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* An October 2-3 survey of 685 IL-13 voters by Public Policy Polling shows that freshman Republican Congressman Rodney Davis could be hurt by the government shutdown…
Q1 Do you approve or disapprove of the job Representative Rodney Davis is doing in Congress?
Approve …………………………………………………. 32%
Disapprove……………………………………………… 41%
Not sure …………………………………………………. 26%Q2 If the election for Congress were held today, would you vote to re-elect Republican Rodney Davis, or would you vote for his Democratic opponent?
Rodney Davis …………………………………………. 43%
Democratic opponent……………………………….. 44%
Not sure …………………………………………………. 13%Q3 Do you have a favorable or unfavorable opinion of the Tea Party?
Favorable……………………………………………….. 38%
Unfavorable ……………………………………………. 49%
Not sure …………………………………………………. 13%Q4 Do you support or oppose Congress shutting down major activities of the federal government as a way to stop the health care law from being put into place?
Support ………………………………………………….. 34%
Oppose ………………………………………………….. 59%
Not sure …………………………………………………. 7%Q5 Do you support or oppose Congress holding back on increasing the nation’s borrowing limit, which could result in a default, as a way to stop the health care law from being put into place?
Support ………………………………………………….. 35%
Oppose ………………………………………………….. 52%
Not sure …………………………………………………. 13%Q6 Would you be less likely or more likely to support Congressman Davis if you knew he voted to support shutting down major activities of the federal government as a way to stop the health care law from being put into place, or does it not make a difference?
Less likely ………………………………………………. 48%
More likely………………………………………………. 33%
No difference ………………………………………….. 15%
Not sure …………………………………………………. 4%Q7 Now that you know Congressman Davis supported the government shutdown, I’ll ask you one more time: If the election for Congress were held today, would you vote for re-elect Republican Rodney Davis, or would you vote for his Democratic opponent?
Rodney Davis …………………………………………. 42%
Democratic opponent……………………………….. 47%
Not sure …………………………………………………. 11%
Crosstabs are here.
Obviously, the election is still far away, and this generic Democratic matchup doesn’t take into consideration any weaknesses his general election opponent would have, but it does show some real signs of weakness. It also indicates that a GOP candidate further to his right would likely have a tough time next fall.
* Meanwhile, from the AP…
A southwestern Illinois congressman who is seeking re-election says he had no choice but to be the only U.S. House member to vote against a resolution allowing military chaplains to still perform their duties during the federal government’s shutdown.
Belleville Democrat Bill Enyart was the lone “no” vote of 401 that were cast in the House on the weekend resolution relating to military chaplains who’ve been furloughed since the shutdown began. […]
Enyart calls Saturday’s action “phony” and says it “didn’t do anything.”
* From WSIL TV…
The legislation passed almost unanimously in a vote of 400 to one, leaving Congressman Bill Enyart the odd man out.
“Shocked and upset,” says Illinois Representative Mike Bost.
A candidate for Enyart’s congressional seat, Bost says he’s disappointed by Enyart’s decision, especially since the U.S. House Speaker even asked him to reconsider.
“He was one, the only one, the only one in the United States,” says Bost. “Either that’s not understanding the job or being totally out of touch with your constituents.” […]
“It is phony,” [Enyart] says. “It is designed to do nothing but make these people feel good and to give them a political point that they’re doing something. They didn’t do anything.”
A retired two-star general, Enyart insists he’s more concerned about putting the government back to work.
“You can pray anywhere,” he says. “You can’t just dump your kid anywhere; you can’t just not go to the commissaries to buy groceries to feed your family.”
* In related news…
Most of the roughly 3,500 civilian employees who were furloughed last week at a southwestern Illinois air base as part of the federal government shutdown are headed back to work.
Scott Air Force Base spokeswoman Karen Petitt says the affected workers were notified Sunday that they should be back on the job Monday.
That came after Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel ordered 350,000 furloughed military personnel back on the job.
Take a deep breath before you comment, folks. Thanks.
posted by Rich Miller
Monday, Oct 7, 13 @ 9:31 am
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Enyart looks way out of touch with his constituents and with reality. I am sure Bost will be using that vote in the upcoming election.
As they say,”what was he thinking”? Well, he wasn’t.
Comment by Downstater Monday, Oct 7, 13 @ 9:36 am
Good on Enyart for having the courage not to jump in the Clown Car.
What a spectacle it is to see the House cherry pick popular nickel-and-dime items to fund and pretend they’re doing something.
Comment by wordslinger Monday, Oct 7, 13 @ 9:41 am
Its all politics.
On the R side they want to look like they are doing something. so they offer to fun stuff that both side SHOULD agree on.
On the D side they vote no to fund a bunch of the EXACT things they say are hurting people in order to keep that pain in the public to get other things funded that lots of people could care less about (but that they see as important).
If you dont see the politics on both sides then maybe just look at closing of open air monuments or parks that take no staff… it costs more to CLOSE the park and staff it and barricade it than it does to leave it “open”.
Or look at how amberalert.gov is somehow shutdown, but the first lady’s letsmove.GOV is still online? not politics? not the Washington monument strategy? pain for the people to get everything you want?
Come on. Breath. Both sides are playing a game here. Saying its one side or the other is the only one at fault is simple blinding partisanship.
Comment by RonOglesby Monday, Oct 7, 13 @ 9:45 am
I agree with Enyart who I think has the chance to be part of a new wave of post blago/obama/daley era of Illinois Democrats. There are too many stunt bills in congress that get rewarded by media members who are too afraid to call bs on legislation designed mainly to pump up party bases. While not always effective Democrats have been savvy in their recruits for congress. A scientist, a general, duckworth, beans small businesswoman thing.
I have no love for Davis, but I think you also leave out how 2014 might be about sticking it to Democrats in springfield in Illinois which could help him. I think too many DC Illinois Republicans especially guys like him and Kirk have been afraid to take on cruz and rand paul. Part of the reason guys like cruz and tom delay and trent lott before him and pat buchanan before them have such an easy time destroying the party brand in Illinois is that the DC Illinois Republicans who are supposed to say, this isn’t what our party should look/sound like are hiding.
Comment by shore Monday, Oct 7, 13 @ 9:47 am
Ron, if you can’t see who loudly, enthusiastically and publicly initiated the shutdown of the government over one law than your eyesight isn’t so good, either.
Comment by wordslinger Monday, Oct 7, 13 @ 9:51 am
Total less likely of 48 generally doesn’t make a knockout attack, but it certainly seems like Davis is hurting generally from the shutdown.
Comment by Will Caskey Monday, Oct 7, 13 @ 9:52 am
@Word,
really? you dont see politics on both sides here? so sorry for you.
Comment by RonOglesby Monday, Oct 7, 13 @ 9:52 am
Enyart seems like he actually cares and isn’t just playing along with the charade. Good for him. Boy, I hope he beats Bost like a drum.
Comment by b Monday, Oct 7, 13 @ 9:52 am
These questions are loaded and misleading. Rodney Davis voted for the CR that reached the floor, not to shutdown the government. He said he’d vote for a clean CR if it reached the floor, but Boehner won’t allow it. Davis isn’t responsible for this mess.
Comment by mm Monday, Oct 7, 13 @ 9:56 am
Is anyone reading the Enyart/Bost story and NOT picturing Bost wildly throwing papers around at the news?
Comment by too obvious Monday, Oct 7, 13 @ 10:00 am
“You can pray anywhere.”
That may be the case. However, the ban on military chaplains, if enforced to the letter, would have meant, for example, that Catholic priests would not be allowed to offer Sunday Mass on base, and Protestant ministers would be barred from conducting their Sunday services. Given the importance of Sunday worship to most committed Christians, this is not something to sneeze at.
An extremely literal interpretation of the law (without the exception carved out in the resolution) MIGHT have made clergy subject to arrest if they attempted to do so even on a volunteer basis. Some clergy were actually advised that this was a possibility.
The result was that a lot of people on some of the blogs I follow went into full panic mode and trumpeting this measure as proof that the Obama administration is engaging in out and out religious persecution and interfering with First Amendment free exercise of religion. Whether that is true or just another case of misinterpretation, I’m not sure, but the issue is significantly more serious than Enyart makes it out to be with his flippant “you can pray anywhere” remark.
Comment by Secret Square Monday, Oct 7, 13 @ 10:02 am
These stunt votes are so ridiculous.
Does anyone really think a year from now the public is going to believe their Republican Party rep was for more govt funding for NIH or national parks than the Democrats were?
I just don’t get the GOP play here. If they had told prima donnas like Ted Cruz and troublemakers like the Heritage Foundation to shove it, they could be sending out press releases bragging about how much spending they cut and they got Dems to agree to a CR that funds govt at near-Paul Ryan budget levels.
And after seeing some of the quotes from the masterminds who think breaching the debt ceiling is no biggie because treasury can just decide whether to pay bond holders or social security recipients, I question if we are dealing with rational actors here.
I have no doubt an insider like Davis is personally more rational than this but if he has no courage of his convictions he’s just an enabler of the crazy and needs to be removed from office to weaken the crazy faction.
Comment by hisgirlfriday Monday, Oct 7, 13 @ 10:04 am
===Total less likely of 48 generally doesn’t make a knockout attack===
Exactly.
Comment by Rich Miller Monday, Oct 7, 13 @ 10:05 am
I admire Enyart for his decision, but unfortunately the chaplain vote was one of those thiings like a subcommittee decision in an office; you’re just socially expected to vote unamously on it, one of those meaningless motions of the workday, yet one of those things that if you call it what it actually is, everyone else will make you regret it.
As far as I’m concerned, Enyart just went up in my estimation by about 1000 percent simply for calling a spade a spade, and he deserves re-election.
Comment by Angry Chicagoan Monday, Oct 7, 13 @ 10:06 am
===He said he’d vote for a clean CR if it reached the floor===
Not really.
Comment by Rich Miller Monday, Oct 7, 13 @ 10:07 am
–really? you dont see politics on both sides here?–
I’m not sure what you’re trying to say. It’s, by definition, a political fight now.
The reality is that the shutdown was engineered by a few dozen extremists in the House caucus to help their funders.
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052702304906704579113793993582488.html
By saying “they’re all playing politics” is a back door way to say “they’re all to blame” when in fact the engineers of this reckless farce are obvious. They are the only ones that wanted this to happen.
Comment by wordslinger Monday, Oct 7, 13 @ 10:08 am
–The result was that a lot of people on some of the blogs I follow went into full panic mode and trumpeting this measure as proof that the Obama administration is engaging in out and out religious persecution and interfering with First Amendment free exercise of religion. Whether that is true or just another case of misinterpretation, I’m not sure,…–
You can’t be serious.
Comment by wordslinger Monday, Oct 7, 13 @ 10:14 am
==really? you dont see politics on both sides here? so sorry for you. ==
I think you are both right. There is politics on both sides going on now. But, the shutdown was the fault of a few extremists in the House. Bottom line is that it’s a ridiculous mess.
Comment by Demoralized Monday, Oct 7, 13 @ 10:17 am
I’m not totally sure how much the shutdown is hurting Davis. He only got 47% of the vote to win last November against a Democrat who was much more disliked than a “Generic Dem” plus he benefited from a third party candidate syphoning off votes, too.
Comment by Johnny Q. Suburban Monday, Oct 7, 13 @ 10:27 am
Yes, I am serious.
I am leaning toward it being a case of overreaction and misinterpretation (somewhat along the lines of believing you could go to jail for copying videos; technically, you could but it’s not highly likely), but some people who were in a position to know seemed to think this was a serious threat — for example, officials of the Catholic Archdiocese for the Military Services:
http://www.patheos.com/blogs/deaconsbench/2013/10/house-approves-resolution-to-allow-mass-on-military-installations-during-shutdown/
“The resolution was introduced by Congressman Doug Collins (R-Ga.) in response to an Oct. 3 op-ed by Mr. John Schlageter, General Counsel of the Archdiocese for the Military Services, USA (AMS) in which he disclosed that non-active duty Catholic priests have been ordered not to work—or even volunteer—on military installations for the duration of the shutdown, making it impossible for servicemen and women at some locations to attend Mass this weekend.
Mr. Schlageter wrote:
“At a time when the military is considering alternative sources of funding for sporting events at the service academies, no one seems to be looking for funding to ensure the Free Exercise rights of Catholics in uniform. Why not?”
After the vote, Congressman Collins, himself a U.S. Air Force chaplain and Iraq war veteran, said:
“We have a Bill of Rights for a reason—that no matter the fiscal condition of the federal government, the rights of the people are guaranteed. This is a week that has seen veterans denied their right to assemble at our national monuments, travelers denied access to roads their hard-earned dollars have paid for, and now chaplains ordered to stop providing religious services to those who are selflessly willing to lay down their lives for ours… Congress is duty bound to act as quickly as possible to protect the rights of the American people, and I am proud that we did so today.”
Comment by Secret Square Monday, Oct 7, 13 @ 10:28 am
This too shall pass.
Who knows what will be on the voting public’s minds when the general rolls around?
All incumbents in competitive districts will suffer, IMHO.
Comment by walkinfool Monday, Oct 7, 13 @ 10:33 am
Is the chaplain thing even an issue now that the Pentagon called back all the civilians after Congress said they’d give them back pay for shutdown furloughs?
Comment by hisgirlfriday Monday, Oct 7, 13 @ 10:39 am
Enyart should resign in disgrace.
Because President Obama wants to hurt as many people as he can (limited to the fact that 83 percent of the government is not shutdown), the Pentagon threatened to arrest any of its chaplains who came onto a base to perform mass, or any other religious activity that they normally would perform, even if they volunteered to do it.
Four hundred members of the House of Representatives thought that was beyond the pale. One didn’t.
If this was the first time he turned a blind eye to the military’s increasingly anti-Catholic and Evangelical bigotry that would be one thing, but it isn’t. He’s shown no concern at all. Now he’s offered proof of his position in a very public vote.
This administration in Washington has been the most hostile I’ve ever seen when it comes to attacking our First Amendment rights.
Comment by Downstate Illinois Monday, Oct 7, 13 @ 10:48 am
I have no dog in this fight but as is so often the case anymore on this one I can’t get past the poorly worded questions to even consider the responses as being legitimate. Questions 4-5-6-7, so blatantly leading, would never have been allowed by the students or faculty of even an undergrad course on polling and surveys at either Northwestern or U of I –let alone graduate courses.
Since the link is to the MOve-On website is it a pretty good guess that they commissioned the poll and helped design the questions to achieve a specific result? Doesn’t that matter?
Comment by Responsa Monday, Oct 7, 13 @ 10:48 am
The bottom line on the Enyart issue is that the attack ad writes itself, and its something he will have to play defense on from now until the general election. You can take unpopular votes, and show your courageous, but in this case he just slipped on a political banana peel that he threw in front of himself.
Comment by John A Logan Monday, Oct 7, 13 @ 10:49 am
==This administration in Washington has been the most hostile I’ve ever seen when it comes to attacking our First Amendment rights.==
Looking forward to your discussion of how you arrive at that conclusion.
Comment by Demoralized Monday, Oct 7, 13 @ 10:50 am
===Looking forward to your discussion===
I’m not. Move along or I’ll just delete everybody’s comments on that topic.
Comment by Rich Miller Monday, Oct 7, 13 @ 10:51 am
Not negotiating with a minority who would never be able to obtain their desired concessions through democratic means (ie by electing enough people who agree with you) in a democracy is not playing politics, it’s called standing by the priciples upon which this country was formed. This is a representative democracy that is supposed to be based on the principle of one man - one vote. We do this by electing representatives, that, if actually allowed to vote on the issue at hand now by the truly undemocratic speaker of the house, would overwhelmingly and on a bi-partisan basis vote to fund the government with no extortionist pre-conditions attached. This fiasco is Boehner’s doing, period. The democrats cannot negotiate, or this extortion will be repeated again and again by an ever-decreasing minority who sees themselves as Custer, and this as their last stand. The house republicans are in danger of losing the “loyal” from “loyal opposition”, and the sooner that they are seen as the truly undemocratic forces they are, the better off the United States, and we, the people will be. Attempts to blame both sides here just provide cover for the real ideological extortionists that control the republican party nowadays.
Comment by PublicServant Monday, Oct 7, 13 @ 10:51 am
The way this is shutdown is shaking out is that you have essential federal employees who have to work and incur work related expenses while not being paid and you have non-essential employees who are sitting at home without pay. With Congress proposing back pay for the non-essential workers, they will be getting a retroactive paid vacation. [I do support the retroactive pay, but we need to give essential workers a special thank you for their service.]
My point in light of this environment is that Enyart’s position is actually more favorable to the chaplains. Putting them back to work will force them to incur expenses for which they will have to wait to get paid. [I suspect that chaplains being chaplains many are doing what they can to minister to those in need without this resolution.]
Bottom line, the House GOP needs to get the government running so everyone can work for their pay and people can get the services the need.
Comment by Norseman Monday, Oct 7, 13 @ 10:57 am
P.S. Just to be clear, the essential workers will get back pay only when the shutdown is settled.
Comment by Norseman Monday, Oct 7, 13 @ 11:00 am
@Demo,
again, so tell me why the democrats in the senate would not vote for NHS funding, or funding of veterans programs etc.
They could “stop the pain” for groups of people the cry over at any time. Just like Boehner is holding up a “clean” (meaning fund everything right now regardless of if you agree with it) Ried wont allow votes on anything coming out of the house? Can you explain why? Other than politics and them determining that it is better for THEM (not the people) to keep everything shutdown to force pressure to get EVERYTHING they want…
Sorry. Both sides have plenty here. And last time I checked the US constitution, Article 1, all spending/revenue bills start in the House.
Comment by RonOglesby Monday, Oct 7, 13 @ 11:03 am
You can’t pretend to be the good guys by trying to vote in favored programs when YOU shut the whole thing down to begin with.
Yes, it’s political, but the Republicans chose to take this path and they’ll continue on ’til the next deadline, and the next, etc, if this works for them.
Comment by Wensicia Monday, Oct 7, 13 @ 11:04 am
@PublicServant - It is really scary how much resonance to modern day politics I find in Lincolns Cooper Union address.
Tinyurl.com/cuspeech
“Your purpose, then, plainly stated is that you will destroy the Government, unless you be allowed to construe and enforce the Constitution as you please, on all points in dispute between you and us. You will rule or ruin in all events.”
Comment by hisgirlfriday Monday, Oct 7, 13 @ 11:06 am
@Public,
So… these house repubs that were just elected (just like the president) should not vote their ideals. Its only righteous when the left stands on principal. Got it.
Agree or disagree both sides are playing.
Comment by RonOglesby Monday, Oct 7, 13 @ 11:06 am
stick to davis and enyart and local impact of these developments not your desire to berate the other side. Some of you who live in those areas actually know what you’re talking about and have great insight and we want to hear it.
Comment by shore Monday, Oct 7, 13 @ 11:07 am
@RonOglesby - There are politics at play and there are PRINCIPLES at play here.
Democrats are standing up for the principle that budget negotiations should not be treated like hostage negotiations where the House abuses its power of the purse to govern in a hostage taking fashion where they release one hostage at a time depending on what govt program got the most headlines the previous day and where Republicans have the opportunity to recapture that hostage in another six weeks and ask for a ransom all over again.
Comment by hisgirlfriday Monday, Oct 7, 13 @ 11:13 am
@RonOglesby
“They could “stop the pain” for groups of people they cry over at any time.”
And at what price can they free each hostage?
Comment by State Sen. Clay Davis Monday, Oct 7, 13 @ 11:17 am
@Ron, the 30-40 can certainly vote their ideals. That leaves the majority that are against advancing their ideals via extortion to vote for the clean C.R. that Boehner refuses to allow to come to a vote.
As for the senate not voting on the bills put forth to quiet the worst of the uproar caused by this outrage against democracy, once the extortion was triggered by the shutdown, no negotiations (voting on the house-advanced bills)could occur in the senate without legitimizing the extortion. Besides, patching up the wounds while not eliminating the cause of those wounds, the government shutdown and the extortionist attempt that it represents, just prolongs the suffering for the constituancies that are too poor and/or voiceless to be of a concern to your ideologues.
Comment by PublicServant Monday, Oct 7, 13 @ 11:19 am
===And at what price can they free each hostage? ===
Good point. At least with PQ we know what his price is.
Comment by Rich Miller Monday, Oct 7, 13 @ 11:21 am
–And last time I checked the US constitution, Article 1, all spending/revenue bills start in the House.–
Better check again.
You’re singing from the hymnal today, Ron.
Comment by wordslinger Monday, Oct 7, 13 @ 11:22 am
===And last time I checked the US constitution, Article 1, all spending/revenue bills start in the House. ===
Umm…
===All bills for raising revenue shall originate in the House of Representatives===
You’re half right. But that means you’re half wrong.
Comment by Rich Miller Monday, Oct 7, 13 @ 11:27 am
=== Democrats are standing up for the principle that budget negotiations should not be treated like hostage negotiations ===
Oh please. This is not about fighting about budget principles - this is a rhetorical line politicians use to defend their positions. This type of maneuver has been used by politicians throughout history.
In this case, the House GOP picked the wrong issue and have been inept in recognizing that their position, as dictated by extremists in their midst, is not supported by the public.
Comment by Norseman Monday, Oct 7, 13 @ 11:34 am
Getting more back on the local side of things, just googled to see what SJ-R had written on the Lincoln tourism closures and saw Bernie covered some Ann Callis event outside the Lincoln home but there were no quotes from Davis or Harold about the shutdown. Have Davis or Harold publicly commented AT ALL since the shutdown?
Comment by hisgirlfriday Monday, Oct 7, 13 @ 11:41 am
Correction to my previous post so as not to falsely besmirch Bernies reporting: There is a quote from a Davis spokesman. But I ak just wondering if Davis has personally given any quotes or done interviews since the shutdown started.
Comment by hisgirlfriday Monday, Oct 7, 13 @ 11:50 am
@Ron:
I said that both sides are playing politics right now. But if you can’t see that this entire thing was started by a few vocal extremists in the House for political reasons then you are blind. But, right now it doesn’t matter who started it. I’m waiting for the adults to end it.
Comment by Demoralized Monday, Oct 7, 13 @ 11:54 am
==Other than politics and them determining that it is better for THEM (not the people) to keep everything shutdown to force pressure to get EVERYTHING they want…==
Oh, that’s rich. Good talking point right after you said both sides are playing politics. Pick a lane and stay in it please. The sooner people realize that the ACA isn’t going anywhere the better off we will be and these ridiculous political games will stop.
Comment by Demoralized Monday, Oct 7, 13 @ 11:56 am
==I’m waiting for the adults to end it.==
I’m pretty certain that’s exactly what most clear headed Americans are hoping for. Therefore a good start might be for people to refrain from using such negotiation-unhelpful words like “extremist” and “hostage” and “ransom”. These are generally words used to describe an enemy–not one’s American political opponents.
Comment by Responsa Monday, Oct 7, 13 @ 12:10 pm
Far be it for me to give advice to a genius like Ted cruz or Mike Lee but wouldn’t the Republican Party be better served to vote the government back into operation and raise the debt ceiling so they could then stand back and watch Obama Care implode by itself- Ask and insurance executive or technology professional and they will tell you the legislation and its implementation is so flawed that with or without Republican help, it will be the train wreck Senator Baucus feared a few months back- Rather then having the focus be on the lousy implementation of Obama Care , the extremists in the Republican party are giving the president an escape portal and drawing all the attention to their internal bickering- The way to change Obama Care is by winning elections which is hard to do when you forget why your in office in the first place
Comment by Sue Monday, Oct 7, 13 @ 1:11 pm
The funny thing here is that the House Republicans are the ONLY ones voting to fund government right now. The Dems are voting now and the Senate hasn’t had a floor vote in a week.
But let’s not let the facts get in the way of good campaign invective.
Comment by John Bambenek Monday, Oct 7, 13 @ 1:19 pm
===The funny thing here is that the House Republicans are the ONLY ones voting to fund government right now.===
LOL. C’mon.
Comment by Rich Miller Monday, Oct 7, 13 @ 1:21 pm
“You can pray anywhere.”
You can also play golf anywhere…. The General is coming off a bit too aloof. The maximize pain on the general public program will tick off a lot of people, starting with the veterans visiting an open air memorial.
Comment by Plutocrat03 Monday, Oct 7, 13 @ 1:22 pm
==The funny thing here is that the House Republicans are the ONLY ones voting to fund government right now.==
The only thing funny is that statement. I guess the adults still aren’t in the room yet.
Comment by Demoralized Monday, Oct 7, 13 @ 1:23 pm
Someone needs to tell The Speaker that when you are driving downhill without brakes it is always a smart move to have given advance thought to have an exit ramp
Comment by Sue Monday, Oct 7, 13 @ 1:28 pm
===The maximize pain on the general public program will tick off a lot of people, starting with the veterans visiting an open air memorial. ===
And Romney was a sure bet last year.
In other words, there’s no real evidence of that except that people are appalled at the DC behavior in general, and they are blaming the GOP in particular right now.
Comment by Rich Miller Monday, Oct 7, 13 @ 1:29 pm
I wonder how R’s would react if Obama said he wouldn’t agree to any re-opening of government until (insert signature R issue here) is resolved in Democrats favor. I doubt “conservatives” would think that just, yet that’s exactly what they do.
I also wonder when PQ looks at national Republicans and says, “Y’know, something like this might work against Madigan and Cullerton. I’ll try it!”
As for waiting for the adults to end it, well, as anyone with a toddler knows, the tantrum has to end before you can correct the behavior. So the adults (the Dems), wait.
Comment by Joe Bidenopolous Monday, Oct 7, 13 @ 1:32 pm
My statement was no more or less true than the other spin out there.
Comment by John Bambenek Monday, Oct 7, 13 @ 1:41 pm
–My statement was no more or less true than the other spin out there.
–
You get dizzy from that kind of spin.
Some can recognize that Quinn’s actions regarding the pay veto and the House GOP shutdown are two sides of the same coin. They’re both fundamentally undemocratic Banana Republic tactics.
Comment by wordslinger Monday, Oct 7, 13 @ 1:48 pm
=Some can recognize that Quinn’s actions regarding the pay veto and the House GOP shutdown are two sides of the same coin.=
And we have a winner. I wanted to say much the same, but felt I might be perceived as a troll. Thanks Word.
Comment by Joe Bidenopolous Monday, Oct 7, 13 @ 1:56 pm
Joe B asks the unanswered question of those on this board supporting the Republican approach here. If Speaker Pelosi had refused to support a debt ceiling increase or a budget (leading to shutdown) in 2006 unless Bush agreed to repeal the tax cuts, would you really have said - I don’t support the issue, but I’ll defend your use of this tactic to achieve your goals? Of course not. It’s a “nuclear option” tactic. If it’s not resisted 100%, it will be used again and again. The republic would truly become ungovernable. Just because you support the goal - stopping Obamacare, decreasing the size of government, or whatever “the goal” is at this point - you can’t possibly support the tactic. At least acknowledge that. (It’s OK, you’re among friends here . . . .)
Comment by Anonymous Monday, Oct 7, 13 @ 2:02 pm
–And we have a winner. I wanted to say much the same, but felt I might be perceived as a troll. Thanks Word.–
Dude, Rich wrote a column on it. It’s on today’s blog, lol.
Comment by wordslinger Monday, Oct 7, 13 @ 2:06 pm
===My statement was no more or less true than the other spin out there.
===
The problem is that you equate the republican talking points post shutdown, with what the democrats are saying about, as Word says, “banana republic tactics”. The republicans are employing spin. The democrats, in this case, are stating that they will not negotiate while the government is shut down, as doing so will validate the undemocratic tactic. It’s exactly why the IL dems would not do a veto override of quinn’s legislative salary veto because doing so would have accepted the legitimacy of the tactic, and that was why they had to pursue the constitutional option. Now while no one is saying that what the Republicans are doing is unconstitutional, we are saying that it is undemocratic and wholly unacceptable to the vast majority of Americans. The republicans have found a loophole that allows a minority to extort the majority in order to impose their will on them. That cannot stand. And saying that is about as far as you can get from spin. The Republicans have allowed the Democrats to take the high road here. If it were the other way around, I’d be supporting the Republicans. Why? Because I’m an American, a veteran, and I believe in democracy, even the imperfect one we have here that allows garbage like this to occur. I’ll work (democratically) to change the bad parts and so should you, and I’ll do it without burning the house down, which is what a minority of Republicans are trying to do now.
Comment by PublicServant Monday, Oct 7, 13 @ 2:23 pm
The funny thing is, the House is the only one who attempted to pass a budget in the first place. The Senate hasn’t even had a floor budget since like 2009.
The failure to actually do budgeting has lead us exactly to where we are today where we have CRs and negotiations of CRs.
The failure to budget also led to the Obama-inspired sequester.
I’d rather us just do a budget. So how about the Senate vote on the last budget the House sent over?
Comment by John Bambenek Monday, Oct 7, 13 @ 2:55 pm
@Bambenek: You are lying here about the Senate. I and others have corrected this point in blog comments and I am beginning to wonder if folks are not just uninformed using stale talking points of the last election but may actually be intentionally obfuscating.
Once more with feeling, the Senate passed a budget this year. Way back in March of this year. The Senate passed a budget.
Because the Senate budget was different than the Ryan budget, Dems tried to set up a conference committee. 19 times. They were blocked by Republicans EVERY time.
Here’s a link from National Journal if you don’t believe me: tinyurl.com/lekzotq
Comment by hisgirlfriday Monday, Oct 7, 13 @ 3:12 pm
–The failure to actually do budgeting has lead us exactly to where we are today where we have CRs and negotiations of CRs.–
Are you kidding? A Continuing Resolution doesn’t necessitate a government shutdown.
Why are you pretending that the radicals in the House did not shut down the government over Obamacare? They’re not hiding the fact. They’re celebrating it.
Lockheed tossed 2,400 people out of work today because of this stunt. Those folks aren’t going to get that money back.
Comment by wordslinger Monday, Oct 7, 13 @ 3:12 pm
Word,
Wake up the senate hasn’t passed a budget in 5 years guess who’s in charge of the senate the Dems.
Comment by Fed up Monday, Oct 7, 13 @ 4:04 pm
–Wake up the senate hasn’t passed a budget in 5 years guess who’s in charge of the senate the Dems.–
Did that shut down the government and throw people out of work?
Have the courage of your convictions. If shutting down the government over Obamacare was the right thing to do, own it.
You have to, anyway. The tactic was open and transparent. Cruz spent 21 hours on the Senate floor yammering about it.
Comment by wordslinger Monday, Oct 7, 13 @ 4:16 pm
==Wake up the senate hasn’t passed a budget in 5 years guess who’s in charge of the senate the Dems.==
We have things called periods to break up your sentences. Just an FYI.
Comment by Demoralized Monday, Oct 7, 13 @ 4:35 pm
Word, not owning it is part and parcel of Republican disdain for the American people. They believe they can have “the courage of their convictions” cake, and eat it too by snowing the people with spin in real time. They’re burning the house down, and stating that they’re just trying to light a fire under the Democrat’s feet. And they think we’ll buy it.
Comment by PublicServant Monday, Oct 7, 13 @ 4:35 pm
–Word, not owning it is part and parcel of Republican disdain for the American people. –
Not all Republicans. I don’t believe that. McCain is back in the game. So is Rep. King of New York. Many others, but many more are needed.
In Illinois, I think JBT, Rutherford, Kirk and Edgar have been quite open about their disdain for the extremists.
And I think our own Willie is a voice in the wilderness urging a return to the Midwestern Main Street Republicanism of my youth.
But this crew running the show now on the national level and their zombies, these old Dixiecrats, this tail wagging the dog, this collection of misfits and ignorami, is full of misanthropes and anarchists.
And I won’t pretend — in the interest of “balance” — that they’re not a problem or a threat to the United States. They have demonstrated that they are.
They are not the heirs to Reagan, or either Bush, or Dole, or Lugar, much less Lincoln. They are the heirs to Sens. Bilbo and McCarthy and Father Coughlin. Cynics and charlatans.
Thomas Mann and Norman Ornstein said it better and more concisely than I ever could. Those guys ain’t bomb-throwers.
==The GOP has become an insurgent outlier in American politics. It is ideologically extreme; scornful of compromise; unmoved by conventional understanding of facts, evidence and science; and dismissive of the legitimacy of its political opposition.–
A blind man can see that these clowns are pulling this stunt to fire up their peeps, raise money, get on TV and raise hell for its own sake.
It has nothing to do with being a conservative, nothing to do with being a Republican and nothing to do with responsibly governing the United States.
For crying out loud, isn’t it obvious how they’ve have they’re damaged the GOP brand in the North, Midwest and West Coast? Illinois was a GOP state for a long time until this crew came along.
And the horse they rode in on.
http://articles.washingtonpost.com/2012-04-27/opinions/35453898_1_republican-party-party-moves-democratic-party
Comment by wordslinger Monday, Oct 7, 13 @ 5:03 pm
blaming the GOP in particular
On my side of the street, there is more blame for the Democrats that the media portrays… Hard to see who is worse off
Comment by Plutocrat03 Monday, Oct 7, 13 @ 5:14 pm
PQ is now warning of “hundreds more” layoffs of state workers paid with federal funds if the shutdown continues:
http://voices.suntimes.com/early-and-often/politics/quinn-tells-boehner-to-knock-it-off-and-end-federal-shutdown-warns-of-more-layoffs-if-impasse-continues/
Comment by Leatherneck Monday, Oct 7, 13 @ 6:43 pm
- wordslinger -,
There are more of us out there…
===…urging a return to the Midwestern Main Street Republicanism of my youth.===,
But I think you really hit what the problem those like me who will keep trying but face …
===For crying out loud, isn’t it obvious how they’ve have they’re damaged the GOP brand in the North, Midwest and West Coast? Illinois was a GOP state for a long time until this crew came along.===
THAT …is it.
In the effort to be “Right” and “Just”,…
…and this idea that trying to find common ground and to see that idea of a big tent to include the likes of the Lugars, or the Doles … or the Reagan Rule …is against the GOP Platform…
That is what we are fighting. We are fighting ourselves, when no one asked us to, and no one asked My Party to reduce its numbers. My Party must be the only party in recent memory that thinks fewer members is better for growth.
The national narrative is destrying Illinois. The lemmings who think this national narrative will bring back Illinois, will only be proven wron once this theory completely distroys My Party, and then its just too late.
Comment by Oswego Willy Monday, Oct 7, 13 @ 7:16 pm
“Wake up the senate hasn’t passed a budget in 5 years guess who’s in charge of the senate the Dems.”
@FedUp: THE DEM-CONTROLLED SENATE PASSED A BUDGET IN MARCH 2013. As I already explained to John Bambenek at 3:12 p.m. when he stated that same falsehood earlier. What is wrong with Republicans who continue to ignore the facts and/or LIE on this point?
Comment by Anonymous Monday, Oct 7, 13 @ 9:13 pm
@OW:
Have you been following Robert Costa at National Review during this whole thing with his inside reporting on the House GOP discussions on how to deal with the shutdown?
At least at the Illinois GOP level where divisions exist they are over substantive issues. But as far as I can tell based on the information coming out of the House GOP is that no one disagrees that much on the substance of the positions the party is taking, but instead they’re just squabbling over political strategy and tactics.
Comment by Anonymous Monday, Oct 7, 13 @ 9:18 pm
Seems to me that Enyart is speaking truth to power. Good for him…I think I’ll send him a re-election contribution for his courage, good work, and for his honesty.
Oh…I think there was another vote of conscience in the Peoples House where one woman stood alone in opposition to something…wait…wait…
Yes! Cal. Rep. Barbara Lee…voting on the use of force resolution to the Iraq war!! Seems her military family background, candor and foresight seems to have earned her re-election since 1998.
Go figure…
Comment by northernwatersports Monday, Oct 7, 13 @ 9:18 pm
=== WASHINGTON | Sat Mar 23, 2013 7:50pm EDT
(Reuters) - The Senate on Saturday narrowly passed its first federal budget in four years, a move that will usher in a relative lull in Washington’s fiscal wars until an anticipated summer showdown over raising the debt ceiling.
http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/03/23/us-usa-fiscal-budget-idUSBRE92M02D20130323 ===
So FedUp and JB were off by one year. Not a excellent record by the Senate. As far as I’m concerned there should be a pox on both their houses.
Comment by Norseman Monday, Oct 7, 13 @ 10:14 pm