The US federal government might shutdown Friday. WTF?

[JordanPlayer]

Just think of it as an extra government holiday The government really does need to get a handle on the budget since it's been running wild for the past 10-15 years... Maybe they can legalize marijuana and tax it like booze; more jobs, more revenue, and less people in jail (I'm probably dreaming).

[o.pwuaioc]

Just think of it as an extra government holiday The government really does need to get a handle on the budget since it's been running wild for the past 10-15 years... Maybe they can legalize marijuana and tax it like booze; more jobs, more revenue, and less people in jail (I'm probably dreaming).

Republicans and Christian moralists will never let happen.

[Flake]

This is just grandstanding to try and score points with the voters as both sides gear up for the primary campaigns. Partisan BS made even worse with by the infusion of 'Tea Party' radicals voted into office by reactionaries and the insanely far-right.

Worse case scenario: That small, small core of moderately minded Republicans and Democrats will convince their dipshit colleagues to get back to work on a compromise within a week or so. The country can run on auto pilot for about that long before things get bad.

This is more about making someone take the blame for something than anything tangible.

[SpaceBooger]

Today all of the 8th graders from my school left for their annual DC trip. They are scheduled to tour all of the government building on Friday.
This make for a very memorable trip for them.
I just hope it doesn't get to crazy with protesters, I need my runners to return we have our first track meet on Monday.

[Hatta]

The crazy part is, shutting down the government is essentially giving the Republicans what they want. The police and military keep running, but all the social services and regulation stops.

[dsheinem]

The crazy part is, shutting down the government is essentially giving the Republicans what they want. The police and military keep running, but all the social services and regulation stops.

Actually, IIRC military payroll is usually a victim of govt shut down. That won't fly well with the base of either party.

Flake's right - it is all about being able to dole out blame in the upcoming primaries. The teabaggers and the dems are bickering over a difference of $30 billion in (mostly) entitlement and welfare programs. The giant 75%+ of the budget that is eaten up by medicare, social security, and defense is really not open for discussion in this debate, nor is raising taxes (which MUST be done). For all the BS about being fiscally responsible, neither side is close.

[Hatta]

Military payroll is delayed, that's all. The men keep fighting.

[saturnfan]

Hopefully the government shuts down and never comes back and we can have fundamental change in how the government operates. And for those who think that "tea baggers" (I love that word) are radical, get a clue, you have obviously never met a real radical. I want to abolish the United States government, revoke the charter to Federal Reserve and default on all the debt owed, abolish all governmental spending on overseas interventionism (Iraq, Afghanistan, Libya, etc), dismantlement 90-95% of all overseas military bases, dramatically reduce all welfare and entitlement spending, dramatically simply the tax code and perhaps eliminate federal income tax, and I could go on.

That my friend, is a "radical". Not the Tea Party.

[ZeroAX]

. The country can run on auto pilot for about that long before things get bad.

Belgium has been going on for close to a year. Just saying

[Ack]

Hopefully the government shuts down and never comes back and we can have fundamental change in how the government operates. And for those who think that "tea baggers" (I love that word) are radical, get a clue, you have obviously never met a real radical. I want to abolish the United States government, revoke the charter to Federal Reserve and default on all the debt owed, abolish all governmental spending on overseas interventionism (Iraq, Afghanistan, Libya, etc), dismantlement 90-95% of all overseas military bases, dramatically reduce all welfare and entitlement spending, dramatically simply the tax code and perhaps eliminate federal income tax, and I could go on.

That my friend, is a "radical". Not the Tea Party.

Isn't that Ron Paul?