Government Shutdown At DEFCON 4|NewsDay
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Showing posts with label shutdown. Show all posts
Showing posts with label shutdown. Show all posts
Monday, February 17, 2014
Government Shutdown At DEFCON 4|NewsDay
Tuesday, December 31, 2013
Tuesday, December 17, 2013
[258] Gov. Shutdown Sham Delayed, NSA Sponsored Drones, Professor Griff Fights the Power
[258] Gov. Shutdown Sham Delayed, NSA Sponsored Drones, Professor Griff Fights the Power
Thursday, December 5, 2013
Another Gov"t Shutdown? GOP Eyes Fallback Bill If Budget Deal Fails
House Republican leaders are eying a vote on a stopgap spending bill as a fallback to avert another government shutdown next month in case budget negotiations break down between House Budget Chair Paul Ryan (R-WI) and Senate Budget Chair Patty Murray (D-WA).
Funding expires on Jan. 15, at which point there will be another shutdown unless Congress acts. The continuing resolution planned by Republicans would set spending at the level called for under sequestration cuts: $ 967 billion, which includes an additional $ 20 billion in automatic cuts to defense programs that are required under current law starting Jan. 15.
But pushing to continue those painful spending cuts would risk another shutdown as Democrats and numerous key Republicans strongly oppose spending at sequester levels.
“[I]f Ryan and Murray fail to get an agreement, we’ll be ready to move a short-term CR at the Budget Control Act number,” said a House GOP leadership aide. “No decision has been made on the duration of such a CR, or the timing of a potential vote.”
The deal being negotiated by Ryan and Murray would set spending levels for the next few years and mitigate the pain of the sequester by replacing it with a mix of targeted spending cuts and non-tax revenues from government fees. The two met on Wednesday. They’re zeroing in on a spending level of roughly $ 1 trillion, but talks remain fluid and the deal could yet fall apart. They have until Dec. 13 to reach an agreement.
There are several factors working in favor of a budget deal. Republicans took a pummeling as a result of the government shutdown in October and want to avoid repeated showdowns and brinkmanship. GOP defense hawks are screaming against the sequester cuts to military programs, and appropriators are clamoring to start writing budgets again.
The primary obstacle to a budget deal is House conservatives, who tend to have their way in the chamber, and want to preserve every dollar of spending cuts under the sequester. If the Ryan-Murray talks collapse, the chances of a shutdown increase dramatically because a stopgap bill at $ 967 billion may not be able to pass the House. Republican military hawks and appropriators would likely rebel, and Democrats have made clear they they won’t accept another clean continuing resolution at the sequester level.
“I’m not going to support a short-term CR that leads to a $ 967 [billion] level [of spending],” House Minority Whip Steny Hoyer (D-MD) told reporters this week. “I believe that hurts our national security, it hurts our economy, and it undermines our responsibility of running government at a level that is productive for our people.”
The Democrat said it’s time to end governance by stopgap spending bills and come to a budget deal, warning Republicans not to undermine or walk away from the Ryan-Murray talks.
“[House Appropriations Chair] Hal Rogers has said the sequester levels, which would be reflected in the CR, are ill conceived and unworkable. He’s right. So we shouldn’t pursue a CR, and we should get a budget deal done,” Hoyer said. He said getting a budget agreement is not an issue of time, “it’s a matter of will — of willingness to compromise.”
House Republicans hope to vote on the CR next week before the House adjourns for Christmas break in order to avoid a mad dash to avert a shutdown in the new year.
A wild card in a possible government shutdown fight is Obamacare. Republicans tried and failed to undermine the law in shutdown showdown this fall. But the law’s coverage expansion and core benefits take effect on Jan. 1, so if conservatives feel they have the upper hand, or sense they have one final chance to strike at the law before repeal becomes politically untenable, they might incite another standoff.
Boehner held his cards close to the vest when asked at his at his weekly press conference Thursday about the Ryan-Murray framework for a budget agreement.
“I’m hopeful that Chairman Ryan and Senator Murray would be able to come to an agreement,” he said. “I haven’t seen the agreement. We’ll wait and see what it looks like.”
Another Gov"t Shutdown? GOP Eyes Fallback Bill If Budget Deal Fails
Wednesday, December 4, 2013
Fed: US growth stays moderate during shutdown
Fed: US growth stays moderate during shutdown
WASHINGTON (AP) — A Federal Reserve survey shows the U.S. economy held steady during the 16-day partial government shutdown, growing moderately in most regions from October through late November.
Business Headlines
Business Headlines
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Sunday, November 24, 2013
News - AMTV U S Government Shutdown Again Feb 2014
News - AMTV U S Government Shutdown Again Feb 2014
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Saturday, November 23, 2013
Analysis: U.S. businesses back Tea Party Republicans after shutdown
WASHINGTON
Tea party buttons are displayed before a campaign stop for republican presidential candidate and former Pennsylvania Senator Rick Santorum at the Historic Springdale House & Gardens West Columbia, South Carolina in this file photo taken January 11, 2012.
Credit: Reuters/Chris Keane
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – Business groups waged a fierce lobbying campaign last month to convince Republicans to re-open the government and raise the debt ceiling, but many of the most influential U.S. corporations have not cut off support to lawmakers who did not heed their appeal.
Eight of the most active business PACs wrote checks totaling $ 84,750 to 56 Republicans in the Senate and the House of Representatives after they voted against an October 16 deal to re-open the government that had been shut down since October 1 and avert an imminent debt default, according to a Reuters analysis.
They also gave $ 246,190 to Democrats and Republicans who voted for the deal.
Political action committees of companies like Honeywell Inc and Northrop Grumman contributed to Republican lawmakers who defied the wishes of the business community during last month’s government shutdown, according to disclosure documents filed with the Federal Election Commission.
Along with Honeywell Inc and Northrop Grumman, Reuters analyzed PACs at AT&T, General Electric, Deloitte & Touche LLP, New York Life Insurance Co, United Parcel Service Inc and the American Bankers Association.
Corporations are forbidden from contributing directly to federal candidates under U.S. law, but they can set up political action committees, so-called “PACs,” to direct contributions from employees and other individual donors to candidates supportive of the company’s interests as determined by a board that oversees the giving. Such boards typically are composed of company executives and government-relations staff. PACs can donate up to $ 5,000 per election to any candidate.
Last month’s fight widened a split between Republican lawmakers associated with the grassroots Tea Party movement and the party’s more pragmatic business allies.
Some business groups are now mulling an effort to push the most uncompromising Tea Partiers out of office in next year’s congressional elections.
But many of the PACs of the biggest corporate players appear reluctant to punish lawmakers who, if they had prevailed in the October 16 vote, could have pushed the United States into default. Many of those lawmakers are in a position to push regulations or new laws that could affect their operations.
“What you’re seeing is the natural tension between the interests of a publicly held company to its shareholders … and the desire of the people that may be running that company to want some kind of fundamental change in the way we do politics,” said Steve Bell, a former Republican staffer now with the Bipartisan Policy Center.
GOVERNANCE VS. CORPORATE GOVERNANCE
Last month’s confrontation pushed those tensions to the fore.
As Republicans said they would not raise the debt ceiling and keep the government open without concessions from the Obama administration, business leaders like Honeywell CEO David Cote urged them to step away from the fight.
“Don’t throw away a credit history that’s been built up since George Washington,” Cote said at a news conference at the end of September, three days before the shutdown took effect.
But Cote’s company, a sprawling conglomerate that makes everything from helicopter electronics to thermostats, has more practical concerns as well.
The company earned $ 2.4 billion from federal contracts in the 2012 fiscal year. It has spent $ 4.11 million on lobbying this year – not an unusual amount for a large company – on subjects as varied as nuclear power, corporate tax reform, and financial regulations.
Honeywell also runs the biggest PAC in the United States, contributing $ 1.17 million to federal candidates through the end of September, according to the Center for Responsive Politics. Republicans have collected 58 percent of that money.
Those contributions at times undercut the message from Cote, who is a member of a group of business leaders and politicians called Fix the Debt that has campaigned in Washington for a long-term, bipartisan solution to the country’s debt.
Three days after he urged lawmakers to find common ground, Honeywell donated $ 2,500 to Georgia Representative Tom Graves, who had led a successful effort by rank-and-file Republicans to reject a compromise supported by party leaders.
Honeywell did not urge Graves to change his stance, a spokesman for the congressman said.
Honeywell did not significantly change its giving patterns after the crisis was resolved. At the end of October, the company contributed $ 43,000 to Democrats and Republicans who voted to end the shutdown, and $ 8,000 to Republicans who voted against the deal.
“Our political action committee supports those who support the policies that are most important to our business and that are good for the economic growth of the country,” the company said in a prepared statement.
The second-largest corporate PAC, operated by defense contractor Northrop Grumman, contributed $ 14,500 to Republicans who voted against the October 16 deal. Northrop spokesman Randy Beloite said it supports lawmakers who oversee national security and represent areas where the company operates or has a large number of employees. Political affiliation is not a factor, he said.
Lockheed Martin, another large defense contractor, donated $ 914,000 to federal candidates through September of this year but made no contributions in October. The company declined to comment.
UPS, which contributed $ 5,750 to lawmakers who opposed the deal and $ 20,690 to those who supported it, said the October 16 vote was not a factor.
The American Bankers Association gave $ 9,000 to those who opposed the deal and $ 17,000 to those who backed it. “When it comes time to determine whether to continue contributions to any incumbent, we’ll do so in a thoughtful and deliberative manner,” spokesman Jeff Sigmund said.
Of the other PACs analyzed:
- AT&T contributed $ 13,000 to lawmakers who voted against the deal, and $ 47,000 to those who backed it;
- Deloitte gave $ 23,000 to opponents and $ 30,500 to supporters;
- New York Life gave $ 2,000 to opponents and $ 16,000 to supporters;
- General Electric gave $ 9,500 to opponents and $ 23,500 to supporters.
None of those companies responded to a request for comment.
(Additional reporting by Fred Barbash and John Whitesides; Editing by Vicki Allen)
Analysis: U.S. businesses back Tea Party Republicans after shutdown
Friday, November 22, 2013
Rush Limbaugh Goes Off On Republican Party After Shutdown Surrender|NewsDay
Rush Limbaugh Goes Off On Republican Party After Shutdown Surrender|NewsDay
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Thursday, November 14, 2013
VIDEO: How Will Cisco"s Slowdown Affect the Tech Sector?
Cisco, the Silicon Valley network-equipment giant, reported revenue rose just 1.8% in its first fiscal quarter, compared with its projection of 3% to 5% growth. Dan Gallagher looks at the surprise numbers and how the grim report affects the tech sector.
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VIDEO: How Will Cisco"s Slowdown Affect the Tech Sector?
Wednesday, November 6, 2013
Shutdown Clock Hysteria Overshadows NDAA Win | Weapons of Mass Distraction
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Shutdown Clock Hysteria Overshadows NDAA Win | Weapons of Mass Distraction
Thursday, October 31, 2013
Couple stalled by government shutdown weds on 'Colbert Report' (VIDEO)
Couple stalled by government shutdown weds on "Colbert Report" (VIDEO)
Couple stalled by government shutdown weds on "Colbert Report" (VIDEO)
After the federal government shutdown threatened the wedding plans of Washington-area residents Mike Cassesso and MaiLien Le, Comedy Central"s Stephen Colbert took matters into his own hands Thursday. The couple had planned to wed at the …
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The Colbert Report airs clip from Jayson Luber"s Hot on the Web segment
The Colbert Report played a clip from Jayson Luber"s Hot on the Web segment Monday night. Jayson appeared right after the first commercial break, in the segment titled "Lifetime of Furfillment." In the clip, Jayson discusses a Tokyo travel company that …
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Tuesday, October 29, 2013
US consumer confidence plunges on gov"t shutdown
US consumer confidence plunges on gov"t shutdown
WASHINGTON (AP) — Americans’ confidence in the economy fell this month to the lowest level since April, as many worried about the impact of a 16-day partial government shutdown. The decline could weigh on spending and economic growth.
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Tuesday, October 22, 2013
Polls: Shutdown nightmare for GOP
The public’s opinion of Congress and the Republican Party has plummeted in the wake of the government shutdown, with two new polls showing record and near-record levels of disapproval.
Forty-seven percent of those surveyed said Congress would be better off if nearly every member was replaced in a new USA Today/Princeton Survey Research poll. Only 4 percent said replacing nearly every member would make Congress worse.
That tops the 40 percent who felt it would be better for Congress in 1994, when Democrats lost their majority, and the 42 percent who felt that way in 2006, when Republicans lost their majority.
Among Republicans, who have the majority in the House, 52 percent said Congress would be better off if most members lost their jobs.
The poll also found Republicans taking the blame for the shutdown: Americans said the GOP was responsible over Democrats 39 percent to 19 percent, with 36 percent blaming both parties equally.
Congress also received its worst approval rating ever in a new Washington Post-ABC News poll. Just 12 percent approved of the job Congress was doing, and 85 percent disapproved — 70 percent strongly. That is Congress’s worst rating in the nearly 25-year history of the Post’s polling on the subject, and compares to a 31 percent approval of Congress before the 1996 election. In July, Congress’s approval was at 21 percent.
President Barack Obama’s approval has held steady during the shutdown, at 48 percent approval to 49 percent disapproval in Tuesday’s poll.
The Post poll also found Republicans bearing the brunt of Americans’ anger: Only 32 percent, a new low, viewed the GOP favorably, and Americans blamed them for the shutdown over Obama, 53 percent to 29 percent.
USA Today surveyed 1,001 adults from Oct. 17 to 20 for its poll, which has an error margin of plus or minus 4 percentage points. The Post surveyed 1,002 adults in the same time-frame for its poll, which has an error margin of plus or minus 3.5 percentage points.
Polls: Shutdown nightmare for GOP
Sunday, October 20, 2013
Study shows TV networks blamed GOP for shutdown
From our “Why am I not surprised” file, the Media Research Center conducted a study of TV network news coverage during the shutdown and discovered that the coverage almost universally blamed Republicans.
“What those viewers heard,” according to the MRC analysis, “was a version of the shutdown story that could easily have emanated from Barack Obama’s own White House.”
“This current government shutdown traces its history back to a determined core of GOP House members who are vehemently against Obamacare and were willing to shut down the government because of it,” Brian Williams said on the Oct. 14 broadcast of “NBC Nightly News,” MRC’s Rich Noyes noted in a blog post announcing the study.
Of the 124 stories broadcast on the ABC, NBC and CBS nightly newscasts about the shutdown from Oct. 1 through Oct. 15, the study found 41 blamed Republicans or conservatives for the impasse, 17 blamed both sides and none specifically blamed Democrats.
In the two weeks leading up to the shutdown, the MRC said, the same networks ran 21 stories blaming Republicans, four blaming both sides and none blaming Democrats.
That’s 62 blaming Republicans and none blaming Democrats for those of you keeping score at home.
But those numbers mirror polls conducted before and during the shutdown, which found most Americans blamed the GOP for the shutdown. In one, 62 percent of respondents blamed Republicans for the shutdown, while less than half blamed Obama or the Democrats in Congress.
According to TruthRevolt.org, another conservative site, the slant against the GOP was equally evident in print. The Washington Post and New York Times, the site said, “covered victims of the government shutdown over victims of Obamacare by a margin of 100 to 1.”
Media Matters, the progressive research center that monitors conservative media, has yet to publish a similar study on the shutdown coverage.
The MRC study did not include cable news, which had mostly wall-to-wall coverage of the shutdown since it began on Oct. 1. CNN, for example, ran on-screen shutdown and debt ceiling deadline clocks for virtually the entire impasse and consistently featured interviews with moderate Republicans who disagreed with the tea party’s tactic.
Of course the polls would say it’s the GOP’s fault. Viewers had been told for weeks in advance that any shutdown would be the fault of Republicans. It’s no surprise, therefore, the viewers would hold the opinion they did.
I didn’t watch much cable coverage during the shutdown, largely because it’s so predictable. But what I saw was pretty rank. MSNBC was actually comical, taking the position that of course it was the GOP’s fault now how to we stifle these crazy peoplke?
Face it: THe GOP doesn’t do media strategy except to preach to the converted. The reason that the “moderates” were all over the news was because many conservatives refuse to even talk to CNN, MSNBC, or the networks. That’s a mistake. At the very least, a record must be established that counters the dominant narrrative. It may not sway a lot of people, but it never hurts to get your message out.
Study shows TV networks blamed GOP for shutdown
Sen. Cruz returns to Texas welcome after shutdown battle...
By Jim Forsyth
SAN ANTONIO (Reuters) – Republican U.S. Senator Ted Cruz, a favorite of the conservative Tea Party movement, returned home to a rousing welcome in Texas on Saturday after his attempt to derail Obamacare with a shutdown of the federal government led to sharp criticism of his tactics as reckless and futile.
“After two months in Washington, it’s great to be back in America,” Cruz joked in speaking to a crowd of about 750 people in a packed downtown San Antonio hotel ballroom.
Cruz was greeted with an eight-minute standing ovation in an appearance organized by the Texas Federation of Republican Women. People in attendance, many of them wearing red to show their support for keeping Texas a conservative-leaning state, lined up to greet him.
The speech and another talk earlier in the day at a panel in Austin marked Cruz’s first public appearance in his home state of Texas since his part in the showdown in Washington over the rollout of Obamacare that resulted in a 16-day shutdown of the federal government that ended on Thursday.
A related stalemate over the debt limit threatened to lead to a default on U.S. government debt until the Senate on Wednesday voted 81-18 to end the crisis and the House of Representatives followed with a vote of 285-144 to approve the plan, allowing government to open without defunding Obamacare.
Cruz in his speech in San Antonio blasted Senate Republican leaders for “failing to stand with House Republicans against the train wreck that is Obamacare.”
He declined to criticize any Republicans by name.
While he said the agreement to end the shutdown and extend the debt ceiling was a “lousy deal for the American people,” Cruz said the battle he and other Republicans waged will end up helping his party.
Cruz became a lightning rod for criticism from Democrats and even from key Republicans when he staged a 21-hour filibuster-style talk on the floor of the Senate last month, as part of his attempt to defund the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act.
The Texas senator, who has been in office for 10 months since his election last year, received scathing criticism from Democrats, the White House and even some of his fellow Republicans in the Senate during the shutdown and the debate leading up to it.
Senator John McCain from Arizona, a former presidential candidate, and Representative Peter King from New York have been two of the most vocal Republican opponents of Cruz’s tactics, with McCain calling Cruz and his allies “wacko birds.”
Cruz also took a hit in the polls. A Gallup poll released on October 10 found he had gained significant name recognition, but the percentage of Americans with an unfavorable view of him has jumped to 36 percent from 18 percent in June.
But the welcome Cruz received in Texas demonstrated his popularity among many Republican activists has grown.
In an interview with Reuters after his speech, Cruz said there is “a lot to be encouraged about” after the battle in Washington.
“We saw what can happen when the American people unite, when the American people stand up,” he said. “What the American people want is economic growth and job creation. They are crying out for something that fixes all the enormous damage that Obamacare is causing.”
(Additional reporting by Kevin Murphy in Kansas City, Missouri; Editing by Alex Dobuzinskis and Eric Walsh)
Sen. Cruz returns to Texas welcome after shutdown battle...
Saturday, October 19, 2013
Poll: Amid shutdown, Republican falls further behind in race for Va. governor
Steve Helber / AP
Republican gubernatorial candidate, Virginia Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli, center, gestures during a press conference at the Capitol in Richmond, Va., on Oct. 15. Cuccinelli and running mates Lt. Gov candidate, E.W. Jackson, left, and Attorney General candidate State Sen. Mark Obenshain, right, received the endorsement of the Fraternal Order of Police of Virginia.
By Domenico Montanaro, Deputy Political Editor, NBC News
National Republicans may be glad the midterm elections are a year away after polls have shown the party’s favorability at all-time lows because of the federal government shutdown. But one Republican – in a swing state – is caught in the buzz saw.
A new NBC4/NBC News/Marist poll finds Republican Ken Cuccinelli slipping further behind Democrat Terry McAuliffe, 46 to 38 percent in the race for Virginia governor among likely voters. That’s 3 points wider than McAuliffe’s 43 to 38 percent lead a month ago — before the shutdown. Libertarian Robert Sarvis gets 9 percent.
Virginia was one of the top states impacted by the shutdown — with hundreds of thousands of federal workers, contractors, and military service members and retirees in the state. And a majority (54 percent) in the poll blames Republicans for the shutdown. Just 31 percent of likely voters blame President Barack Obama.
Four-in-10 – 39 percent – said either they or a family member has been affected by the shutdown, whether it’s employment, services or benefits.
Many say the shutdown will have an impact on their vote — 38 percent of registered voters said it would have a major impact on it; 21 percent said it would have a minor one. Among respondents who said it has had a major impact on their vote, McAuliffe is winning them 55-27 percent. Among those who say it is a minor issue, McAuliffe also leads, 52-33 percent.
Cuccinelli only leads with those who say the government shutdown is not an issue, 49-36 percent.
“Just when Cuccinelli needed to start closing the gap against McAuliffe, the government shutdown became a huge roadblock,” said Lee M. Miringoff, director of the Marist College Institute for Public Opinion, which conducted the poll.
The Republican Party brand appears to be badly damaged in the commonwealth – 62 percent said they had an unfavorable view of the party, while just 33 percent said they viewed the party favorably. Among independents, it was even worse. By a 71-23 percent margin, the GOP was viewed negatively.
The Democratic Party and President Obama get better scores – 45-50 percent unfavorable for the party, 50-48 percent favorable for Obama.
Cuccinelli, the Tea Party-aligned attorney general, has been outspent on the airwaves 2-to-1 since the shutdown, and he has seen his likability rating take a hit. A majority now say they view him negatively (37-54 percent) up from 49 percent a month ago. By contrast, McAuliffe is 44-43 percent favorable. (His negative rating, however, is also up 7 points from last month.)
McAuliffe has expanded his lead with independents from 2 points in September (36-34 percent) to 8 points now (41-33 percent). In September, Cuccinelli got a 31-45 percent unfavorable score with the group. Now, a majority give say they view him unfavorably – 34-51 percent. McAuliffe doesn’t fare much better — with a 36-47 unfavorable, but that might not be the point.
“It’s not that independents are enamored with McAuliffe,” Miringoff said, “they just dislike Cuccinelli more.”
And that just might be the theme of this campaign.
“When you have a majority viewing you negatively, it’s hard to win an election,” said Barbara Carvalho, who also helped conduct the poll. “It’s not that McAuliffe has closed the deal, it’s that he’s the lesser of two evils.”
The poll was conducted Oct. 13-15 of 1,082 registered voters (margin of error +/- 3 percent) and 596 likely voters (margin of error +/- 4 percent). NBC’s Mark Murray contributed to this report.
Poll: Amid shutdown, Republican falls further behind in race for Va. governor
Government Shutdown 2013: One Liberal"s Advice to the Tea Party
In an attempt to find some talking points for the 2016 presidential campaign by shutting down the federal government, a few congressional Republicans instead found themselves shutting down the hopes of the Republican Party. They put the world economy at risk without any reasonable explanation. Instead of achieving a single goal they left the Republican Party, and their own chances of success, seriously scathed.
And now the Tea Party, lost in delusion, has concluded that moderate Republicans caused the shutdown defeat and that they must be eradicated. Already, conservative political action committees with money are seeking to dethrone Republican leaders, including Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.), the Senate minority leader who once proclaimed that the Republicans’ single most important goal was to stop President Obama’s reelection. Apparently, by allowing the federal government to continue functioning, he broke ranks. Now he must go.
As a liberal, it’s hard to know how to feel when we see this kind of insurrection within the Republican Party. Republicans were steadfastly loyal to the party through the 2000s. Now, finally, we’ve seen signs of courage from pro-business conservatives who feel that the Republican Party best represents their political philosophies but recognizes how dangerous the Tea Party is to sound policy.
Admittedly, there’s some schadenfreude. Frankly, the Republican Party has been unforgivably hostile towards Democrats and the Obama administration, which for the most part has operated as a very moderate political party on many issues, including but not limited to budget cuts, social policy, and even Obamacare itself.
In order to appease voting blocs inspired largely by racism, illogical mantras, and Fox News talking points, Republicans hoping to retain their congressional seats have embraced bigotry and ignorance as a means of fending off other conservatives in primary races. Many of these congressional races have become races to the right, as each candidate tries to convince voters that she hates Obama more instinctually and thoroughly than the next candidate.
So, to put it bluntly, liberals were just waiting for the other shoe to drop. Eventually, we knew moderates and people who lean conservative would have a moment of reflection and realize they were alienated by a party disinterested in conservatism and instead obsessed with political opportunism and appeasing the ignorant, even at the expense of the world’s financial stability.
As for the potential consequences for the Democratic Party, deep pockets may increasingly turn to the Democrats to ensure market stabilization. After the Tea Party brought Wall Street and Big Business near the abyss, major financial institutions and corporations will look to prioritize the health of the world economy over philosophical differences in regulatory policy. The Democratic Party will become the clear choice and the lesser of two evils. In turn, the Democratic Party may shift further right, embracing the opportunity to take substantial funding from its rival.
For the Republican Party, the future is very unclear. It looks to remain that way for some time. But it’s certainly in the hands of Republicans.
In case you think the Tea Party is going somewhere, it isn’t. Despite the shutdown disaster, they still have majority support from Republicans, because of their broad-based appeal to those who unconditionally despise the President and the federal government. Although they do have lots of money, they don’t need it, because they rely heavily on grassroots movements and social capital to win elections.
Over the next 12 months, the Tea Party is going to conduct a witch hunt against the “establishment” in order to intimidate any conservatives who refuse to identify as Tea Party Republicans. Whether the rest of the Republican Party chooses to deal with the problem, as opposed to run from it or surrender to it, will dictate the future of the Republican Party.
I wish the Tea Party well. So far, every effort of theirs has directly or indirectly led to success for the Democratic Party. And as long as Ted Cruz gets to be on television, he doesn’t seem to mind. But if I were a Republican, I would start expressing my concern quickly.
Government Shutdown 2013: One Liberal"s Advice to the Tea Party
Friday, October 18, 2013
Why Bitcoin Boomed During the Government Shutdown
Just two weeks after the Feds shuttered the Silk Road, the notorious online drug bazaar, bitcoin prices have touched a five-month high—with a single bitcoin fetching nearly $ 156 each on Tokyo-based exchange Mt. Gox.
Bitcoin’s resiliency can no longer be denied, especially as the digital currency continued its ascendancy even against the backdrop of a US government in utter disarray. At the 11th hour of the crisis, President Obama signed a bill that ended the partial government shutdown and, more importantly, raised the debt ceiling, an arbitrary limit on the amount of money the country can borrow that would have been surpassed today. If Congress had failed to reach a deal and the US was unable to pay its bills, the results might have been catastrophic, eclipsing the bankruptcy of Lehman Brothers five years ago, the domino that could trigger the worst financial crisis since the Great Depression.
“We could be looking at a 10 percent decline in GDP, and a 5 point rise in unemployment,” The New York Times economist Paul Krugman wrote of the immediate consequences of a potential US default. Moreover, the sudden impact on US debt, deemed the safest financial asset in existence, would cascade across the globe fueling a crisis in confidence that would call into question the status of the US dollar as the reserve currency of the world.
While a last ditch effort was always expected, the political farce precipitating in Washington is a stark reminder of the tenuous nature of our current financial system, where a group of ideologues could essentially hold the state of the world economy hostage simply because they felt like it. For bitcoin’s advocates, it’s simply another argument for the cryptocurrency’s relevance. Unlike fiat money, which is managed by governments, bitcoin’s decentralized model means that no one actually controls it, keeping it out of the hands of opportunistic politicians.
Similar to the events in Cyprus earlier this year, when the threat of direct withdrawals from citizen savings account led to a surge in the virtual currency’s interest, some believe the current uncertainty in the conventional system is fueling bitcoin’s recent rise even though the ecosystem has yet to find its “killer app.”
“The more stupid things governments do, the more attractive bitcoin becomes,” said Roger Ver, the director of Business Development at BitInstant, and long time bitcoin evangelist. “Bitcoin’s strengths come from it’s nature. Governments can’t inflate it or seize it at will.”
Why Bitcoin Boomed During the Government Shutdown
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