Anyone else (possibly) getting a mandatory vacation come Tuesday?

[Dinner]

Show me where they haven't dropped those.

As DD has said, and as you can read from the dozen or so links I have already provided, they're now tieing all of those demands to the debt ceiling issue which is, in all effect, the same thing now because both issues will now have to be solved at the same time. They've just put everything off until the last minute so now everything has to be done together.

[Ben Kenobi]

I'm here to throw **** at the animals.

You don't say.

[The Mad Monk]

"Dear dignified Members of Congress,

You should know I am typing this with my middle finger..."

[PLATO]

Please think about what you just said. So if any law is passed ever, a minority have the moral right to shutdown the country because the majority refuse to scrap it? Seriously?

Oh my friend...that is not what I said. I repeatedly tried to point out that the magnitude of the impact of this law is what makes it different. Sweeping changes like this should be tailored to reflect some of the concerns of the minority...and let's face it, while the Republicans are the minority, the majority is not overwhelming in its support ( a few percentage points swing would reverse the current situation). Obamacare was bad legislation simply for the fact that there was absolutely no bi-partisanship in it...much to broad an impact for it to have been done that way.

[regexcellent]

Tell me how the government shutdown has affected your day. I'll start.

•

[Ben Kenobi]

There were two people in front of me at whataburger. One of whom I suspect might have been a government worker. He was driving a Pius with a Coexist label and 'Keep Austin Weird'.

I had to wait an extra 5 minutes to get my lunch. This totally ruined my day.

[PLATO]

They've actually had three chances and they've struck out each time. Their first chance was to stop it from passing but it passed by good margins in both houses and signed by the President. Strike #1.

Straight party line vote (Which to me is a bad indicator for legislation this sweeping). So 58-41 in the Senate. I guess you could call that a wide margin, but given the straight party line tallies, it should have expected huge consequences:

Alaska
Yea D Begich, Mark AK
Nay R Murkowski, Lisa AK
Alabama
Nay R Sessions, Jeff AL
Nay R Shelby, Richard AL
Arkansas
Yea D Lincoln, Blanche AR
Yea D Pryor, Mark AR
Arizona
Nay R Kyl, Jon AZ
Nay R McCain, John AZ
California
Yea D Boxer, Barbara CA
Yea D Feinstein, Dianne CA
Colorado
Yea D Bennet, Michael CO
Yea D Udall, Mark CO
Connecticut
Yea D Dodd, Christopher CT
Yea I Lieberman, Joseph CT
Delaware
Yea D Carper, Thomas DE
Yea D Kaufman, Edward DE
Florida
Nay R LeMieux, George FL
Yea D Nelson, Bill FL
Georgia
Nay R Chambliss, Saxby GA
Nay R Isakson, John GA
Hawaii
Yea D Akaka, Daniel HI
Yea D Inouye, Daniel HI
Iowa
Nay R Grassley, Chuck IA
Yea D Harkin, Tom IA
Idaho
Nay R Crapo, Michael ID
Nay R Risch, James ID
Illinois
Yea D Burris, Roland IL
Yea D Durbin, Richard IL
Indiana
Yea D Bayh, Evan IN
Nay R Lugar, Richard IN
Kansas
Nay R Brownback, Sam KS
Nay R Roberts, Pat KS
Kentucky
No Vote R Bunning, Jim KY
Nay R McConnell, Mitch KY
Louisiana
Yea D Landrieu, Mary LA
Nay R Vitter, David LA
Massachusetts
Yea D Kerry, John MA
Yea D Kirk, Paul MA
Maryland
Yea D Cardin, Benjamin MD
Yea D Mikulski, Barbara MD
Maine
Nay R Collins, Susan ME
Nay R Snowe, Olympia ME
Michigan
Yea D Levin, Carl MI
Yea D Stabenow, Debbie MI
Minnesota
Yea D Franken, Al MN
Yea D Klobuchar, Amy MN
Missouri
Nay R Bond, Kit MO
Yea D McCaskill, Claire MO
Mississippi
Nay R Cochran, Thad MS
Nay R Wicker, Roger MS
Montana
Yea D Baucus, Max MT
Yea D Tester, Jon MT
North Carolina
Nay R Burr, Richard NC
Yea D Hagan, Kay NC
North Dakota
Yea D Conrad, Kent ND
Yea D Dorgan, Byron ND
Nebraska
Nay R Johanns, Mike NE
Yea D Nelson, Ben NE
New Hampshire
Nay R Gregg, Judd NH
Yea D Shaheen, Jeanne NH
New Jersey
Yea D Lautenberg, Frank NJ
Yea D Menéndez, Bob NJ
New Mexico
Yea D Bingaman, Jeff NM
Yea D Udall, Tom NM
Nevada
Nay R Ensign, John NV
Yea D Reid, Harry NV
New York
Yea D Gillibrand, Kirsten NY
Yea D Schumer, Charles NY
Ohio
Yea D Brown, Sherrod OH
Nay R Voinovich, George OH
Oklahoma
Nay R Coburn, Thomas OK
Nay R Inhofe, Jim OK
Oregon
Yea D Merkley, Jeff OR
Yea D Wyden, Ron OR
Pennsylvania
Yea D Casey, Bob PA
Yea D Specter, Arlen PA
Rhode Island
Yea D Reed, John RI
Yea D Whitehouse, Sheldon RI
South Carolina
Nay R DeMint, Jim SC
Nay R Graham, Lindsey SC
South Dakota
Yea D Johnson, Tim SD
Nay R Thune, John SD
Tennessee
Nay R Alexander, Lamar TN
Nay R Corker, Bob TN
Texas
Nay R Cornyn, John TX
Nay R Hutchison, Kay TX
Utah
Nay R Bennett, Robert UT
Nay R Hatch, Orrin UT
Virginia
Yea D Warner, Mark VA
Yea D Webb, Jim VA
Vermont
Yea D Leahy, Patrick VT
Yea I Sanders, Bernie VT
Washington
Yea D Cantwell, Maria WA
Yea D Murray, Patty WA
Wisconsin
Yea D Feingold, Russell WI
Yea D Kohl, Herb WI
West Virginia
Yea D Byrd, Robert WV
Yea D Rockefeller, Jay WV
Wyoming
Nay R Barrasso, John WY
Nay R Enzi, Michael WY

They then challenged the law in court claiming it was unconstitutional but the SCotUS called them ***** and laughed them out of court. Strike #2.

Not exactly...the court was split and came to the conclusion that the ONLY reason that it was constitutional was because it is a TAX...something Obama himself promised that it wasn't.

Then they ran the 2012 election on a platform of repealing the ACA and taking health insurance away from millions of people but, happily, voters rejected them. Strike #3.

Obviously the ACA was a major issue in the election, but other factors like immigration, foreign policy, economic planning, and a weak Republican candidate certainly had their impacts as well. It is impossible to say that the election was or was not a mandate for Obamacare.

They just keep losing and they're mad about it so they're throwing a tempertantrum because they can't have their way and pretend like the last five years hasn't happened. Tough. Damn sore losers.

Yes...sore losers who believe in standing up for their convictions. If they truly believe that this is a disaster for the country, how could people of good conscience not stand up for their beliefs and their country?

[PLATO]

Tell me how the government shutdown has affected your day. I'll start.

•

Well for one, it has brought mortgage lending to a standstill. All mortgage loans now require a copy of tax transcripts issued by the IRS...and that department is at home today watching CNN. Also USDA is not underwriting loan applications to issue certificates for new home purchases (this is a very good program for lower income folks in rural areas to be able to afford a home). Not to mention that The Great Smoky Mountain National Park is closed which is having an economic impact on Eastern Tennessee this very minute.

[regexcellent]

Oh. Your day is ruined because unnecessary bureaucrats can't do their unnecessary regulatory function and therefore you are legally prohibited from doing business. Man that sucks.

[PLATO]

Oh. Your day is ruined because unnecessary bureaucrats can't do their unnecessary regulatory function and therefore you are legally prohibited from doing business. Man that sucks.

Exactly...and yes, it sucks.

[DinoDoc]

Not exactly...the court was split and came to the conclusion that the ONLY reason that it was constitutional was because it is a TAX...something Obama himself promised that it wasn't.

I still don't understand the reasoning behind that case. The Tax Anti-Injunction Act didn't apply on the rationale that Congress specifically labeled consequences of the mandate as a "penalty" rather than a "tax," yet goes and declares the ACA individual mandate Constitutional by labeling it a tax themselves. Can a lawyer explain that to me?

[PLATO]

I still don't understand the reasoning behind that case. The Tax Anti-Injunction Act didn't apply on the rationale that Congress specifically labeled consequences of the mandate as a "penalty" rather than a "tax," yet goes and declares the ACA individual mandate Constitutional by labeling it a tax themselves. Can a lawyer explain that to me?

I sure as hell can't. If I remember the ruling correctly, Roberts said that while it usually does matter what Congress calls something, in this case it didn't and that the "penalty" was, in fact, a tax. WTF?

[Krill]

Oh my friend...that is not what I said. I repeatedly tried to point out that the magnitude of the impact of this law is what makes it different. Sweeping changes like this should be tailored to reflect some of the concerns of the minority...and let's face it, while the Republicans are the minority, the majority is not overwhelming in its support ( a few percentage points swing would reverse the current situation). Obamacare was bad legislation simply for the fact that there was absolutely no bi-partisanship in it...much to broad an impact for it to have been done that way.

If the Taliban had 45% of the congressional vote would you negotiate with them?

[kentonio]

So what are peoples bets on how long it will be before the GOP inevitable cave?

I'm going for a week.

[Krill]

I think the debt ceiling will not be increased.