferson State…)
Dana (6178d5) — 10/9/2013 @ 7:03 pm23. Comment by ropelight (be6fe4) — 10/9/2013 @ 12:56 pm
[a friend] provided specific personal information for about 90 minutes before he was instructed to respond to a confirmation email. He did so immediately but was notified his application could not be processed because he had failed to respond promptly and if he wanted to apply he needed to start over.
That is a bad website. It doesn’t save information when something is wrong and probably sends the wrong error message.
Was there a delay till he was told he failed to respond promptly? If so, then maybe low processing caused the confirmation email to come in too late (possibly it was sent out too late)
Anyway, you’re always supposed to be given a minimum of 15 minutes, but that’s cutting it close. For registrations, you should give 24 or 48 hours. You use 15 minutes only for new replacement passwords and the like.
Sammy Finkelman (bd89d5) — 10/9/2013 @ 7:10 pmBig hats and boots, nk? Or are they being more subtle and trying to blend in? They don’t have one of those longhorn thinga-ma-bobs on the car hood/grille do they? And in your neighborhood they better not be carrying!!!
elissa (8d66d6) — 10/9/2013 @ 7:13 pmNone of those things, elissa. You’d think they were from Indiana from a distance.
nk (dbc370) — 10/9/2013 @ 7:18 pmThe internet tells me they are from Austin.
DRJ (a83b8b) — 10/9/2013 @ 7:25 pmAustin is not where your typical Texas energy types come from. I’m speculating but they may be business folk who saw an opportunity.
DRJ (a83b8b) — 10/9/2013 @ 7:28 pmAh! 😉
nk (dbc370) — 10/9/2013 @ 7:29 pmThey’re salesmen, for sure. Resellers actually. They use this storefront office to recruit and train door to door solicitors. Their summer kids went back to school so they’re starting a new group now, one of them told me.
nk (dbc370) — 10/9/2013 @ 7:32 pmAustin is not where your typical Texas energy types come from. I’m speculating but they may be business folk who saw an opportunity.
Someone not competent enough to get tenure in the Business Department at UT, or leftist enough to get tenure in the Environmental Studies Department.
JVW (93c84b) — 10/9/2013 @ 7:32 pmSounds like a real no man’s land for them then, eh JVW?
elissa (8d66d6) — 10/9/2013 @ 7:37 pmIn fairness to Austin, it may be a minor player in the oil and gas field but it has over 300 oil and gas companies employing 2900 engineers. It’s still a minor player.
DRJ (a83b8b) — 10/9/2013 @ 7:41 pmAt first I thought they were one of Bloomberg’s astroturf groups — he has been known to recruit in Texas and send them to different places in the country — up here for the battle in the legislature over concealed carry. But that was my right-wing gun-wacko paranoia.
nk (dbc370) — 10/9/2013 @ 7:50 pmThat’s a big problem, and I can only imagine how difficult it might be to clean it out.
The government was infested at the end of the Clinton admin, and any efforts to fix it were met with extreme hostility (such as when Bush terminated some US Attorneys).
The best way is to clean out the departments from head to toe, have the political appointments hire a few senior managers, and have them hire a few intermediate managers, etc etc. I would put some kind of cap on the number of employees who can be rehired from government work, requiring some strong justification.
Just clean the entire thing out. That would be sad and painful, but it’s the only way. We’ve seen with the IRS and other agencies that the partisanship is causing a fundamental lack of faith in the integrity of the agencies.
Dustin (777f6c) — 10/9/2013 @ 7:52 pmThere are other ways that might help, Dustin. Eliminating and downsizing departments would help, but it might also help to move sections of these departments out of DC. We know the IRS put its Exempt Organizations division in Ohio and the rank and file didn’t seem as politicized as the IRS people in DC. Similarly, the Interior Department should have more field offices in the states where it manages lands; the Commerce Department would be better served with staff in places where commerce and trade actually happens; etc.
DRJ (a83b8b) — 10/9/2013 @ 7:58 pmWell who’s surprised here;
http://hotair.com/archives/2013/10/09/breaking-court-docs-say-mcauliffe-lied-to-federal-investigators-in-fraud-case/
narciso (3fec35) — 10/9/2013 @ 8:05 pm“this might-as-well-be-true exchange”
nice one
Alessandra (205de0) — 10/9/2013 @ 8:33 pmDRJ, as long as these federal workers are unionized nothing will help. Right now it is Tammany Hall over again.
Steve57 (a3cd20) — 10/9/2013 @ 9:00 pmAgencies with the highest concentrations of unionized employees include the DOD and the Department of Veterans’ Affairs. Are they hopelessly liberal agencies? Maybe so, I don’t know, but it doesn’t seem that way.
DRJ (a83b8b) — 10/9/2013 @ 9:06 pmI submit that if those two groups aren’t completely liberal, one reason is the members don’t spend their entire careers in DC.
DRJ (a83b8b) — 10/9/2013 @ 9:07 pmAnother story of an everyday American vs DC Park Police:
DRJ (a83b8b) — 10/9/2013 @ 9:14 pmDC Park Police or maybe a Park Service employee.
DRJ (a83b8b) — 10/9/2013 @ 9:16 pmDana:
I don’t see a lot of big hair but I admit many Texans love football, and not always in a good way.
DRJ (a83b8b) — 10/9/2013 @ 9:41 pmAre they hopelessly liberal agencies?
More so than one may have believed or thought possible in the past. The following — of and by itself — is a paradigm of just how much socio-political rot exists in this society.
BTW, when George W Bush had the audacity in 2001 to claim that Islam (founded by a violent, pro-assassination leader named Mohamed) was a “religion of peace,” the sound of squish, squish, squish — of the tear-soaked compassionate in “compassionate conservatism” — could be heard emanating from his mind.
Modern-day liberalism is corrupting every facet of US society, and it infects people across the ideological spectrum.
Mark (58ea35) — 10/9/2013 @ 9:50 pmThat seems very wise. Indeed it seems wise for local and state governments to have possession of our parks, as well, for similar reasons.
Your link about Park Police actually wanting our war memorials in disrepair for political reasons is infuriating. There is a real insanity to much of our federal government, and it manifests as apathy. Apathy for the wish for Tea Partiers to organize the way liberals can. Apathy for an old war vet wanting to see his memorial towards the end of his life. Apathy for a citizen who wants to express honor for them (surely protected by the constitution in spirit). We have no way to politically stop this. The Park police are as insulated as the idiots who committed Fast and Furious or permitted the Benghazi lapses or leaked who finally reached Bin Laden.
My wish to clean out the agencies is wildly improbably, yet if we really will balance the budget we actually will need to eliminate most of the federal government. It is inevitable that this will happen, however I doubt it will happen because of responsible leadership preventing a real crisis.
Dustin (303dca) — 10/9/2013 @ 9:51 pmI feel the same way, and it does seem like apathy is to blame. There is no pride in America or its institutions.
DRJ (a83b8b) — 10/9/2013 @ 9:57 pmApparently they only barricaded the memorials on the mall because that would get the most media attention.
They’re not barricading other open air memorials.
http://www.breitbart.com/Big-Government/2013/10/05/LBJ-Memorial-Park-Grove-Not-Barricaded
Steve57 (a3cd20) — 10/9/2013 @ 10:25 pmThey may even have chosen to barricade the war memorials because they knew about the honor flights bringing in the WWII vets.
Steve57 (a3cd20) — 10/9/2013 @ 10:26 pmInfuriating is the word. That’s how I feel about the Obama administration denying death benefits to the troops who have been killed serving this country. The plain language reading of the bill covered the death gratuity. The text wasn’t vague, but if Obama thought the language was vague he could have written a signing statement directing the DoD to interpret the law in accordance to the expressed will of Congress. Instead they chose to construe the law as preventing them from providing the death gratuity.
The Chairman of the House Armed Services Subcommittee for Military Personnel wrote a letter to Hagel for an explanation of how they could possibly interpret the Fund Our Military Act as meaning they couldn’t pay the death gratuity. He also wants to know what other pay and allowances Hagel plans on denying servicemembers that are included in the DoD’s summary of pay and allowances, and why he’d do that considering Congress authorized pay and allowanaces.
http://armedservices.house.gov/index.cfm/files/serve?File_id=e6120e62-f895-45c7-b73a-3ae63a4e3685
Steve57 (a3cd20) — 10/9/2013 @ 10:49 pmMeanwhile, the prime minister of the govt we last went to war for, was kidnapped briefly by Libyan rebels.
narciso (3fec35) — 10/10/2013 @ 5:40 amsurprise, surprise;
http://legalinsurrection.com/2013/10/florida-senate-stand-your-ground-panel-advocates-for-lawsuits-against-people-who-lawfully-defend-themselves/
narciso (3fec35) — 10/10/2013 @ 6:01 am