As Republicans teeter drunkenly toward yet another government shutdown, Democrats are on the warpath.
The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee is taking this moment to remind everyone of what the Republicans were saying last year at this time. You know, right before they shut down the government after promising they would not shutdown the government.
Republicans weren’t going to shut down the government last year because it would hurt people:
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Rep. Mark Meadows: ”Leadership has a concern, as do I—they don’t want side effects that would hurt people, and a government shutdown could do that.” [Weekly Standard, 9/02/13]
But then they did shutdown the government, knowingly hurting people.
Currently, Senator Mitch McConnell (R-KY) is making shutdown promises if Republicans win the Senate, in what seems like a rather try-hard effort to attract the crazies. McConnell is promising to force the President to do the Koch’s agenda, but even if Republicans win the Senate, McConnell can’t force the President to do anything. The Republican Senator has even threatened to withhold government funding over the President’s new EPA rules. Apparently nothing gets a Republican down like cutting down on toxins.
Rep. Steven King (R-IA) is making public threats to shutdown the government again, because the Tea Party is absolutely addicted to anarchistic chaos. Even an election year can’t stop the crazy. This is King’s “solution” to President Obama using his authority as President to issue an executive order on immigration, an act Obama is only considering taking because House Republicans are so inept that they haven’t managed to actually address the immigration issue in a realistic way that the Senate would consider.
King thinks that the President signing the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) is cause for his impeachment, which just goes to show you that King doesn’t know much about government. But you probably already sorted that one out.
This is not a winning strategy for the GOP. Republicans’ “tattered” public image, in part from last year’s shutdown, might cost them House seats. Republicans should have been able to gain 25 seats; they aimed for 11, but it looks like they might only pick up 5. They can’t raise any real cash (even from their own members) and the big money left them for the big power in the Senate.
Democrats have a whole list of broken Republican promises from last year that sound a whole heck of a lot like the promises being made this year:
Rep. Glenn Thompson: ”U.S. Rep. Glenn Thompson, a former health-care executive, has made it clear that he is no fan of the Affordable Care Act. But Thompson does not think that shutting down the government, or denying funding for the law to halt its implementation, is the way to go.” [Erie Times-News, 9/01/13]
Rep. Steve Womack: “Rep. Steve Womack, who represents Republican-heavy northwest Arkansas, has also warned colleagues of the political fallout they’d likely suffer over a standoff that he says would certainly trigger a government shutdown. Womack, who was elected in 2010, noted the backlash the GOP faced over partial shutdowns in 1995 and 1996. ‘To me, the risks are not worth the gamble, the gamble being that we somehow cause the Senate to have this epiphany and the president to have this epiphany,’ Womack said.” [Associated Press, 9/01/13]
Rep. Larry Bucshon: ”Am I in favor of a government shutdown? Absolutely not.” [Tribune Star, 9/01/13
Rep. Rodney Davis: “At a Springfield appearance last week, Davis said a shutdown would go against his reason for seeking office. ‘I came to Congress to govern,’ he said.” [State Journal-Register, 8/29/13]
Rep. Steve Scalise: ”Scalise says he doesn’t want to see government shut down.” [The Advocate, 8/28/13]
Rep. Tom Latham: ”I am certainly not for any kind of government shutdown for any reason.” [Des Moines Register, 8/28/13]
Rep. Martha Roby: ”She said she supports the defunding of the Affordable Care Act, but doesn’t believe Republicans should shut down the government in their attempt to repeal the law. ‘I am not for it (shutdown).'” [Dothan Eagle, 8/27/13]
Bank on that! Republicans were against a government shutdown last year. No way that was going to happen. After all, they came to Congress to “govern”.
But then that didn’t happen. Actually, Republicans presided over the Do-Nothingest House on record, which is sort of like governing only without any of the responsibilities.
Republicans are headed for another disaster if they shutdown the government. They know a government shutdown is not responsible, would harm people and would harm their party, but they’re high on hate. So high, that they just might be setting themselves up for the ultimate self-sabotage in 2016.
What does it mean when Republicans make promises? Nothing. Where are the jobs? Exactly.
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