Yuratuhl wrote:
Except you couldn't say the same thing about all those other laws. Nobody is attaching a PATRIOT Act repeal to an unrelated budget battle. Nobody is trying to put a rider curtailing NSA wiretaps on, say, tornado relief to red states. There are bad laws that are still THE LAW. They may be unpalatable to everyone, but short of a court order or targeted dismantling, they're gonna stick around. But I do actually like the sound of that. Next time there's a vote on hurricane relief to the Carolinas, we should try to tack on a PATRIOT Act repeal. You know, because fuck you or something. Oh, you don't want to entertain my ridiculous unrelated claims? YOU'RE NOT NEGOTIATING WITH ME IN GOOD FAITH.
"It's the law" is the succinct way of saying "fight this with a repeal attempt (and keep losing) instead of turning to extortion, you fucks."
That's not at all what the "it's the law" argument is, and it's disingenuous of you to portray it that way. Much like "the science is settled" or "check your privilege" it's nothing more than a means to shut down debate.
Let's say a future democrat minority does try to attach a Patriot Act repeal to future disaster relief and ignore for a moment the fact that the reason a budget attack on the ACA is acceptable is because the ACA was passed as a budget bill. Let's also ignore the fact that democrats backed the renewal of the Patriot Act and President Obama signed its extension, and that it would be unlikely democrats would take up that fight in the first place. So what if they would do that? Unlike you, I don't see the problem of either party using tactics the other has already employed. You didn't make a peep over using budget procedures to pass sweeping changes to 1/6 of the economy, but now you're up-in-arms because over using budget procedures to amend or delay those changes? Let's be honest and admit that it's not the procedure being used that you don't like, it's who's using it.
Harry Reid asked "What right do they have to pick and choose what part of government is going to be funded?" As if he didn't already know, they're the House of Representatives, and all bills for the raising of revenue originate with them. That's their "right"/power under the Constitution; they control the purse. They're exercising that power. If I don't like what the democrats did while they had that power and/or don't like what they're doing now with the powers granted them now, it's tough shit--you say so yourself. The same applies when you don't like the republicans are doing. Suck it up.
Mns wrote:
EDIT: I find it staggeringly amazing how the right wing is supposed to be the super PATRIOTIC AMERICA FUCK YEAH branch, but they're so willing to throw whole states of their fellow citizens under the bus and jump with glee as the government is shut down, causing almost 800,000 Americans to lose their jobs and American cancer patients to lose potentially life-saving treatment.
The House passed a bill to fund the cancer research when this was brought up. Harry Reid's response, "
Why would I want to do that?" Yeah, it's the republicans that want cancer patients to die, that's why they passed a funding bill and democrats in the senate wouldn't. That makes perfect sense.
Boehner even put up a bill to fund the city of DC as a favor to Eleanor Holmes Norton. Her fellow democrats voted it down.
I don't like people losing their jobs (especially in this economy), but if those 800,000 are "non-essential" why do they have federal jobs in the first place? Either the federal government doesn't understand what "essential" means, or those positions are not an effective use of funds. The congress on both sides is already talking about back-paying these people for time missed, so they're essentially going to end up with a paid vacation...which I think is somewhat fair, since in many cases they wouldn't be recalled to their jobs when this ends if they take another job.
You can blame the republicans all you want, but while they're giving the democrats the ability to fund cancer research
and democrats are turning it down, you're just grandstanding.
Your Pal,
Jubber
