Powerful stuff via Passcode Creative:
Hat tip: Brian B.
Daily Archives: September, 30, 2013
Ted Cruz: ‘Majority Leader Reid And Every Single Senate Democrat Voted To Shut Down The Government’ (Video)
On the Senate Floor, Monday, Senator Cruz ran through the history of the past several weeks, as the House attempted repeatedly to compromise with the Democrats.
“My view and the view of a great many Republicans is that ObamaCare is a disaster, a trainwreck, a nightmare,” Cruz declared. “Nightmare is the term that was used by the Teamsters President, James Hoffa.”
He noted his own position is to repeal the law in its entirety, but that was not his starting position. “The House’s plan to Defund ObamaCare represented a compromise”, he maintained. They sent the CR to the Senate and the Democrats on a straight party line, voted to shut down the government. So then the House compromised a second time and rewrote the CR to delay ObamaCare. He noted that the House voted on the CR late last night, but the Senate stayed home, yesterday, so they voted it down on Monday in another straight party line vote.
John Cornyn weighed in, saying “Senator Reid is marching toward a government shutdown, and nothing the House does – nothing the House passes will deter him from shutting down the federal Government at midnight, tonight.”
Cruz released this clarifying statement later this afternoon:
WASHINGTON, DC — U.S. Senator Ted Cruz (R-TX) released the following statement regarding the House effort to pass a Continuing Resolution:
“Some observers have mistakenly construed my comments on the Senate floor today as endorsing specific proposals that the House may be considering. I said nothing of the sort. Instead, I observed that it is the House that is working productively to keep the government running and, at the same time, to stop the enormous harms that Obamacare is visiting on the American people. And Harry Reid’s Senate is refusing to compromise, refusing to negotiate, and insisting on a path that leads inevitably to a government shutdown.
“Harry Reid should not shut down the government. Instead, as I urged on the Senate floor, the Senate should support the House.
“I have repeatedly stated that I will not vote for a CR that funds Obamacare, and I trust House conservatives to continue to listen to the people and act to prevent the Obamacare train wreck.'”
Cruz also vowed to donate his salary to charity if Harry Reid forces government shutdown.
Today U.S. Senator Ted Cruz (R-TX) announced his intention to donate his salary to charity for each day Majority Leader Harry Reid forces a government shutdown:
“Harry Reid should not force a government shutdown. I hope that Reid stops refusing to negotiate and works with the House to avoid a government shutdown, and, at the same time, prevent the enormous harms that Obamacare is inflicting on the American people.
“If, however, Harry Reid forces a government shutdown, I intend to donate my salary to charity for each day the government is shut down. Elected leaders should not be treated better than the American people, which is precisely why hardworking Americans deserve the same Obamacare exception that President Obama has already granted Members of Congress.”
Two hashtags to use if you’re on Twitter: #ObamaReidShutdown #BlameHarryReid
Monday Catch-Up: #BlameHarryReid
John Boehner channels Cruz: It’s Time for the Senate to Listen to the American People:
On the House floor this morning, Speaker Boehner challenged Democratic leaders in the Senate to listen to the American people — who don’t want a government shutdown and don’t want ObamaCare — and pass the House’s plan to delay the president’s health care law and repeal the medical device tax.
Ted Cruz: Reid Tables Bill to Fund Government, Refuses to Come to Table with Republicans:
WASHINGTON, DC — U.S. Senator Ted Cruz (R-TX) released the following statement regarding Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid’s decision to block consideration of the House-passed Continuing Resolution to avoid a government shutdown.
“Democratic Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid had the opportunity this afternoon to avert a government shutdown. Instead, he chose to kill the House’s bill to keep government open, a deliberate act to move towards a government shutdown. This is no surprise. After the House acted Saturday night, Sen. Reid refused to call the Senate back to service, instead leaving senators at home on vacation while a shutdown loomed. And he has apparently advised the President not to meet with House and Senate leaders of both parties. Harry Reid wants a shutdown, because, sadly, Democrats are putting politics above the needs of the American people. The New York Times explained why: because, as the Democrats believe “now is the time to break the power of Tea Party Republicans.”
“This is exactly the kind of DC-based thinking that makes Americans disdain Washington, DC. Democrats need to listen to the people and start working for the millions of Americans who are losing their jobs, wages, and healthcare benefits because of Obamacare. This is not a debate over a government shutdown; it’s a debate about how Obamacare is plaguing our economy. I will continue working to make sure the government stays open and Americans receive the same benefits as giant corporations and Congress under Obamacare. Until then, I hope the American people will continue to speak out against this disastrous, train wreck of a law and make DC listen.”
NRSC: Who’s in Charge?
Amidst all the talk about ObamaCare and dysfunction in Washington, it turns out that President Obama – who has been M.I.A. and refused to even discuss a compromise – actually wanted to meet with Congressional Leaders to prevent a government shutdown, but Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid talked him out of it.
According to Politico: “When the president considered sitting down with the four congressional leaders in the White House ahead of the deadline to avert a government shutdown, Reid privately urged Obama to call off the meeting, according to several people familiar with the situation.”
Think about that. President Obama wanted to do what Presidents do – bring leaders together to forge a compromise – and Harry Reid talked him out of it. Why? The only reason one can assume is that Harry Reid believes that shutting down the government is politically advantageous for Democrats.
Legal Insurrection: #BlameHarryReid:
For a government shutdown if it happens.
The U.S. Senate is dysfunctional because of Harry Reid.
No budget.
No votes on most House legislation.
No nothing except his way or the highway.
We’re seeing it again in the Continuing Resolution and Debt Ceiling battles. Because Reid has shut down and shut out Republican voices, the only way to raise budget issues is using Continuing Resolution and Debt Ceiling deadlines — a necessity in Harry Reid’s Senate not the choice Republicans wanted.
Get onto Twitter and retweet: #BlameHarryReid
Guy Benson, HotAir GreenRoom: “I don’t remember saying that everyone in the country would have a lower premium”:
Well, that’s what recording devices are for, Nancy. We covered the former Speaker’s attempt to slither away from her own Obamacare sales pitch back in June; now the current Speaker is highlighting his predecessor’s shameless revisionism:
John Nolte, Big Journalism: LIVE BLOG: MEDIA COVERAGE OF GOVERNMENT SHUTDOWN:
Last week, as the prospect of a federal government shutdown loomed as reality, the President of the United States told the media that he would “not negotiate” with “house burners.” And with that, the American mainstream media threw away their longstanding belief in “civil bipartisan compromise” in order to stand with Obama.
Since then, the GOP have passed two bills to avert a shutdown, both Senate Democrats and Obama have refused to offer a compromise, and now the media are attempting to make the GOP look like the crazies and the Democrats and Obama look like statesman.
Newest updates at the top, all times Eastern. Send tip to @NolteNC or jnolte@breitbart.com
The above graphic was created by Jon Gabriel, aka @exjon for Buzzfeed:
To help sell the “Affordable” Care Act to a skeptical public, the official White House Twitter account is rolling out the Internet’s most popular stars: cute animals.
Promoting an anonymous Tumblr called Adorable Care Act, the administration is using kitties, puppies and pandas to promote Obamacare. Your tax dollars at work!
Thankfully, we were able to find seven images that didn’t make the cut…
Erick Erickson, RedState: Oppose the Medical Device Tax Repeal:
Republicans are attempting two tricks to convince conservatives the GOP is still with them.
The first is the Vitter Amendment, named for Senator David Vitter, which would require Congress to adhere to Obamacare like the rest of us. I consider it a shiny object and you should not be cheering the GOP is they get it. Congress will always game the system to benefit itself. Pass the Vitter amendment and within a year you’ll see Congress have a full medical station in its basement where congressmen and their staffs can go. Likewise, the Vitter Amendment fixes something that is only temporary, if the Office of Personnel Management is to be believed.
Just wait. The Vitter Amendment will be hailed by seal clapping conservatives as a major win and, while distracted by flippers in the air, Congress will find a way around it. Aristocrats are always able to exempt themselves. If it isn’t a doctor in the basement, it’ll be a pay raise for congressmen and their staffs to offset the burden of Obamacare.
Via my Twitter feed on Saturday:
Felt sorry for these guys…
The loneliest table at #CPACSTLpic.twitter.com/6DiI4GMqYy
— Nice Deb (@NiceDeb) September 28, 2013
Liberty News: NC Rep Takes House Floor to Proclaim “We Did Not Elect a Dictator”:
Doug Powers, Michelle Malkin: Heh: Word ‘free’ quietly disappears from Obamacare website“
In the retail industry this kind of thing is called “bait and switch”:
Before mid-September, a section on Healthcare.gov had this: “Where can I get free or low-cost care in my community?”
After mid-September, that became this without mention of the change:“Where can I get low-cost care in my community?”
Screen caps here.
Fox Poll: If the US government shuts down, who’s at fault?
So far:
15%House
21%Senate34%President Obama30%All of the above( 4426 votes )
Via WHD: Fox News’ Ed Henry: Why Is Obama Willing To Negotiate With Iran, But Not Republicans?:
After responding in customary attack mode that Henry was engaged in the “reassertion of GOP talking points,” Carney seemed to hint that there may be talks but that he currently has “nothing new to report on the president’s schedule.”
Graceless hack.
Glenn Reynolds, USA Today: IRS scandal means bad news for Obama: Column:
So last week, while most of the country was talking about football or fears of a government shutdown, Rasmussen released a poll that should worry everyone — but especially incumbent Democrats in Congress. According to Rasmussen’s survey, most Americans think the IRS broke the law by targeting Tea Party groups for harassment, but few expect it to be punished. Fifty-three percent think the IRS broke the law by targeting the Tea Party and other conservative groups like the voter-integrity outfit True The Vote; only 24% disagreed. But only 17%think it is even somewhat likely that anyone will be charged, while 74% think that criminal charges are unlikely.
COLUMN: Assault by civil forfeiture
So a majority of Americans think that government officials who exercise an important trust broke the law, but only a very small number think anything will be done to punish them.
Seton Motley, Human Events: SOMETIMES YOU HAVE TO LET GOVERNMENT GO:
There is an awful lot of government going on in Washington. Which is what happens when you spend $3.8 trillion – as DC is doing this year. Up from $2.9 trillion just five years ago. We’ve increased the size of the Leviathan by just short of 25% under President Barack Obama.
In 2013 came the budget sequestration – $85 billion in spending cuts. So we increased by $900 billion – then rolled it back $85 billion. We’re still up 90+% over 2008 – not exactly Draconian or austere.
That every penny in this nearly $4 trillion annual pile is vitally important, being spent wisely and well – and in fact isn’t nearly enough – is one of the colossally dubious arguments of all time. Yet many make it.
President Calvin Coolidge’s last budget was smaller than his first – and was a MUCH smaller portion of the nation’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP).
Robert Parry, Consortium News: Syrian Rebels Embrace al-Qaeda:
Official Washington was caught off-guard this week when the radicalization of the Syrian rebels went from being an obscured reality to an undeniable truth. Syria’s most powerful rebel forces renounced the “moderate” exiles, who have been nurtured by the West, and embraced an Islamic extremist organization affiliated with al-Qaeda.
This development now confronts the West with a set of even grimmer choices: help the radical jihadists win the war and turn Syria into a Taliban-style homeland for terrorism in the center of the Middle East; accept an indefinite continuation of the bloody civil war hoping that no one wins as the bodies pile up; or work with the Assad regime and the weakened “moderates” to bring about some kind of political reform that might placate the estranged Sunni majority while isolating the extreme Islamists.
President Barack Obama delivers remarks during his address to the United Nations General Assembly in New York, Sept. 23, 2013. (Official White House Photo by Amanda Lucidon)If the last option seems to you to be the least worst, you would find yourself in a distinct minority inside Official Washington, where politicians and pundits still prefer to swagger about, issuing ultimatums demanding the unconditional removal of President Bashar al-Assad, whose regime has committed many atrocities in a civil war where brutality is common on both sides.
Washington Times: Syria: Al-Qaeda-linked ‘terrorists’ eat human hearts:
These are the people we’re arming…
Syrian Foreign Minister Walid al-Moallem claimed Monday that his government is fighting a war against al-Qaida-linked militants who eat human hearts and dismember people while they are still alive, then send their limbs to family members.
Mr. al-Moallem, addressing world leaders at the U.N. General Assembly in New York, also charged that the United States, Britain and France had blocked the naming of the real perpetrators of chemical weapons attacks in Syria, which he blamed on the opposition.
He claimed “terrorists” fighting the regime in the civil war are being supplied with chemical weapons, but he did not name specific nations accused of supplying them.
President Obama told the same forum last week that it was the President Bashar Assad’s regime that was behind a chemical weapons attack in August that killed hundreds in the Damascus suburbs and brought threats of a retaliatory U.S. strike.
Washington Times: Al Nusra Front, an al Qaeda branch, and the Free Syrian Army jointly seize border crossing:
The Al Nusra Front for the People of the Levant, one of two al Qaeda branches fighting in Syria, recently teamed up with the Yarmouk Brigade of the Free Syrian Army to capture the Ramtha military post on the border with Jordan after four days of fighting, according to several reports.
The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said 26 government soldiers and a number of rebels were killed in Saturday’s battle for border crossing on the outskirts of the southern city of Deraa.
The Yarmouk Brigade, the Al Nusra Front and the Aknaf Bait al Maqdis (Defenders of Jerusalem), another al Qaeda-linked group that operates in Daraa, began the final push to take control of the border crossing last week, the Long War Journal reported.
A rebel military commander told Al Hayat that the Al Nusra Front and the Aknaf Bait al Maqdis “played an essential role in the storming of the crossing through coordinated efforts with the south Syria command center that is controlled by factions affiliated with the FSA.”
Shoebat Foundation: Westgate Mall attack and an Islamic Reality:
David Wood of Answering Muslims has posted a very informative video in which he analyzes the Nairobi Westgate Mall terror attack relative to what the Qur’an says. Western leaders like British Prime Minister David Cameron continue to deny reality and Wood nails him on it. The truth is simple to understand – unless you’re a politician. Al-Shabaab was acting in accordance to the dictates of their religion.
Colin Flaherty, FrontPageMagazine: Two Weeks in September:
Large scale black mob violence is now a regular feature of life in many American cities. Not just places like New York, Philadelphia, Chicago, Detroit, St. Louis, Baltimore, Boston and Washington, D.C. But smaller cities as well. Place like Irondequoit, New York. Grandview, Missouri. Peoria. Springfield.
Big or small, they share this: Local media is loathe to report it.
On September 14th in Kansas City, hundreds of black people created mayhem and violence at the Country Club Plaza, part of an upscale shopping district. Mounted police and members of the SWAT team used pepper spray to subdue and disburse the crowd.
Tweeting from the scene, local NBC reporter Garrett Haake said, “Police andteens tell me after a movie got out, a large group came here to avoid the curfew and a fight broke out. Police arrived and sprayed.”
Assaults, robberies, vandalism, broken jaws, property destruction and other mayhem are a “perennial problem” at the Plaza, says one Kansas City TV station.
The Missouri Torch: Unless The Right Acts Now, Missouri Will Turn Blue By 2016 – Here’s How And Why It Will Happen:
President George W. Bush won Colorado by 9 percentage points in 2000.
Two years later, the Republican candidate for Colorado governor, Bill Owens, crushed his opponent 63 to 34.
Despite a large Republican advantage in registered voters and the popularity of President Bush, who carried the state easily for the second time, Colorado Democrats picked up a U.S. Senate seat and House seat that had been considered safe for the GOP. They reversed Republican majorities in the state House and Senate to take control of the legislature.
And two years after that:
Democrat Bill Ritter trounced Republican U.S. Rep. Bob Beauprez on Tuesday in the race to become the 41st Colorado governor – completing a stunning year-long transformation from the party’s unwanted candidate to its leading figure.
In six years, Colorado Republicans lost the state House and Senate, a U.S. Senate seat and the Governor’s mansion.
You may be thinking, “Well, it’s only a matter of time before this comes to Missouri.”
If so, you’re wrong.
It’s already here.
What Happened in Colorado
What happened in Colorado could fill a book. I know, because I’ve read the book on what happened in Colorado.
Keep reading at the link.
Hans A. von Spakovsky, Heritage: What Happens During a Government “Shutdown”?
The key fact, as the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) itself has said, is that when there is a short-term lapse in appropriations, “the federal Government will not be truly ‘shut down’…because Congress has itself provided that some activities of Government should continue.” In fact, any claims that not passing a CR will result in a “shutting down” of the government “is an entirely inaccurate description” according to the DOJ.[1]
Such a lapse in funding would be neither catastrophic nor unprecedented, but it would pare down government services to those most essential for “the safety of human life or the protection of property.” That would not include the hundreds of billions of dollars in the federal budget that are constantly squandered and wasted on frivolous, unnecessary, and unneeded programs.
Bob Woodward: Any Downturn In The Economy Will Be On Obama’s Head (Video)
Bob Woodward appeared on MSNBC’s Morning Joe this morning with some strong words for the President. Making a distinction without a difference, he called Obama’s no negotiations stance reasonable, but then argued that he should sit down and talk to them. He continued to argue that if there is a downturn or collapse in the economy it will be on his (the President’s) head. History remembers the president – not the Speaker of the House.
I’m not sure I agree with his assessment though, because libs write all the history books, now. And to Obama’s many cultists – he can do no wrong – ever.
“Can I enter in here just for a moment because I think it’s a good question”, Woodward began. “And there is something the president could be doing. He said he will not negotiate on the debt ceiling. A reasonable position. ‘I will not be blackmailed’ he said. But he should be talking. They should be meeting, discussing this, because as I think Steve Ratner showed earlier, the American economy is at stake and the president, if there is a downturn or a collapse or whatever could happen here that’s bad, it’s going to be on his head. The history books are going to say, we had an economic calamity in the Presidency of Barack Obama. Speaker Boehner, indeed, is playing a role on this. Go back to the Great Depression in the 1930s. I’ll bet no one can name who was the speaker of the House at the time. Henry Thomas Rainey. He’s not in the history book it’s on the President’s head. He’s got to lead. He’s got to talk. And the absence of discussion here, I think, is baffling element.”
Video: House Hearing Room Erupts Into Laughter At Obama’s “Red Line” on CR
House Appropriations Chairman Hal Rogers (R.-Ky.) provided some much needed comic relief, Saturday night at the House Rules Committee hearing, when he asked Rep. Jim McGovern (D.-Mass.) a question about Obama’s plan to veto the CR.
Via CNC News:
The ensuing exchange between Rogers and McGovern on Obama’s veto threat caused the committee chamber to burst into laughter.
Rogers: “Would the gentleman yield?
McGovern: “I happily yield.”
Rogers: “You say the president has threatened to veto the bill?”
McGovern: “No, he hasn’t threatened. He said he absolutely will veto.”
Rogers: “He’s drawn a red line has he?”
McGovern: “Yep.”
At this point, the small hearing room—which was largely filled with committee members, other members of Congress who had come to testify and congressional staff—burst into laughter.
Rep. McGovern then stated his belief that the president was serious about his then-just-issued veto threat.
This is what happens to a president when he has exhausted all of his credibility.
Nice Deb 