#TrumpShutdown Continues As "Great Dealmaker" Goes AWOL

With 60 votes necessary to pass a Continuing Resolution bill which would keep the federal government open and operating, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell's bill fell way short last night with only 50 'yes' votes while 49 senators voted 'no.'

Sen. John McCain wasn't present due to his ongoing cancer battle.

The legislation, on top of keeping the government open for four more weeks while a budget would, in theory, be hammered out also included a 6-year extension in the Childrens Health Insurance Program which Republicans allowed to expire months ago.

Clearly, McConnell has held this in his backpocket to use as leverage to get the budget he wants.

But Senate Democrats held to their guns saying not only should CHIP be addressed (and it should) but also the issue of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program or 'Dreamers' needs to be resolved now.

Several months ago, Donald Trump decided to end the program at random. Without DACA in force, 800,000 young people who were brought to the U.S. as children and live here without a criminal record could be deported.

So, here we are today as Senate and House leaders try to figure out how to solve this impasse.

Donald Trump, who apparently agreed to a deal that would address all of these issues last week, now says he is not willing to negotiate anything that deals with DACA for now. Many Washington insiders are blaming white nationalist and Trump adviser Stephen Miller who opposes any kind of immigration reform.

And so, we wait.

This is the first time a furlough of federal employees has occurred under single-party control of Congress and the White House. That would be the Republicans.

According to a recent poll, 48% of voters would hold Trump and the Republicans responsible for the government shutdown, only 28% would blame Democrats.

Where is the "Great Dealmaker?" Where is the "Great Negotiator" who says he knows how to bring people together to get a deal done?

Oh, that reminds me: today is the first anniversary of Donald Trump's inauguration as president.

It only took a year for him to shut down the government.

Another record broken... #MAGA

This is the One Year Anniversary of my Presidency and the Democrats wanted to give me a nice present. #DemocratShutdown

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 20, 2018

.@realDonaldTrump should heed his own words:
“if there is a shutdown I think it would be a tremendously negative mark on the president of the United States. He's the one that has to get people together.” #TrumpShutdown pic.twitter.com/pqbGAQf1Tx

— Chuck Schumer (@SenSchumer) January 19, 2018

"I'm A Great Dealmaker: That's What I Do " https://t.co/MfR8qllktf

— Joshua Green (@JoshuaGreen) January 20, 2018

There's an outside chance the president is bad at deals. https://t.co/E5ROqMYjoe

— Julius Goat 🦆 (@JuliusGoat) January 20, 2018

I love that @SenateMajLdr is pretending to care about CHIP kids. Dude, YOU LET CHIP EXPIRE NEARLY 120 DAYS AGO and then tried to use those kids as hostages!! #TrumpShutdown

— Joy Reid (@JoyAnnReid) January 20, 2018

New Yorker satirist #AndyBorowitz says, "Sarah Huckabee Sanders offers to lie for free during shutdown."

— Bette Midler (@BetteMidler) January 20, 2018

Trump is a self-proclaimed dealmaker who struggles to close deals, an unreliable negotiator who seems to promise one thing only to renege days, or even hours, later. And on Friday night, he watched as yet another deal slipped away. https://t.co/OyBhjYHgy9 pic.twitter.com/Y6X9nRvnKJ

— Ashley Parker (@AshleyRParker) January 20, 2018

A year ago @SpeakerRyan promised a Dreamer and her daughter *to their faces* that he would work with Trump to pass a legislative fix to protect people like them.

Mr. Speaker, you and @SenateMajLdr have the power to keep your promise and end the #TrumpShutdown at any time. pic.twitter.com/0elc8D6CBG

— Rep. Don Beyer (@RepDonBeyer) January 20, 2018

Poll: Republicans Could Bear The Brunt Of Government Shutdown Blame

Only hours before a possible shutdown of the federal government, a new poll shows the Republicans would bear the brunt of responsibility for the ensuing debacle.

According to the latest ABC News/Washington Post poll:

• 48% of those surveyed would place the blame on Donald Trump and the Republicans

• 28% would hold Democrats responsible

• 18% say both parties would share the blame

• Among the very important political Independents, 46% would blame Republicans compared to 25% who would say Dems would be responsible.

This would be the first time in modern history that the government would shut down while under control of one political party.

I thought Donald Trump's big skill was "bringing people together" to get a deal...?

Trump: Federal Shutdown "Would Be A Tremendously Negative Mark On The President Of The U.S."

With a federal shutdown looming as Republicans and Democrats dig in their heels regarding funding the government, check out this nugget from 2011 where Donald Trump told The Today Show that a shutdown "would be a tremendously negative mark on the president of the United States."

There's always a quote, there's always a tweet...

.@realDonaldTrump should heed his own words:
“if there is a shutdown I think it would be a tremendously negative mark on the president of the United States. He's the one that has to get people together.” #TrumpShutdown pic.twitter.com/pqbGAQf1Tx

— Chuck Schumer (@SenSchumer) January 19, 2018

Sen. Lindsey Graham admits the GOP government shutdown "hurt" the Republican brand

Via RawStory: In an interview on Face The Nation, Sen. Lindsey Graham admitted the GOP bungled the recent government shutdown:

“After this debacle called the shutdown, our party’s been hurt, our brand name is at the lowest ever, Obamacare actually got a bump in polling and we got in the way of a disastrous roll-out. So from my point of view, this was a tactical choice that hurt us.”

To make his point, the South Carolina Republican told a story of a “friend” who had been personally impacted by the health care law.

“Friend of mine owns 52 Wendy’s, he’s put pen to paper, he has 40 percent of his workforce insured today,” Graham explained. “Under Obamacare, if 20 percent choose insurance, his insurance costs will double. That story is repeating itself throughout the economy. Obamacare is a debacle that will go into 2014.”

GOP Shutdown costs taxpayers $24 billion

Graphic via Politics with Jarred and Dave

As Time Magazine points out, the GOP shutdown of the government for 16 days cost taxpayers $24 billion.

And they think THEY are the party of fiscal responsibility???

$24 billion later...

Just hours after passing in Congress, President Obama signed legislation that reopened the government and extended the debt limit.

The GOP-dominated House passed the measure 285-144, with 87 Republicans joining all Democrats in support. The Senate passed it 81-18. In both chambers, only Republicans voted against the measure.

At the end of it all, the 16 day debacle cost the American people an estimated $26 billion and concerned jittery markets all over the world.

While concern was spread throughout the country and the world, it was disconcerting to me to see news reports and even Facebook posts by extreme right-wing believers who kept the message of "hold out, Ted Cruz, hold out!" Disconcerting because instead of fervor based on anything concrete, the clamor for anarchy was steeped more in a blind, uninformed rage against a President that some Americans have been taught to hate. Any and everything he may achieve is seen as an evil. But, if you ask these "patriots" to explain why they feel the way they do, very few have any specifics to point to. They have just "heard" it's all bad.

I believe this country has to rein in spending. I do. But bringing the country to the brink of serious - and I mean SERIOUS - calamity isn't "patriotism."

Or "fervor."

It's just reckless.

(source)

Houston Chronicle regrets endorsing Sen. Ted Cruz

From the Houston Chronicle:

Does anyone else miss Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison? We're not sure how much difference one person could make in the toxic, chaotic, hyperpartisan atmosphere in Washington, but if we could choose just one it would be Hutchison, whose years of service in the Senate were marked by two things sorely lacking in her successor, Ted Cruz.

When we endorsed Ted Cruz in last November's general election, we did so with many reservations and at least one specific recommendation - that he follow Hutchison's example in his conduct as a senator. Obviously, he has not done so.

Cruz has been part of the problem in specific situations where Hutchison would have been part of the solution. We feel certain she would have worked shoulder to shoulder with Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, in crafting a workable solution that likely would have avoided the government shutdown altogether.

But we'll never know.

Government Shutdown - down to the wire

• The Dow Jones Industrial closed 133 points down as hope for progress in Congress bubbled and then waned Tuesday. After markets closed, Fitch Ratings put the United States on “rating watch negative,” signaling that it could downgrade the country’s current AAA rating if the debt limit is not raised.

• Key Senate leaders have resumed their on-again off-again talks after putting the negotiations on ice early Tuesday. By late Tuesday, ongoing talks between Democratic Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid and Republican Minority Leader Mitch McConnell appeared to be down to the dotting of I’s and the crossing of T’s. Senate rules could still allow Tea Party favorite Sen. Ted Cruz or other dissenters to slow the consideration of the bill until after the Thursday deadline.

• Republican House Speaker John Boehner and House leaders abruptly pulled a bill from consideration that would have reopened the government until December and lifted the debt ceiling until January. That measure failed to garner support from conservatives who wanted more health care-related concessions from Democrats, so Boehner nixed a Tuesday evening vote rather than face a damaging failure on the House floor. Boehner may need to put the Senate-passed legislation on the House floor and look for Democratic House votes to get it through.

• “My expectation is it does get solved but we don't have a lot of time,” President Obama said in an interview Tuesday with WABC. “What I'm suggesting to the congressional leaders is let's not do any posturing, let's not try to save face, let's not worry about politics. Do what's right.”

(via NBC News)

Senate leaders "optimistic" about shutdown/debt limit agreement

Very polite and positive.

Fingers crossed, kids.

Audra McDonald sings Billy Idol's "White Wedding"

Stephen Colbert's Government Shutdown Wedding of the Century

After Colbert pronounced the couple husband and wife - "by the power vested in me by the state of New York and the entire Viacom family of entertainment networks,"

And for the first dance, the couple was serenaded by five-time Tony Award winner Audra McDonald singing Billy Idol's White Wedding.

Legit performances of pop songs always get me. And when you can deliver like Audra, it's just a comedy home run.

Republicans probably don't want you to know they changed this rule

Late in the evening on September 30, 2013, the House Rules Committee Republicans changed the Rules of the House so that the ONLY Member allowed to call up the Senate's clean CR for a vote was Majority Leader Eric Cantor or his designee -- all but guaranteeing the government would shut down a few hours later and would stay shut down.

Previously, any Member would have had the right to bring the CR up for a vote.

Democracy has been suspended in the House of Representatives.

Things that make you go "hmm..."

More bad news for GOP in NBC/WSJ poll

Bad news for the GOP in the latest NBC/Wall Street Journal poll.

Not only has the GOP reached it's all-time low "Favorable" rating in regard to the entire history of this poll, but President Obama's numbers have risen as well as the approval of Obamacare:

* 70% of Americans disapprove of the way in which GOP lawmakers are doing their jobs. Republicans unfavorable number are the lowest in the history of the poll.

* 53% majority blame congressional Republicans for the current government shutdown. Less than a third (31%) blame the president.

* 38% of Americans see Obamacare favorably, up from last month's 31%

* In terms of a generic ballot, Democrats enjoy an eight-point advantage in the congressional midterm elections (47% to 39%), as compared to a three-point advantage last month (46% to 43%).

* By a 52% to 44% margin, Americans believe the government should do more, not less, to solve problems. In June, the results were evenly split.

More at NBC News

President Obama to Boehner: Put the shutdown up for a clean vote

From USA Today: President Obama and House Speaker John Boehner held separate news conferences and made sharply worded statements about the budget impasse and the looming Oct. 17 deadline when the nation reaches its debt limit.

Obama insisted that he's "not budging" on his insistence that congressional Republicans raise the borrowing authority and pass a bill to fund the government — both without any restrictions. Boehner rejected what he considers Obama's call for "unconditional surrender."

Anderson Cooper shuts down GOP congressman who accuses him of bias

CNN’s Anderson Cooper was not having it when Rep. Raul Labrador of Idaho on Monday insinuated that Cooper is biased against Republicans.

Cooper asked the Republican why the House won’t allow a vote on a clean CR to “see” if it would pass. Labrador insisted there are not enough votes to pass the bill.

When Labrador practically accused Cooper of doing the bidding of the Democrats, Cooper was quick to refute the allegation.

“All of a sudden, just because you don’t like the fact that the Republicans are in control of the House of Representatives, you want to make sure that the Republicans actually pass the Democrat’s–” Labrador began before being interrupted.

“I don’t have a stake in this,” he said. “This is the way it works in journalism. When you’re not on Fox News, you get contentious interviews. When you’re not on MSNBC and a liberal, you get contentious interviews. My job is to ask you questions that are different than you think, just as my next guest, who’s a Democrat, I’m gonna ask the same kinds of questions… that’s what a journalist does.”

(source)

GOP keeps saying Dems won't negotiate on budget during government shutdown?

The House GOP keeps repeating that the Senate Democrats won't sit down and negotiate, also known as meeting to "conference" on the differences between the budgets passed in the Senate and the House.

But the facts are rather inconvenient for Republicans. Nineteen times Senate Democrats asked to conference. Nineteen times Senate Republicans blocked the procedure. Check out the list below via National Journal:

1. 4/23 Senator Reid requested unanimous consent to go to conference, Senator Toomey blocked.

2. 5/6 Senator Reid requested unanimous consent to go to conference, Senator Cruz blocked.

3. 5/7 Senator Murray requested unanimous consent to go to conference, Senator McConnell blocked.

4. 5/8 Senator Warner asked unanimous consent to go to conference, Senator McConnell blocked.

5. 5/9 Senator Murray asked unanimous consent to go to conference, Senator McConnell blocked.

6. 5/14 Senator Warner asked unanimous consent to go to conference, and Senator McConnell blocked.

7. 5/15 Senator Wyden asked unanimous consent to go to conference, and Senator McConnell blocked.

8. 5/16 Senator Murray asked unanimous consent to go to conference, and Senator Lee blocked.

9. 5/21 Senator Murray asked unanimous consent to go to conference, and Senator Paul blocked.

10. 5/22 Senator Kaine asked unanimous consent to go to conference, and Senator Rubio blocked.

11. 5/23 Senator McCaskill asked unanimous consent to go to conference, and Senator Lee blocked.

12. 6/4 Senator Murray asked unanimous consent to go to conference, and Senator Rubio blocked.

13. 6/12 Senator Kaine asked unanimous consent to go to conference, and Senator Lee blocked.

14. 6/19 Senator Murray asked unanimous consent to go to conference, and Senator Toomey blocked.

15. 6/26 Senator Murray requested unanimous consent to go to conference, Senator Cruz blocked.

16. 7/11 Senator Murray requested unanimous consent to go to conference, Senator Marco Rubio blocked.

17. 7/17 Senator Murray requested unanimous consent to go to conference, Senator Mike Lee blocked.

18. 8/1 Senator Durbin requested unanimous consent to go to conference, Senator Marco Rubio blocked.

19. 10/2 Senator Murray requested unanimous consent to go to conference, Senator Toomey blocked.

So, every time you hear Republicans repeat over and over again that Democrats "won't sit down to negotiate" - remember this.

And why did they use this strategy? Because the threat of shutting down the government was their last viable option to stopping Obamacare.

And it didn't work, and now they have no exit strategy.

And there you have it.

Congressional gym deemed "essential" by Boehner during government shutdown

Even the right-wing site Drudge Report is mad at this one.

We may have to cut nutritional support for poor kids, but I guess House Speaker Boehner felt Rep. Paul Ryan needed his workout, so the Congressional gym is deemed "essential" to stay open during the government shutdown....

A House aide confirmed to ThinkProgress that the House member’s gym is open. The House gym features a swimming pool, basketball courts, paddleball courts, a sauna, a steam room and flat screen TVs. While towel service is unavailable, taxpayers remain on the hook for cleaning and maintenance, which has been performed daily throughout the shutdown. There are also costs associated with the power required to heat the pools and keep the lights on.

According to the aide, the decision to keep the gym open — even while other critical government services were shelved — came directly from Speaker Boehner’s office. Meanwhile, the staff gym available to Congressional staff has been closed.

(via Think Progress)

Tweet of the day: "You aren't compromising!"

Cover of this week's TIME Magazine addresses GOP-led government shutdown

Truth of the day: The GOP finally addresses jobs

Via Steve Marmel

Jon Stewart of The Daily Show - "Shutstorm 2013"

 


From Mediaite: For the third night in a row, Jon Stewart opened The Daily Show with coverage of “Shutstorm 2013″ and this time his rage was aimed squarely at “Bullshit Mountain,” AKA Fox News.

He noticed that the hosts over at Fox seem to have realized that “this shutdown ain’t looking so hot for one particular political party.”

The Daily Show with Jon Stewart
Get More: Daily Show Full Episodes,The Daily Show on Facebook