Let me preface this post by saying this: I get it.
My Dad, whom I adored, was a WWII vet. I toured European battlefields with him. I read the history and heard the tales. I stood on Omaha Beach and looked up the cliffs that those boys had to scale. I stood on Utah Beach and looked up steeper cliffs and then down them from the top, through the craters left by our bombs. I have been fascinated by the history of WWII, by the battles. By the true contest between good and evil that that war represented in my mind.
I get it. Really. They are, truly, the Greatest Generation
So yesterday when my blood pressure hit the roof, it wasn’t that I wanted to deny veterans, especially WWII vets, anything.
My first impression when I read that vets from a Mississippi Gulf Coast Honor Flight crossed over the barricades erected because of the government shutdown was: Good For YOU!
Until, that is, I learned that it was two GOP Congressmen who were responsible for the “storming.” According to this article, the barricades were moved by a pair of GOP members of Congress, Mississippi Rep. Roger Wicker and Michigan Rep. Bill Huizenga. Congressman Huizenga proclaimed it the “the best civil disobedience we’ve seen in Washington for a long time.”
And THAT is when my blood boiled.
Not because the Vets got in. But because the barricades were opened by the very same folks responsible for them being there in the first place. Once again, GOP members of the House of Representatives were defying the law. Because they don’t believe it applies to them.
The GOP shut down the government over a temper tantrum has voted to shut it down because the Senate and the President won’t defund the Affordable Care Act. Obamacare.
I have said this before:
The Affordable Care Act is a law that went through all three branches of our government as established under the constitution. According to the rules we set up for our Government, adopted in 1791.
Obamacare passed the House of Representatives (Authorized under Article I of the Constitution);
Obamacare passed the Senate. (Also authorized under Article I);
Obamacare was signed into law by the President (Granted that authority under Article II of the very same Constitution); and
Obamacare was upheld by the Supreme Court (Ditto — Article III).
The GOP lost the 2012 election over this issue (in large part).
The very same folks who do not respect the rule of law by accepting the reality of a duly enacted United States Law also do not accept the consequences of their refusal to govern. THE GOVERNMENT SHUTDOWN IS THEIR FAULT ENTIRELY.
They have no respect for the rule of law. None. Laws, to them, apparently, should be followed only when they deem it appropriate. Last night, Michelle Bachmann announced that GOP members will be there to open the barricade to all Vets. Because the GOP does not respect the rule of law — but does respect a good PR.
Here, thanks to my blogging buddy, Vickie Lester at Beguiling Hollywood, is a list of a few things that happened on the first day of the government furlough
[Yesterday,] two hundred patients were turned away from the NIH, thirty of them children. Most of whom, because of the severity and difficulty of the disease they faced, had been sent to this research facility as a last resort. [This means, of course, that they will die. And their blood will be on GOP hands.]
Veterans applying for disability benefits could not be helped.
In a week poor women and children will not be fed.
Food safety inspectors have been furloughed.
The New York Times reported on Saturday that fully 16% of ALL workers in the United States work for the Federal Government. Those percentages are highest, actually, in Republican states. How long can a huge percentage of the workforce go without pay because of a GOP tantrum. How long should they?
The list of who is considered “non-essential” goes on and on. Things are only going to get worse. Because many businesses rely on those federal workers to buy their products, to eat in their restaurants.
Call your Congressman/woman
or Any Representative you think should hear from you
Tell them to pass an unencumbered budget
Tell them to open up the Government
The US Capitol Switchboard Number
202 244-3121
I am borrowing again from Vickie:
A thought from Andrew Sullivan:
I want to begin with a simple quote, a letter from Abraham Lincoln, facing a very similar constellation of forces as president Obama does with today’s nullification party, and sounding remarkably like his 2008 successor from Illinois:
What is our present condition? We have just carried an election on principles fairly stated to the people. Now we are told in advance, the government shall be broken up, unless we surrender to those we have beaten, before we take the offices. In this they are either attempting to play upon us, or they are in dead earnest. Either way, if we surrender, it is the end of us, and of the government. They will repeat the experiment upon us ad libitum.
* * *
Thanks to Carrie of The Write Transition for this information: This Huffington Post link lists the Republicans who are ready to fund the government with no strings attached. Let’s hope it keeps growing. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/10/01/house-republicans-clean-cr_n_4024755.html
As I mentioned to Carrie, though, Peter King (R-NY) is on the list. He has been preaching a clean Continuing Resolution for days, but keeps voting with the GOP.
So as always, we’ll see.
FiftyFourandAHalf 
Informative and nicely presented.
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Thanks Sheri. And today they are still doing it (well, as of yesterday). It still makes me see red, and not in a nice way.
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Hi…Good for you for writing this!! As a Canadian, I am shocked and saddened by what is happening in the United States. I cannot believe that people would want to fight a law that promises to relieve so much suffering and deprivation among people living on low incomes in the United States. In our household, we shake our heads at the United States; at this rich country that was built on such as beautiful vision, that seems to be falling off the rails!! We find it so distressing that so many Americans seem to buy the ideology that is used to sell guns and deny medical care in the United States. In Canada, we do not have to worry about our children or parents being denied medical care if we lose our jobs. Nor do we have to worry about our children being shot at the mall, the coffee shop, church or school.
Kim
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Thank you, Elyse. I needed to read this today. There are days when I think our government has gone mad and that the lunatics are running the asylum. Yes, Obamacare has its flaws, so fix them! Don’t deprive hardworking people of their salaries because your panties are in a bundle over an African American leading the country. Medicare had its flaws, too, but that law has been amended over time without histrionics from a major or minor party. This is the Republicans’ and Tea Party members’ last gasp. I hope they suffer mightily during the next election.
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Sure thing, SDS. I was just reading about the GOP reps who are not waiving their salaries — because hey they’re working! and because, hey! they need it:
Rep. Renee Ellmers, Republican of North Carolina who said:
“I need my paycheck. That’s the bottom line. I understand that there may be some other members who are deferring their paychecks, and I think that’s admirable. I’m not in that position.”
and
Rep. Kevin Cramer, Republican of North Dakota
“I’m staying here, and I’m working,” said Cramer in an interview with Valley News Live on Wednesday. “My office is open, we’re taking phone calls, I’m voting every day, I’m debating every day, I’m going to countless meetings. I’m working to earn the salary that the people pay me to do the job. I don’t get into those sort of stunt-y things, and I’m not going to do it.”
“I will continue to earn it, and I will continue to collect what I earn, yes,” he added.
These folks are something else. I only wish they were somewhere else — and maybe next November they will be.
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These are the classic examples of sociopaths who lack empathy and compassion for others. They are completely incapable of seeing that their behavior hurts so many others – and they don’t care.
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One of my readers left this one … a classic and very fitting … plus you were the first person that came to my mind.
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Isn’t that what the GOP sings whenever Obama proposes anything?
I may just have to use this one, Frank. Thanks! (I will, of course, credit you — the man who greased the wheels of my brain as he so often does!)
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Glad to help as I try to be a good subject.
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You’re the best, Frank!
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Republican hypocrisy has no bounds.
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Apparently not. But I keep hoping.
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Great post, Elyse. Rob
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Thanks!
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You know, Tom Clancy died. He was a well-known conservative and VERY pro-military. I just hope he didn’t blow a gasket getting pissed at the morons screwing over our vets, past and present.
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We need to all blow gaskets and blow these Tea Partiers out of town.
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Reblogged this on jomorawr.
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There was a group of vets from Iowa also there, and Rep Steve King joined the fray. Meanwhile, the GOP is fighting with itself.
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Yes, it has become quite the PR stunt for the jerks. King, for whom I have zero respect, has been preaching compromise but voting with Boehner. Jerks.
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So the GOP can let veterans into the memorial, but can’t let them receive the benefits they earned? How nice of them…
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That would mean giving them the healthcare they earned and deserve. No PR value there.
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They’re traitors…pure and simple. Oh, I meant they’re “principled” or whatever horseshit they’re trying to call it.
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They’re something. Un-American, I’d say. Perhaps we can suggest they love it or leave it. I don’t know who would take these assholes.
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Preach it, sister. And thank you.
I truly wish all of the members of Congress responsible for this shutdown could be thrown in jail for criminal negligence. That’s what this amounts to–a crime.
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I agree. That is where law-breakers belong.
But not for letting the Vets in. Then they’d be martyrs and seeing Michelle Bachmann on a cross would make me vomit.
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Baffled as always from my happily-health-cared home north of the border. As a government employee, I especially feel for the hardworking, often underappreciated public servants who are caught in the crossfire of this political nastiness. It’s easy to forget that “the government” is not just the elected representatives. It’s also a whole lot of people who were hired to do a job– most of whom are happy to work in government because we see it as a place we can make a difference (really!) But we are also there because we have families to feed and rent to pay.
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You only think you’re happy, River. Because you’re so cold up there in Canada. Really, and because you’re living high on the hog because you’re just on the take, skimming money from the rest of the population. You know the folks who work hard. Out of guv’ment.
You outta be ashamed.
And if you take me seriously …
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🙂 Maybe if the government stays shut down long enough people will notice that there are actually things the government does for them… OK so I’m a dreamer
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Me too. Trouble is when folks start complaining the very GOP members responsible for the GOP Shutdown act all outraged that the parks (for example) are all closed. And enough folks buy it.
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“Michelle Bachmann announced that GOP members will be there to open the barricade to all Vets.”—Too bad they won’t be there to open the barricade to all those unable to bring home a paycheck, or buy groceries for their kids, or those Headstart programs that will be forced to close.
This Huffington Post link lists the Republicans who are ready to fund the government with no strings attached. Let’s hope it keeps growing. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/10/01/house-republicans-clean-cr_n_4024755.html
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Carrie, I don’t know what happened to the reply I posted. I quoted you and posted this link. Thank you. I am hopeful that these folks will be joined by enough others to reverse the shutdown.
And yes — wouldn’t it be great if they could find enough PR issues to take care of everybody they are screwing?
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Thank you for mentioning me. 🙂 I’m glad to see that Huffington Post list has grown since I last checked in. I usually watch the news or Dr. Phil while I make dinner. Tonight I chose Dr. Phil. Just couldn’t face hearing more about the shut-down. I hope something good has happened since I last checked the news, but I’m doubtful.
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I’m watching a nature show…
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I think it is no small coincidence that the Obamacare date and the shutdown date were the same. Deflection, anyone? And, seriously … wth is wrong with this situation? Oh, wait. The whole thing.
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Actually, I think the enrollment period simply coincides with “Open Enrollment” periods at most workplaces — it does with mine, and October has always been the month when you can switch plans.
But yeah, you summed up what’s wrong nicely — the whole damn thing.
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This is such an act of cowardice. The are terrorists and Anarchist who have said since their election, before their swearing in they would shut down the government, now they have. Next step? Destroy the economy of this nation and the world, make no mistake they will do it. On every station the talking heads are blaming the President and the Democrats for refusing to negotiate with a minority, all I can say is WTF and weep.
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Pass me a hanky, please, Val. I’m there with you.
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I think you will enjoy this one, despite the source.
http://www.foxnews.com/opinion/2013/09/30/five-reasons-americans-already-love-obamacare-plus-one-reason-why-theyre-gonna/
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That’s rather interesting, isn’t it. Is Fox News starting to actually report news? I’ve seen almost this identical article elsewhere — I don’t recall where.
Yup. It will work — there will also be kinks. There always are.
And the Republicans are fighting against what is essentially a free market-based idea. They are such idiots.
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Elyse, you rock. I’m adding a phone call to my emails. Thank you!
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YOU rock! Thank you for your post. It saved me a ton of work!
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It’s all posturing, and honestly I don’t think it’s only one sided. I did not know about the repubs moving the barricade, that’s a stinking move. It’s all posturing. I don’t think our government should be held hostage over Obamacare, but I also know that the act is seriously flawed. I want my government to get back to work and find a way to address the flaws without holding the nation hostage.
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All laws are flawed. They are enacted with the best of intentions and problems emerge and are fixed through amendments. The “fixes” the GOP wants either repeals or de-funds the law. That is unacceptable.
And they are stamping their feet and holding their breath.
This is an entirely Republican shutdown
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I don’t disagree with your assessment – but think there is plenty of blame to go around. You can’t shut out one side and expect them not to push it when they have opportunity. What we are lacking in this day and age are statesmen.
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I think what we are lacking is adults!
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Ahm tehere’s your problem. You’re looking for fairness and comprehensibility in our gov’t. That probably hasn’t happened since some time in the 80s.
It sounded like the Vets moved the barriers and the GOP glommed on.
And Bachmann was there! So glad she’s on our side.
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Actually, I’m thinking it last happened in the 70s. I blame Reagan for a huge amount of the “government IS the problem” bullshit that folks believe.
I can’t wait until Bachmann is gone. But I read yesterday that one potential successor is even crazier. God help us.
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Reblogged this on The ObamaCrat™.
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Thanks, J!
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My pleasure.
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A very well written and timely article. I hope every like minded person writes and calls their Congressman/woman. We certainly do not want the Tea Party running government.
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Thanks, Tex. The Tea Party is a scourge — a group of folks who do not understand that people have to work together to succeed. I swear I want to ram my car into anyone sporting a “Don’t Tread on Me” bumpersticker or license plate.
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It would almost be funny if it weren’t hurting so many people. Anybody got an aspirin?
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Not one that’s been FDA inspected.
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Snort.
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