I almost drove right off the road when I heard LV Congressman Charlie Dent on NPR's "All Things Considered" this afternoon. You can hear his conversation wit Melissa Block, below, in which he tells her there are enough votes for a clear Continuing Resolution:
The LV's other Congressman, Matt Cartwright, also makes some interesting observations:
“Congress needs to do its job and put back to work the 800,000 furloughed federal workers and restore government services for ALL Americans.
“What about the children in Head Start? What about the 253,021 women, infants and children who rely on the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program (WIC) across Pennsylvania? And what about those seniors trying to apply for Social Security?
“I urge the Speaker to end this dangerous game and re-open the government for business by bringing a clean CR to the House floor for a vote.”
If these two guys can do the right thing, why not the rest of the House? Has their institutional integrity deteriorated so badly that they are no longer the people's representatives, but some unreachable ruling class, playing games in the clouds like the gods of Ancient Greece?
Today's one-liner: "The shortest way to the distinguishing excellence of any writer is through his hostile critics." Richard LeGallienne
Local Government TV
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Tuesday, October 01, 2013
23 comments:
You own views are appreciated, especially if they differ from mine. But remember, commenting is a privilege, not a right. I will delete personal attacks or off-topic remarks at my discretion. Comments that play into the tribalism that has consumed this nation will be declined. So will comments alleging voter fraud unless backed up by concrete evidence. If you attack someone personally, I expect you to identify yourself. I will delete criticisms of my comment policy, vulgarities, cut-and-paste jobs from other sources and any suggestion of violence towards anyone. I will also delete sweeping generalizations about mainstream parties or ideologies, i.e. identity politics. My decisions on these matters are made on a case by case basis, and may be affected by my mood that day, my access to the blog at the time the comment was made or other information that isn’t readily apparent.
I'm done with Dent. The Affordable Care Act is detrimental to the country, the economy, and health care in general. It would be cheaper and more effective to purchase private health care for the uninsured than to proceed with what we all agree is a very bad plan.
ReplyDeleteCharlie Dent doesn't get it, he is more interested in self preservation than serving the better interests of his constituents.
Scott Armstrong
Scott Armstrong
Charlie is a realist who recognizes the votes are not there and who is unwilling to cripple the government to make a point. Have fun holding your breath.
ReplyDeleteBernie,
ReplyDeleteI'm not holding me breath. I am however tired of career politicians who place their immediate best interests above the good of the nation and its citizens. Enjoy worshiping this sort of pragmatism.
By the way, I'm off for a bourbon and a book.
Scott Armstrong
Very well stated, Scott. I'm also done with Charlie.
ReplyDeleteI consider Obamacare to be a true Trojan Horse. This introduction is about a vision beyond just healthcare. It's a vehicle capable of bringing enormous government control over our lives.
I fear big government control. A change like this can swiftly usher this in, particularly with a government who ignores the protections of freedom built in to the Constitution.
Guys like Dent, and he's not alone, have NO problem with big government, so long as they are at the controls. It is about preservation for many of his type.
When faced with a challenge of this magnitude, it is far better to resist than capitulate. Current Republicans have been capitulating too much. In time, this "go along, to get along crowd" will be replaced. The public gave control of the House over to the Republicans to guard against what is now happening. More incumbents still need to fall.
I'm only one vote, but I can send my message out and convince MANY others, I'm certain. I can also contribute funds to more Conservative candidates. Something we really need now.
Thanks for providing this forum, Bernie. I won't be holding my breath!
Fred Windish
Well at least he's going to go down being honest and right on the major issue of his term when the tea party inevitably challenges him with a Palin/Cruz acolyte.
ReplyDeleteHope he has a good gig lined up in the private sector.
Closing the government because your mad about a "law" that passed does not seem to be the good of the nation. Obama ran on the ACA and won the election maybe you Republicans who don't like it should have worked harder during the election. Elections have consequences deal with it. And good for Charlie Dent dojng the right thing.
ReplyDeleteFred, you and Scott are both holding your breath. Let me know when you're done.
ReplyDelete8:58, Yeah, maybe you and Scott can get Joe Hilliard to run against him.
ReplyDelete8:59 -
ReplyDeleteFirst of all, Obama didn't run on the ACA - he ran away from it.
Second, Obama seems to want to call it a "law" that cannot be changed, but has doled out exemptions and extensions as if he is a king, not a President.
If this law is good enough to force - under the threat of fine or prison - people to buy health insurance, make Congress, the President, and the President's cronies buy in as well. Until then, this is a fraud that needs to be stopped.
As to those Republicans that are willing to surrender so quickly, I can only be grateful that they weren't around in times of trouble like WWII. Americans don't just surrender in times of trouble - we leave that to the French.
"First of all, Obama didn't run on the ACA - he ran away from it."
ReplyDelete1) Really? You must have missed the Romney debate in which he embraced the word "Obamacare." He is proud of it, ran on its strengths and won. That is a fact.
2) Laws can always be changed. Change them. Don't hold government hostage or hold your breath like a little kid.
3) There is no prison for failure to buy into Obamacare, but I agree with this point. Apparently, House Speaker Boehner does not. http://www.politico.com/story/2013/10/john-boehner-hill-obamacare-subsidies-97634.html
Do your homework next time.
I've seen four different proposals sent by the House to the Senate. Yet the Senate Democrats don't even want to discuss them, and Obama doesn't want to talk. If anyone's acting like a baby, it's Obama and the Democrats.
ReplyDeleteI can only imagine the honesty with which they would debate changes to Obamacare without any leverage on the Republican side.
If you want to pass a sweeping change of 1/6 of the economy along a party line vote, and cut side deals at the expense of the American public this is what you get.
Obama and the Democrats are the ones who won't talk and the ones who jammed Obamacare down our throats. They own the shutdown.
By the way, I like the way "non-essential" federal workers are now being called "furloughed" workers.
ReplyDeleteI love the Tea Baggers!
ReplyDeleteDo we really need 800'000 federal workers and their golden retirement package. I am somewhat bemused by this entire situation 80% of federal workers are still working. So they piss people off by closing the parks I'm surprised they didn't taser the vets that went around the barricade today. The debt ceiling is the bigger issue just as long as the fed keeps buying tbills we will be ok - or not
ReplyDeleteCharlie Dent is representing his "entire " District. That is his job. The election is over and he knows it is time to govern.
ReplyDeleteThe ideological purists who are a pain in the ass in any group are angry. However, this shows Congressman Dent to be a statesman and not a pandering extremist.
Good job Congressman.
Charlie will be changing parties and running as a Democrat a la Arlen Specter. He was never a real Republican, just a get pretender!
ReplyDeleteYeah, I guess the "real" Reppublicans are guys like Tony Simao, Tricia Mezzacappa, Ronnie del Wacko. Why on earth would you want a level-headed person when you can have an extremist?
ReplyDelete" According to the US Debt Clock, we are $16,970,000,000 in debt. The US Debt Clock is an unofficial tally of our excessive spending.
ReplyDeleteThe federal deficit increased by $146 billion in August, as reported by the CBO four days ago. Yet this conflicts with reports from the Treasury Department.
Yet as reported by CNSnews, “According to the Daily Treasury Statements that the Treasury publishes at 4:00 p.m. on each business day, the debt subject to the legal limit has remained at exactly $16,699,396,000,000–or about $25 million below the legal limit–every day since May 17.”
This makes 118 days, with the September 12 report being the most current, that the debt has stayed at $16,699,396,000,000.
Why is this important? The current debt ceiling limit is $16,699,421,095,673.60. According to the debt clock, however, and if CBO reports for June, July, and August were added to the Treasury statements amount since May 17th, we would be way past the debt ceiling limit. In fact, August alone would have crossed the threshold. So what is our current debt?
Incidentally, the reason why Congress even has to consider the question of funding the government or shutting it down past September 30 (the last day of the fiscal year) is that there is no operating budget. The last time the Senate passed a budget was April 29, 2009. Nearly the entirety of Obama’s time as President has been this way. For the Senate to abrogate its basic fiduciary responsibilities in such a major way is unconscionable."
From: http://michellemalkin.com/2013/09/30/shutdown-chart-of-the-day-the-17-other-times-america-died/
"The fact that we are here today to debate raising America 's debt limit is a sign of leadership failure. It is a sign that the US Government cannot pay its own bills. It is a sign that we now depend on ongoing financial assistance from foreign countries to finance our Government's reckless fiscal policies. Increasing America 's debt weakens us domestically and internationally. Leadership means that, "the buck stops here". Instead,
ReplyDeleteWashington is shifting the burden of bad choices today onto the backs of our children and grandchildren . America has a debt problem and a failure of leadership. Americans deserve better" ~ Senator Barack H. Obama , March 16, 2006
Yes, we get it he is a BLACK President.
ReplyDeleteMr. Dent IS A REALIST ,he will try to find common ground but most likely not allow this budget to fund crap that we have ended up paying for in the past. I was standing across from the welfare office in Easton this week , a BMW X5 and a Lexis came into the parking lot within 12 minutes of each other , what the fu96? They what to be paid tax payers money? Convert the cars to cash first ,I say!
ReplyDeleteMy Banker who gives me .0005% interest on MY money is driving a new MB. I feel your pain.
ReplyDeleteDent is a Democratic. He has always been a Democratic. Now, the Lehigh Valley knows that he is a RINO !
ReplyDelete