Senate Republicans just filibustered a debt limit hike.

[WilliamPitt]

GOP Filibusters Debt Limit Hike As Anxieties Flare Over Default
http://talkingpointsmemo.com/dc/gop-filibusters-debt-limit-hike-as-anxieties-flare-over-default

Unreal.

[Crewleader]

1. I know I watched it too.

unreal indeed William!

[sakabatou]

2. I know

But, it's better to have a bit of the article itself in the thread:

Senate Republicans blocked a debt ceiling extension from advancing on Saturday, bringing the country one step closer to a catastrophic debt default.

The motion to proceed to the Democrats' bill received 53 votes in favor and 45 against, falling short of the 60 needed to begin debate. Every Republican senator voted to filibuster it. The bill would have raised the debt limit until the end of 2014 with no policy add-ons.

"A few extremist Republicans ... too radical to compromise, could force a default on the nation's financial obligations for the first time ever," said Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV). "What I see staring us in the face is not a pleasant picture."

After rejecting a House GOP proposal, Reid shot down an offer by Sen. Susan Collins (R-ME) to resolve the impasse, and has initiated talks with Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY). Reid, McConnell, Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-NY) and Sen. Lamar Alexander (R-TN) met Saturday morning to begin new discussions, according to a source familiar with the matter.

[Stonepounder]

14. Maybe Michelle Bachman was right.

We are witnessing the 'end of days' - at least for the United States. If the Tea Part actually pushes us into default, it will be the end of the United States as we know it. And the thing that makes me truly weep is that the Tea Party (and FOX News) is totally comfortable with that scenario and at the same time doesn't have a freaking clue what it would mean to them. No minimum wage, no child labor laws, no retirement, no health care, there would be the 1%, and then the rest of us as slaves. Work until you die. No retirement. No hope of climbing the latter to a better life for you or you children. Just another nation like China, with barbed wire around the sweat shops to keep you from escaping. Of course it won't last all that long, since pollution will skyrocket without the EPA and global warming will wipe out humanity just that much faster. It is a dark day for the United States and a dark day for the world.

[LiberalLoner]

52. +1

[Cyrano]

3. They're turning the Consitution into a suicide pact.

And they are a clear and present danger to the U.S. and world economy.

So if they don't cave by Oct. 17th, what do we do? Lay down and die?

[R. Daneel Olivaw]

13. What do we do? Lay down and die?

Arrest the Republican leadership on some charge related to either the Patriot or RICO Acts. Both have provisions on terrorism so call what the GOP is doing economic terrorist and go from there.

Before I get flamed and be called somebody that wants to see a constitutional crisis we are about to see one play out after the 17th.

Either the POTUS folds, which he should never do, or the GOP will run the economy into the ditch or off a cliff.


So if the PATRIOT Act was used to kick a few GOP asses into orbit I wouldn't mind.

[DireStrike]

17. Agreed, it's a constitutional crisis either way

The only way it isn't is if the Rs fold.

[zazen]

39. agreed, in addition to possible provisions about drinking while voting

I mean, how are their votes binding if they are legally drunk? Can't Boehner be arrested on suspicion of public drunkenness, be forced take a breathylizer (do it when they know he's drunk), and void some of his actions on that basis? Cantor would take over I guess, but it would show we mean business.

[Gore1FL]

43. Challenge to constitutionality of a debt limit, I suspect. n/t

[gopiscrap]

4. You fucking idiots, what in the hell is wrong with you

I sure hope and pray that this adhd nation remembers this shit next congressional election.

[pinto]

5. Geez, I hate the Senate's cloture rule.

You need 60 votes to proceed on a bill that requires a simple majority to pass. Between that and Boehner's balk at bringing a CR bill to a House vote...solid gridlock. Yeah, it's unreal.

[Buddha_of_Wisdom]

11. Nuke it, Reid. Time to take away the Republican toys. Now.

Make them irrelevant to the Senate.

[world wide wally]

21. It should have been done a long time ago!

[landolfi]

29. Can he do it now? If he's been waiting for an extreme situation to change it, he's got it.

[MythosMaster]

54. I believe it can only be done at the beginning of

the session, not during.

[Buddha_of_Wisdom]

56. In this case, if the Republicans aren't following the rule (which they aren't)

Nuke it. Nuke them hard, and let $DIETY sort them out.

[kentuck]

6. The Tea Party has them all by the balls!

The Senate included!

[CrispyQ]

7. They want to crash the country & blame it on the black president.

And the media & pundits will play along. "The prez should have negotiated. This is equally his fault." And ten days later, it will somehow be a total repub victory, with all the blame lying at the dems feet.

If we even had true news media, with real journalists, we might have a chance. As it is, we are fucked. I throw up in my mouth a little every time I see Wolf Blitzer.

[watoos]

9. Just think how Wolf would look

if he didn't get his questions texted to him from viewers.

[CrispyQ]

10. In my best Wolf voice,

"Thank you for that, watoos. Now, on to our next story..."

If they pulled his earpiece & took his note cards, he would be like a dummy without a ventriloquist.

[renegade000]

18. actually....

a dummy without a ventriloquist would have done better in jeopardy than wolf blitzer:

[CrispyQ]

25. rofl

I'd forgotten about that! CNN should have paid them to keep that episode from airing.

[woodsprite]

24. Then in 6 wks we'd get to do it all again if the repugs had their way. n/t

[bhikkhu]

8. That would have been a vote to remove default from election-year politics

Hardly the kind of sound policy that the government-by-crisis-and-hyperbole repugs want to see. I'm guessing they'd go for something that generated at least another couple of rounds of manic disaster on the markets. Maybe they think if they can key it all up high enough that will lead to the second coming or something...

[Zorra]

12. I'm stunned that republicans would behave in such an ignorant, anti-democratic manner.

Not.

[stage left]

15. Oh, Damn them all to Hell!

Playing with people's lives like we're pieces on a game board.

[ScreamingMeemie]

23. Welcome to DU, stage

[stage left]

34. Thanks for the welcome, screamingmeemie

I've been lurking, but I figured I'd come out where I could vent my frustrations without starting a flame war. You see, where I live, I'm knee deep in Republican doublethink BS to the point that my tongue is bitten to pieces. And during this shutdown debacle, I've chewed my fingernails down to the nubs.

[ScreamingMeemie]

38. That can be rough. I'm in Texas.

Luckily in a pocket of Houston that is more blue than red.

I do find the state forums here to be a comfort.

[stage left]

48. Thanks

I'll check that out.

[grantcart]

16. Unfuckingbelievable.

[AtomicKitten]

19. Keep it up, knuckleheads. Your approval rating just inched into negative territory.

[DearAbby]

20. I guess the poll didnt have that much affect on them

being 24% hardly puts you in any position to make demands. Having 70% disapproval ratings, the majority of the country believing the GOP is playing party politics. Hardly in any position to filibuster anything. This borders on sedition.

[ffr]

28. Excellent point.

[Iliyah]

22. And the senate gopers are still trying to dismantle Obamacare

GOPers don't believe in compromise. Its our way or the highway. These people need to be voted out.

[BlueCaliDem]

26. Can we now do away with the running meme that this is all just the Teapublicans' fault?

Now that the Republicans in the Senate have unified against the nation, and filibustered the "full faith and credit of the United States", what makes them any different than Teapublicans?

This is a Republican Shutdown, a Republican Default, and a Republican Catastrophe. Let's not run with corporate media's claim that "It's the Teapublicans! Honest!" or embrace the false equivalence that "both political Parties' should be blamed!"

The credit for all the above should be laid at the feet of ALL Republicans, both in the Senate and the House.

[ffr]

27. Of course. What would OBL do? Exactly!

Destroy America at all costs. When that's your party's goal, expect them to do whatever is necessary to accomplish that goal.

We can thank the low-information CU Fuckd Noise voters and apathetic voters in general for installing this clown crew of Tea-hadists.

[Pretzel_Warrior]

30. see what I mean? These assholes are traitors to the American people

that language is not too strong.

[Snake Plissken]

31. Unless Republicans get a handout

They trash our economy and keep pretending someone else was looking for a handout.

[grahamhgreen]

32. Gosh, Harry, maybe you should have blown up the filibuster, ya think?

[mountain grammy]

33. How's that filibuster fix working for ya, Harry?

[benld74]

35. GOP have no souls

[pansypoo53219]

36. can we kill the fllbuster NOW???

nuclear option.

[B Calm]

46. I look for it to happen!

[AndrewRN]

37. Sigh...

This is almost like watching a train wreck in slow motion. You know it's going to end badly but can't take your eyes off of it.

I hope and pray for the total destruction of the teabaggers. God help us if they get their way in this clusterfuck.

[WilliamPitt]

42. Welcome to DU

[cui bono]

40. Okay, so... Senate Banana Republicans are okay with passing a clean CR,

keeping the sequester intact. But now that the debt ceiling is involved they won't allow a vote.

So they are okay with keeping the country running but would like to blow up the world's economy. Sounds about right using Banana Republican logic.

[rhett o rick]

41. Even if the Republicans manage to extort something, dont they realize

that they will just have to do it again and again? The question is rhetorical. They dont have the realize gene.

[spanone]

44. the teapers want default. anarchists.

[Cali_Democrat]

45. What the fuck happened to Reid's filibuster "agreement"?

You can't negotiate with snakes.

[Zorra]

49. Harry Reid happened to it. nt

[awoke_in_2003]

50. Bingo. nt

[Kablooie]

47. I'm really afraid the GOP actually has the upper hand.

If they hold onto their fanaticism.

We have the difference between a rational player and an irrational one.
The irrational one is willing to destroy everyone's home including his own if he doesn't get his way.
The rational one isn't willing to do this.

They know this and are counting on Obama's rationality winning in the end which means he will cave to their demands.
They are also counting on Obama betting that their own rationality will not prevail and prevent the disaster at the last minute.

Obama has the means to save the economy by giving in to the GOP demands and they are counting on this being the lesser of two evils from Obama's point of view and they are very possibly right.

Since the GOP has already lost a huge amount of support the only way to regain some back is to win this battle so they can brag about the power they have over the Democrats and repeat this whole debacle in a few weeks.

[Blaukraut]

51. It'll get to the point where the Dems will have no choice BUT to relent

Unless they really do want to call the Republicans' bluff and let them take the country over the cliff. But the Democrats' downfall is their sense of responsibility. They'll end up giving in just to save the people and the country.

[TheKentuckian]

58. That cannot happen, the outcome can only be to be sliced and diced apart over and over in hostage

crisis.

You cannot save the people and the country by rolling for terrorist.

An irresponsible course of action as possible is trying to save anything this way. Won't work, never does. Not ever.

[barnabas63]

53. Enter the Supreme Court....nt

[Southside]

55. Pay the ransom now, pay again in 6 weeks

No way, sequestration put Obama against the wall. Fed Employees were already on furloughs. Giving the GOP tax cuts, ObamaCare delays, cuts in program spending etc is suicide if you are back paying the ransom again in 6 weeks.

This must be a deal to give back some of what Obama lost in sequestration. That is a negotiation. Give and take. Funding the government for 6+ months, debt hike for a year.

Negotiations should have been held the past 4 years not under the threat of economic crisis. We need a return to normalcy. Obama is fighting the good fight, leading the republicans back to negotiations and not ransom demands.

Give and take, not ransom. Any relationship, one partner will lose to keep the peace, but not 100%. You can't be stepped on and bullied and think if I give in things will get better. You must stand up.

Keep leading us back to a union that moves forward Obama. I am with you. This is your Lincoln moment. If you give in I will know that sequestration was something you all wanted and we are just playing games here.

[glinda]

57. A British Company on Ebay told me that their lawyer advised them to

halt all sales to the US and Canada because we are considered high risk now. : > ((