Thread: Republicans Aren’t Hostage Takers, They’re Political Terrorists

Republicans Aren

Today’s Republicans will never release the hostage—instead they’re intent on taking down Obama, and they don’t care if they go down with him, says Michael Tomasky as we head toward a shutdown.

Back in the late 1970s, Richard Pryor had a routine where he gave a rundown on the various factions he’d encountered inside prison. There were the black Muslims, he said. They were fairly rough customers. Then there were the Double Muslims. The Double Muslims, he said, “can’t wait to get to Allah, and they wanna take a bunch of muthafukkas with them.”

Pryor obviously wasn’t talking about today’s Republicans, but he was describing them better than they’ve been described anywhere. They know they’re going to bear the brunt of the blame if the government shuts down—at least some of them do, the ones who have the ability to think beyond the boundaries of their districts. And the thing is, they don’t care. As long as they can drag Obama and the Democrats down with them, dropping in the polls is fine by them. And that’s why we’re in this situation. We have here people who are participating in the democratic process, and who respect certain of its rules and practices because they know they must to attain legitimacy in the eyes of the public and the media, but who at the end of the day—and the end of the day means now—operate and act with the mentality of Pryor’s Double Muslims; which is to say, the mentality of terrorists.

It’s naive to call them anything else. What they’re doing here is not hostage taking, the most commonly used metaphor in the media. It’s political terrorism. When hostage takers see that their demands are met, they release the hostage. But what makes anyone think today’s Republicans will ever release the hostage? No—if the Democrats agree to negotiate, the demands will never stop. Every pivot point on the legislative calendar will be an opportunity to make demands without precedent in our system.

And they won’t care how much they sink in the polls, as long as Obama sinks too. And he will. Not as much as they will. In a recent CNBC poll, 59 percent of those surveyed said they opposed defunding Obamacare if such a move was attached to a government shutdown. Sub in delaying, as defunding is evidently off the table now; I don’t know what that number would be, but probably not very different. So they’re going to take a hit nationally. Of course, the majority of them are probably going to see their personal numbers go up within their own districts if there’s a shutdown, because they stood up to the Kenyan, and in their districts, that’s all that matters. But nationally, the GOP brand is going to take a big hit in the event of a shutdown.

And they don’t care. As long as they can drag Obama down with them, they’ll take the hit. This is exactly the mentality of the suicide bomber. I will die, but I’m taking some infidels with me. And to them and to their base, Obama is the biggest infidel of all and Obamacare the greatest impiety. Whatever they can do to traduce him is worth doing.

It doesn’t stop there. The complete psychological profile of this GOP also must reference the totalitarian mind. Here I refer to the common totalitarian tactic of accusing the enemy of doing exactly what the totalitarian himself is doing. Every totalitarian dictator from Stalin on down has employed this tactic regularly. There’s no surer way to get away with criminality than to accuse your political opponents of exactly the criminality that you are committing, to get the people looking the other way.

And so of course John Boehner said over the weekend that the Senate, if it fails to accept the House’s terms, “will be deliberately bringing the nation to the brink of a government shutdown for the sake of raising taxes on seniors’ pacemakers and children’s hearing aids.” And of course whip Kevin McCarthy said, “We will not shut the government down.” And of course Sen. Rand Paul said: “We are the party that’s willing to compromise. They are the party that says, no way, we’re not touching Obamacare.”

You don’t even need to have read Orwell to know these are quasi-totalitarian statements that depend on obfuscation, rely on the gullibility of the listening public. The obfuscators all know very well that most Americans won’t stop to realize that their position is a scandal to begin with. They’re trying to undo a law that was duly passed and then upheld by the Supreme Court, as if that were normal in American politics, as if it should be considered an acceptable tactic on its face. And they know that ... some Americans (I don’t think most, in this case) will stupidly and dismissively assign equal blame to both sides.

That’s what we’re dealing with. These people are not small-d democrats. The giveaway is how excessively they claim the language of democracy, how fully they wrap themselves in the flag, the Founders, the Gadsden motto, and the fife and drum. If you know you’re a democrat, you don’t have to go around trying to prove it. Whereas if you know deep down you’re not, that’s exactly when you start invoking the Founders all the time. It’s the same reason child molesters join the priesthood or the Boy Scouts. It’s cover. (Or, in the case of the priesthood, it used to be.)

Boehner can change this dynamic. He can accept a “clean” continuing resolution on Monday and let it pass with mostly Democratic votes. That’s the only way to avert a shutdown. The Democrats won’t budge, and they shouldn’t. You don’t renegotiate existing laws while one party has dynamite strapped to its chest. But there’s nothing in Boehner’s past to suggest that he’ll do the reasonable thing. He caves to the extremists all the time. He did it this weekend, and he’ll probably do it again on Monday night. And the government will be shut down. And the GOP will take most of the blame, but for now at least, they won’t care. Double Muslims never do.

For a fictional show (based on actual events), this is the truest news story you have ever seen.

The Newsroom - Tea Party is the American Taliban

The government shutdown is terrible for America—but it's turning into a flat-out catastrophe for tea party Republicans.

Polls show the public knows exactly who's to blame in Washington, and approval ratings for the tea party terrorists have reached an all-time low.

"Poll: GOP blamed more than Dems," Politico, October 3, 2013
Poll: GOP blamed more than Dems - Tal Kopan - POLITICO.com

This government shutdown really could spell the end of the tea party. But it's up to us to make sure Republicans pay such a steep political price that they never try this kind of hostage-taking again.

If you are not American and want to get a feel of the way a lot of politically-interested people feel in the US, try listening to this CSPAN call in program in which all Americans at home and abroad can call in and give their opinions. It's unbiased offering the chance to speak based on party affiliation. They'll let one Republican speak, then a Democrat, then an Independent.


Open Phones - C-SPAN Video Library

Elizabeth Warren BLASTS Republicans. 'Hostage Taking Is All They Have Left'

"In a democracy, hostage tactics are the last resort for those who can't otherwise win their fights through elections, can't win their fights in Congress, can't win their fights for the Presidency, and can't win their fights in Courts," Warren said. "For this right-wing minority, hostage-taking is all they have left -- a last gasp of those who cannot cope with the realities of our democracy."

Republican Rep. Marlin Stutzman accidentally summed up the Republicans' approach to the government shutdown perfectly...
"Don't Know What I Want, But I Want Respect"

Republican Congressman: My Party is Insane...But I'll Do What They Tell Me To Do Anyway!




Nunes calls fellow House Republicans ‘Lemmings with suicide vests’

Amazing that these loonies are in control of the United States Govt innit? Whats more amazing is that the american people mostly dont give a shit about any of it all they care about is the new cell phone, the NFL, and getting drunk or high or both.

Maher and Grayson: GOP is just ‘corporate shills, Jesus freaks and gun nuts’

By David Ferguson
Saturday, October 5, 2013 10:40 EDT


Friday night on “Real Time with Bill Maher,” host Bill Maher and panel discussed the chaotic state of the Republican Party. The division that is most immediately apparent is the line between the tea party, far-right caucus and the old guard establishment Republicans. Maher and Rep. Alan Grayson (D-FL) said that the real division in the party is multifold, an amalgamation of “corporate shills, Jesus freaks and gun nuts.”
Maher began the segment by suggesting that if the GOP wants to cut something so badly, they should cut something we don’t actually need, like the war in Afghanistan.
“Why don’t we leave there early?” he said. “It’s still costing us a hundred billion dollars a year to be there. Why the EPA? Why is it always stuff like that?”
“I see it a little differently,” said Grayson. “I think there’s three Republican parties. There’s the corporate shills, there’s the religious fanatics and then there are the ‘freedom’ fiends, the one that want to make sure that you have the right to sleep under a bridge.”
“So, Jesus freaks, generic obese suburbanites, and let me add the super-rich,” added Maher. “That’s the Republican Party, isn’t it?”

Originally Posted by beazalbob69

Amazing that these loonies are in control of the United States Govt innit? Whats more amazing is that the american people mostly dont give a shit about any of it all they care about is the new cell phone, the NFL, and getting drunk or high or both.

I think people have twigged that whoever they vote for is going to instantly have "special interest" money shoved in their pockets, and by that I mean "will be bought off".

The Tea Party shutdown of the US Federal Government is doing even more damage to the GOP than expected.

Why the Shutdown Looks So Bad for the GOP

Not only are they taking the blame, but the Republican party’s divisions, fissures, and personal animosities are taking center stage.

By John Dickerson








During the Great Polling Disconnect of 2012, the Obama campaign, the press, and a number of pollsters thought that Barack Obama would win his second presidential election. Republicans and the Romney campaign were equally convinced the polls were flawed: The electorate would behave differently on Election Day.



There was a clear loser in that experiment. We're facing a similar test now with the government shutdown. Public opinion polls show overwhelming opposition to the GOP strategy. Republican Sen. John McCain tweeted a Quinnipiac poll Tuesday morning that shows 72 percent of Americans oppose Congress “shutting down major activities of the federal government” as a way to stop the Affordable Care Act from going into effect.



For the conservatives pushing the showdown over the president's health care plan, those numbers are either wrong or changeable. We're about to find out which side is right.


In the first hours of the shutdown, the terrain looks very bad for Republicans. It's amazing how consistent the polls have been about linking a confrontation over the Affordable Care Act to funding of the government. While polls show the public disapproves of the law, it has consistently told pollsters it is not in favor of tying government operations to defunding the health care plan. In addition to the Quinnipiac poll, the polls from CBS, CNN, CNBC, National Journal, and Kaiser show this. As GOP Sen. Jeff Flake said, Republicans have found the one gambit less popular than Obamacare.




Conservatives would interrupt the conversation here. They didn't shut the government down over Obamacare—Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid shut the government down because he refused to negotiate. This is true; Reid refused to negotiate. But the American public would have to view this confrontation differently for that fact to give the Republicans any leverage. Right now, the public agrees with Democrats: Funding the government and taking apart Obamacare should not be part of the same conversation. How do Republicans change that dynamic? Asserting that Obamacare is not popular hasn’t made a whit of difference.

Now that the much-threatened shutdown has become reality, Democratic and Republican party unity is critical. Democrats are united. Even Democratic senators up for re-election in predominantly Republican states have not bolted. (Remember how conservative Democrats abandoned the president repeatedly during the passage of the Affordable Care Act.)

If Republicans want to stand fast against overwhelming public opinion, unity during the shutdown is critical. They should be singing from the same song sheet, something that goes a little like this: “We acted to keep government open while trying to protect Americans from being forced into a system they don’t trust and which has had such problems the president has exempted big business but not regular people.” But there is no unity in the Republican chorus. That was clear even before the shutdown began, as Republican senators spoke openly about the folly of the GOP’s approach. That's why John McCain, who was one such senator, was tweeting out polling figures that undermine the House Republican cause. So many Republican members have spoken out against the strategy that the Tea Party Express sent out a fundraising appeal asking, "With Republicans Like These, Who Needs Democrats?"

Originally Posted by beazalbob69

Amazing that these loonies are in control of the United States Govt innit?

Legends in their own minds only. They are not in charge. All needs done is bring vote to raise debt ceiling to the floor. It will pass. The heat is on and Republicans know it. Boehner will fold and put it to a vote very soon. So called tea party folks will scream and yell but fact is, enough Republicans will vote for it to pass.

Originally Posted by Norton

Boehner will fold and put it to a vote very soon. So called tea party folks will scream and yell but fact is, enough Republicans will vote for it to pass.

there's no doubt that the votes are there, but it would be an act of political suicide on boehner's part.

cantor is probably salivating at the prospect.

CBS host calmly obliterates Republican talking points on government shutdown

Face the Nation’s host Bob Schieffer on CBS obliterated Senate Minority Whip John Cornyn (R-TX) while discussing the current government crisis.
Schieffer likened their strategy to, “I’m going to throw a brick through your window unless you give me $20.” In his typically calm, relaxed demeanor, Schieffer obliterated Cornyn’s talking points.


Cornyn: Obama "AWOL" on shutdown, debt ceiling debates - CBS News Video

Originally Posted by TonyBKK

For a fictional show (based on actual events), this is the truest news story you have ever seen.

The Newsroom - Tea Party is the American Taliban

A fictional show as a news source. What about the office romance? Any thing to report there?

Originally Posted by beazalbob69

Amazing that these loonies are in control of the United States Govt innit? Whats more amazing is that the american people mostly dont give a shit about any of it all they care about is the new cell phone, the NFL, and getting drunk or high or both.

It's kind of like the ones who attend the soccer matches. But I think you're right. I've often said that the average American doesn't care about anything more than what he can reach out and shove into his mouth

House Speaker John Boehner is a lying piece of shit.


In an ABC interview yesterday Boehner said, “There are not the votes in the house to pass a clean CR.”

Boehner Lies: Not Enough House Votes for Clean CR

Originally Posted by TonyBKK

“There are not the votes in the house to pass a clean CR.”

Easy to prove John. Just do it. If it doesn't pass, you win. If it does, you go home and get to write a book and make big money.

This nails it:

<Oct 2008: "You'll never get elected and pass healthcare."

Nov 2008: "We'll never let you pass healthcare."

Jan 2009: "We're gonna shout you down every time you try to pass healthcare."

July 2009: "We'll fight to death every attempt you make to pass healthcare."

Dec 2009: "We will destroy you if you even consider passing healthcare."

March 2010: "We can't believe you just passed healthcare."

April 2010: "We are going to overturn healthcare."

Sept 2010: "We are going to repeal healthcare."

Jan 2011: "We are going to destroy healthcare."

Feb 2012: "We're gonna elect a candidate who'll revoke healthcare NOW."

June 2012: "We'll go to the Supreme Court, and they will overturn healthcare."

Aug 2012: "American people'll never re-elect you-they don't want healthcare."

Oct 2012: "We can't wait to win the election and explode healthcare."

Nov 2012: "We can't believe you got re-elected & we can't repeal healthcare."

Feb 2013: "We're still going to vote to obliterate healthcare."

June 2013: "We can't believe the Supreme Court just upheld healthcare."

July 2013: "We're going to vote like 40 more times to erase healthcare."

Sept 2013: "We are going to leverage a government shutdown into defunding, destroying, obliterating, overturning, repealing, dismantling, erasing and ripping apart healthcare."

Oct 2013: "WHY AREN'T YOU NEGOTIATING???">

Why does the House Speaker refuse to call a vote??

More Washington Journal Open Phones from yesterday. It's a bit shocking how some people are about the state of the nation.

Open Phones - C-SPAN Video Library

The last time the Republicans shut down the US government in the 1990's it cost the country an estimated $1.5 billion and propelled the Democrats to victory in the following presidential election.

CBS News put together an estimate of what this shutdown is costing the US and it's grim indeed:

Shutting down the government could cost the federal government well over $2 billion dollars if it resembles the last shutdowns in 1995-1996, though the economy would be harmed in additional ways that are nearly impossible to measure.

The Office of Management and Budget estimated that two government shutdowns in 1995 and 1996, totaling 27 days, cost the federal government $1.4 billion. That's over $2 billion in today's dollars on costs like back pay to furloughed federal workers and uncollected fines and taxes. That number doesn't begin to account for intangible losses in worker morale and productivity, and confidence in the federal government.


Doug Holtz-Eakin, the former director of the Congressional Budget Office, said a short-term shutdown will have a fairly small economic impact. The federal government spends roughly $3 billion a day in discretionary spending, so a disruption like the ones in 1995 and 1996 could wind up being roughly equivalent to the cost of keeping the government running for a day.


"A short government shutdown is not a very important event; it's a hiccup," Holtz-Eakin said. "I think the bulk of the costs are transitory and are paid back later. That's really what happens. There's some distraction costs that never go away and they're real."


Among those distractions is the amount of time federal managers and human resources employees must spend preparing their shutdown plans. Prior to the 1980s, many agencies would simply continue running if there was a funding gap. That changed with a legal memo from Attorney General Benjamin Civiletti saying government work had to stop, with the exception of certain employees.

Full article: Government shutdown: What's the cost? - CBS News

The Teanderthals haven't only taken our government hostage, they also tried to hijack the recent apolitical Veterans March and got called out for it-

Million Vet March organizers smack back at Tea Party, Sen. Ted Cruz for hijacking their event.

On the Million Vet March website it now reads:

The political agenda put forth by a local organizer in Washington DC was not in alignment with our message. We feel disheartened that some would seek to hijack the narrative for political gain. The core principle is about all Americans honoring Veterans in a peaceful and apolitical manner.

On the group’s Facebook page it reads in part, “The core principle was and remains about all Americans honoring Veterans in a peaceful and apolitical manner. Our love for and our dedication to remains with Veterans, regardless of party affiliation or political leanings.”

As it turns out, the message was skewed, blurred from the original intent. The organizers blame “certain groups that have piggy-backed off our grassroots efforts”

They add, “We made the mistake of trying to partner with some Washington insiders that thwarted many of our genuine concerns for keeping this apolitical and grassroots. While we support many of those groups common causes for Veterans, we do not support the manner in which they go about it. We chose instead to not incite or create panic.”

ego rules, fuck everybody else.
the nutters have taken over.

will they do a Berlisconi and melt.
for the times they are a changing.

and they are convinced "g0d" is on their side - and they have the gall to complain about religious extremism elsewhere

Taking the stage at the Values Voter Summit, an annual gathering of religious-right activists, Cruz announced that they were winning the fight. “I am here this morning with a word of encouragement and exhortation!” Cruz said. A woman in the front row shouted a passage from Romans: “If God is with you, who can be against you?” “I receive that blessing,” Cruz said somberly.

Have to wonder who is behind the bone-head decision to move this from Speakers Corner to "World News"