John Dean warns against Teabaggers plans to shut down government.

[pnwmom]

He correctly calls it a form of extortion.

http://writ.news.findlaw.com/dean/20101112.html

As the recent mid-term elections progressed towards their culmination, and in their immediate aftermath, one theme clearly emerged for the Tea Party Movement's success: They are ready to shut down the federal government to enforce spending discipline. While choking government operations by fiscal inaction is outrageous, we have all been warned that extreme behavior is the Tea Party's norm.

SNIP

Mark Meckler, a co-founder of the Tea Party Patriots, pounded the shutdown drum before the election. Tea Party supporters in the Republican leadership have now joined the effort, and there is a growing consensus that we are headed towards one or more government shutdowns, or threats of shutdown, to implement the radical Tea Party agenda.

Causing shutdowns, of course, is not a new gambit. But bringing the government to a halt by refusing to enact appropriations legislation is, in fact, an exclusive ploy of Republicans, and it has been used by both Capitol Hill and the White House when under GOP control. The nonpartisan Congressional Research Service has prepared excellent monographs on prior government shutdowns, looking at their causes, effects and process as well as potential solutions -- which Republicans have made sure have gone nowhere.

This tactic operates with about the same finesse as those used by Mexican drug lords. As the Tea Party Movement candidates enter the Washington political arena -- with their penchant for Second Amendment remedies -- shutting down the government could be one of their friendlier strategies, unless, of course, the GOP establishment co-opts this crew. But yesterday's Republican radicals, like Mitchell McConnell and John Boehner, actually look reasonable if put in a room with Rand Paul and Michelle Bachman -- the poster people for the Tea Party.

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[Lasher]

1. It's been abundantly clear that this is coming.

They'll jut load up the next appropriations bill with every single thing they want. Then it will be, "no no no no no" when anybody else suggests they should have a say. Clinton stood up to the Republicans and won when they tried this shit. I think Obama will just go along with them. Hope I'm wrong.

[nadinbrzezinski]

2. There should never be any negotiations with terrarists

and this will affect me personally by the way.

[pnwmom]

4. It could affect many millions, if it holds up Social Security checks. n/t

[nadinbrzezinski]

7. Absolutely

why it will backfire on them, the same way it did back in the day.

[brettdale]

3. I guess I owe some people one big sorry

I laughed at him , when he said there will be no way somepeople will let a blackman be president.

You can bet faux news will be cheering from the sidelines.

[pnwmom]

6. I think a lot of people were pretty naive.

But better naive than evil.

[opihimoimoi]

5. ITS TIME TO MAKE A STAND>>>CALL THEIR BLUFF>>>>>Please

[ProgressiveEconomist]

10. There are MANY tactics at the President's disposal for IGNORING a shutdown--see

http://blogs.reuters.com/james-pethokoukis/2010/11/10/and-if-the-debt-ceiling-isnt-raised/ .

My favorite tactic--which would allow the "debt limit" to be ignored for YEARS--involves Social Security Trust Fund early redemption of non-publicly-tradable bonds, in exchange for explicit Treasury promises to repay cash later. Since there now is no assurance that Treasury will actually give any cash to the SS Trustees, this would be an actual improvement in Social Security funding!

[eomer]

13. Those tactics only apply to one type of shutdown, don't they? What about refusal to pass a budget?

Isn't refusing to pass a budget a more likely scenario than refusing to increase the debt limit?

Are there tactics that the President can use to get around refusal to pass a budget?

[ProgressiveEconomist]

8. 'CRS .. excellent monographs on prior govt shutdowns' LINK to 6-pg CRS brief with

thorough bibliography and chronology of EIGHTEEN shutdowns since 1977:

http://www.rules.house.gov/archives/98-844.pdf

[CC]

9. I'd hate to see them do it because it would hurt a lot of

people but if they do then Obama should shut it ALL down except what is needed for those overseas in war zones. FAA everything. Screw the GOP and teabaggers, let them find out how fast they miss the evil government. Wouldn't hurt them to see how much those *over paid civil servants really do.




*over paid my ass.

[aquart]

11. Am I wrong in thinking they did this before?

Is there a reason they think it will work this time?

[toddwv]

12. They're "conservatives"

which in modern usage apparently means "prone to commit same mistakes over and over again".