Alright Fly, you killed me with laughter on that one.

polls suggest they are pissed at both but lay more of the blame on Republicans.

Will see if anything gets passed the Cruz fellow. Damn CDN

We must get a different news network here in Canada

People get cranky at everyone in power when the government can't perform basic functions, but it's quite obvious who is losing. You can either reach the polls or note who is surrendering to figure that out.

The old "no matter what kind of crazy **** we pull, people will still blame both sides equally" strategy can only be taken so far.

Well the repubs have certainly tested the application of that strategy to this particular case and felt the pain.

Yet, they then brought the bull crap to the table after signaling compromise. Definitely a head scratcher. My theory was that if the polls hit them differentially (this was by no means a certainty) they would fold. The polls hit them, they talked folding, but then they didn't. Do they think it will help their brand somehow by drawing it out to the bitter end? The only thing I can figure is that they truly are an two headed beast at this point with one head feeling trapped and the other head rabid. I can't come up with any other explanation of their behavior that has any simplicity or cohesion.

I can't believe this is all only to make a statement, just some anti-social temper tantrum to show just how much they hate the ACA. Although that would be consistent with the antics leading up to this in which they tried futility tried to repeal it what? 42 times? Still, although they are "crazies" from a beliefs standpoint, I can't bring myself to assume such idiocy in the tea bagger strategy. They have come too far too fast. They can't have such trivial aims.

I would say they are fighting a war that has been going on for a long time--a war against The New Deal. The only difference between them and their predecessors is, at least for the time being, they seem to be winning handily. They've got the federal government on lockdown and control more states than they deserve given their overall proportion of the population. They're fighting a war on government, and right now they've got 1.8 million government workers sitting around wondering when they are going to get paid.

They are trying to push a point that they have been rehashing for over a century--"government is the problem." If they can personally make government as dysfunctional and incompetent and actively hurting people like this, they can turn future minds away from seeing a strong and functioning government as the truly good thing that it is. They have a vested interest in the system being as broken as possible, and they are definitely winning that battle handily. See other situations where they have blocked appointees to labor boards, federal agencies, and stonewalled Obama and the Democrat majority in countless other ways.

And they have yet to pay a political price for any of this--so for the time being, at least, they are certainly winning.

I should say the fight against The New Deal's policies invoking rights for labor is already over and the right has won. Most states are right-to-work and the bleedover effect is heavy. The minimum wage is at a 50 year low, and so far California is the only state that seems to care to do anything about it. Now they are going to push hard to dismantle any aspects of a social safety net which this country has. They've already defunded the food stamp program by refusing to pass any farm bill. The sequester is the new normal and they love that as well. This is going to get really ugly if Obama and the Democrats give any ground at all on this particular scenario.

Well not winning they are like a school kid who doesn't get his way and takes the hockey nets home so you cant play anymore and says he won.

Lol hockey. Btw what does 'hoser' mean? I get a different answer from every Canadian I ask.

A fellow at the purportedly liberal Brookings Institution argues that Obama should declare a state of emergency and nullify the debt ceiling by presidential decree

ACA and the debt ceiling are both laws that were already passed. One party wants to modify one and the other party wants to modify the other.

blah, blah, compromise is part of how business gets done in the US. The same can be said about the democrats.

I agree with all of this, but I'd start #3 with "I think that free markets handle ALL economic activities quite well," Agreed that farm subsidies are laughable.

Arguing that only one party wants to increase the debt ceiling is not the Republicans stated position (since its both a stupid and unpopular position) nor is an argument based on that a positive for Republicans.

That argument is basically saying "why wont you pay me something to not shoot myself in the face".

If the consequences of default werent so dire Id root for it just for the lolz of how quickly public opinion would wafflecrush Republicans for generations. They'd deserve it for making such a stupid on its face argument.

... I am just confused why dems are ok with changing some laws, but try to call out repubs for trying to change others.

No matter what happens public opinion for repubs will go up. You aren't going to have the GOAT speaker as president for ever. The media has a huge influence on public opinion and it always leans left, but as soon as a republican gets the presidency media will lean a little less left.

Yeah the way things are looking that's not likely any time before about 2024 at the earliest.

It will never be discussed in the media, but what repubs are doing is brilliant and is the best possible action for our country. The first step in fixing a problem is admitting you have a problem. Which dems and repubs alike have now been forced to admit that our government does in fact have a spending problem (something most dems wouldn't admit a few months ago). One of the next steps is sitting down and talking about a solution to the problem. This is what is going on now. Kicking the can down the road only works for so long.

Not all attempts to change laws are created equal.

Until the next debt ceiling comes along

No. Its ****ing stupid and anyone who isnt either a complete moron or a blind partisan understands this. How does the fact that the big issue is a spending problem square with the fact that the initial demand was defunding the ACA and not cuttins spending?

How does adding the Vitter amendment as a requirement solve the country's spending problem?

How do you explain Republicans refusing to go to a budget conference for months, then making it the centerpiece demand of this fiasco?

How are you going to reconcile the fact that pretty much nothing is going to be done about spending in the conference that comes out of this with the fact the debt ceiling is going to be quietly raised without fuss next go round because Republicans realize they got destroyed in the polls this go round?

How does putting our credit worthiness at risk, and raising the amount of interest we have to pay going forward, help our long-term fiscal situation?

Not sure if you are dumb or just having the wool pulled over your eyes, you can help clarify that if you wish.

Personally I think the Democrats should demand that Republicans kills every 10th Republican in the House. Then suddenly Republicans will be the ones who aren't compromising.

Republicans are the classic abusive husband trope: see baby, it's for your own good right? I know I hit you sometimes and I lash out, but it's all for the best cause you need to learn to ****in' respect me, honey, see? It's for your own good that I thrash you daily and trash everything we have.

Do you think this will harm Obama's chances in 2016? Lol.

Not to mention the fact that Obama has already submitted to the Republican minority on the spending issue specifically multiple times....anybody remember the Debt Ceiling 2011? Supercommittee? The sequester?

Obama has been far too generous to Republicans on spending and it's crushing our economic recovery. We need to get real and decide as a country we aren't going to let a small group of goons sabotage our entire political system. Boehner needs to grow some balls. Sadly his pathetic self is more concerned with whatever the **** he's concerned about right now than the future of the U.S. I knew Republicans didn't give a **** about their constituents, but I never really thought they would take it this far.

I just moved my whole 401k to cash. I don't trust these guys to not be insane.

Well you cant take the hoop home or the field goal posts.

Hoser can mean a bunch of things minor insult. Your crazy, your stupid.....


Wow they may actually defaut

I know what it means. I mean what is the origin of the word 'hoser' as a derogatory term. What is the literal meaning?