The blank stares speak volumes when interviewers ask Tea Party / Republicans what their government shutdown is about. They recite their talking point that the President has gotten his shutdown, and then repeat that useless talking-point louder while holding the country and economy hostage. K-12 Public Education has been criticized for years, but what does it say about Harvard, Princeton and other fine US institutions that their graduates, who have gone on to become Congressional members, do not know how the government works and misrepresent so many facts? The Tea Party does not seem to know how bills get paid, what the debt ceiling is, what the difference between the debt ceiling and the deficit is, and how to pass a bill. Can they really believe that forcing the US Government into default will have no lasting negative impact?
We know the shutdown is not about fiscal responsibility. If it was, Republicans would not have run up the deficit under W by trillions of dollars with two unpaid wars, unpaid Medicare prescription plan, & the Bush tax cuts. If the Republicans cared at all about the truth, they would acknowledge and applaud the hugely significant deficit reduction under President Obama coupled with the Ryan-level austerity budget currently in place. But they live in their "anti-Obama" universe. Throw in 100% obstructionism, and it is amazing our economy is growing at all.
We know the shutdown fight is not about fears that Obamacare will not work. If the Republican say it, the opposite is true. The Republicans are not scared Obamacare will fail and hurt people; they are terrified that the Affordable Care Act (ACA) will be wildly popular and successful and be a Democratic win. The Republican polls that ObamaCare is unpopular are as accurate as the polls predicting the Romney landslide. The real polls give Congress an approval rating of 15% vs. ObamaCare at 50%. Who should be repealed?
To Tea Party Members, I issue this Challenge - release the Hostages and do what is right. Pass a budget with stimulus. Get the economy moving again.
The Tea Party mission is not about fiscal responsibility, Obamacare, or jobs. It is not even about making government smaller.
The Tea Party says that "Socialist Obama" has brought his Socialist European agenda with him and (this) Socialist government needs to be dismantled. Tea Partiers like to think they stand on principle. Here is my challenge to each who is so personally offended by socialism and large government... Please, say NO to the following dirty Socialist programs:
•Say NO to Medicare - opt-out & return that money from that dirty socialist program;
•Say NO to Part D prescriptions - opt-out;
•Say NO to Social Security - opt-out;
•Say NO to Obamacare Medicaid funding? 26 states want to Opt-out of Obamacare Medicaid - Great! Give it to states that would welcome the funding;
•Do not believe in government? Please, do not ask for FEMA money to fix your states after natural disasters;
•You have made your state a "right to work state" - Great! That's your choice, now let's move every military base out of those states and relocate those jobs states where workers have a say in their future.
•Say NO to privatizing and subsidizing. Republicans swear by free markets, except when they want to benefit from privatizing and subsidizing markets. Stop privatizing our country. Stop privatizing:
oOur schools,
oOur military
oOur healthcare
oOur prisons
oOur farms
& Stop regulating every vagina in America.
Actions have consequences. If State leaders do not want federal funding, please do not accept it. Stand for something, get your facts rights, & Release the Hostages! America does not negotiate with terrorists.