Time to set aside politics
Kelly Everitt

Congress can't govern

Posted Wednesday, October 2, 2013, at 8:23 AM
Comments
View 69 comments
Note: The nature of the Internet makes it impractical for our staff to review every comment. Please note that those who post comments on this website may do so using a screen name, which may or may not reflect a website user's actual name. Readers should be careful not to assign comments to real people who may have names similar to screen names. Refrain from obscenity in your comments, and to keep discussions civil, don't say anything in a way your grandmother would be ashamed to read.
  • One of the reasons that Republicans are daring to hold the country hostage over universal insurance coverage is that in a lot of their districts they feel that they will get re-elected no matter what because they are conservative districts.

    Some Republicans are even afraid that these districts will come up with an even more conservative candidate to replace them. -- I believe this is being tried in Idaho. Apparently our conservative congressmen aren't right wing enough for some in Idaho.

    The final result is that the Republican party remains a local party in some states but fails as a national party and will have a tough time getting a president elected.

    Very short sighted, in my opinion.

    -- Posted by Sam_1776 on Wed, Oct 2, 2013, at 10:09 AM
  • YOU DONT GO TO CONFRENCE 5 MINS BEFORE THE HOUR.

    I WOULDNT BUDGE EITHER.........A CLEAN RESOLUTION WITH NO STRINGS ATTACHED GET'S IT DONE.tHEY CAN IRON OUT THE HEALTH LAW AFTER THE BUDGET IS PASSED............Holding the country hostage because they cant get there way is NOT the way it should work.

    FROM the reports, a lot of people are getting info on the health law.We shall see how that all sahkes out.

    -- Posted by lamont on Wed, Oct 2, 2013, at 10:08 PM
  • According to a news article more and more Republicans are in favor of supporting a "clean" budget bill. A "clean" bill is one that deals with the budget without tacking on defunding, delaying, or rescinding the Affordable Care Act. Too bad Boehner won't allow Congress to vote on it.

    They need a new Speaker of the House who will allow votes on bills.

    http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/special/politics/shutdown-votes-for-a-clean...

    -- Posted by Sam_1776 on Wed, Oct 2, 2013, at 10:46 PM
  • Fathom the hypocrisy of one group calling for a "conference committee" at the eleventh hour, after refusing over 18 requests in the past 6 months for the same thing. Then setting up a pretty little photo op showing them sitting at an empty table.

    http://thehill.com/blogs/on-the-money/budget/295477-reid-to-seek-consent-to-conv...

    http://thinkprogress.org/economy/2013/04/23/1909271/gop-refuses-budget-conferenc...

    http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/10/01/budget-conference-republicans_n_4020621...

    This entire debacle has steadily progressed from stupid to ridiculous to downright idiotic. The sad thing is that it was planned. Eighty Republicans signed a letter in August and sent it to Boehner urging him to "...affirmatively defund the implementation and enforcement of ObamaCare in any relevant appropriations bills brought to the House floor, including any continuing appropriations bill."

    The Republicans are obsessed with Obamacare. Having tried to repeal it over 40 times since it's passage. What exactly are they afraid of? If this law is as bad as they make out, wouldn't it be to their benefit to let it fail on it's own? The fallout would undoubtedly be reflected in the 2014 congressional elections where the Republicans would pick up enough seats in the House and Senate to FINALLY repeal or defund it. Maybe, just maybe they are afraid it will succeed?

    ObamaCare was worked on endlessly in bi-partisan committees before it became a bill. It passed both houses of Congress and became the law of the land with no help from Republicans. Republican leadership insisted Republicans oppose it, even though it was based on a conservative proposal from the Heritage Foundation and successfully implemented by a Republican governor in Massachusetts.

    ObamaCare is the law now because Republicans did not win a majority in the Senate in 2010 when they took over the House, they lost their constitutionality case in the Supreme Court, and they lost the presidential election in 2012.

    And the really sad part about it is that the people who are screaming the loudest about the evils of this law are repeating falsehoods and half-truths that have been fact-checked thousands of times. They are afraid of things that aren't even part of the law. It's sad that so much is only about hating everything associated with President Obama, with no substance, facts, or critical thinking to back up whatever point is being made.

    Polls have shown that more people like "The Affordable Care Act" than "Obamacare." Except they're the same thing.

    -- Posted by Amuzeme on Thu, Oct 3, 2013, at 1:10 AM
  • Do you have any actual facts CoolBreeze or just links to extreme right web sites? The Rasmussen poll was the only poll in the presidential election that claimed Romney would win. That doesn't really make it a credible poll.

    I saw something funny on Facebook from one of my relatives. It said "I don't care if you hate the President of the United States but I do care if that hate is based on lies."

    -- Posted by Sam_1776 on Thu, Oct 3, 2013, at 10:12 AM
  • Thank you Amuzeme. Before Obama was even elected Boehner met up with some of his gang and formed a pact to veto any thing Obama tries to pass into law if he should get elected. That is a fact not fiction! It's not about Obama being a Democrat its about the color of his skin. They're in fear Obama made it!!, perhaps another Black man could. Please don't give me the rhetoric about Herman Cain being black and he would of made a good president.

    The fact is everyone knew including the GOP Herman Cain didn't have enough to win him the election.

    If Hilary runs she will be our next President and I imagine because she will be taken seriously the GOP will come up with another hate campaign as they sure don't want to take orders from a woman. lol!

    -- Posted by MsMarylin on Thu, Oct 3, 2013, at 11:28 AM
  • I agree MsMarylin, the very conservative part of the Republican party is the last bastion for the white men's club.

    Boehner obeys the faction because he doesn't have enough votes to continue on as Speaker of the house and they could kick him out of his job. The faction doesn't want a vote in the House on a clean budget bill so Boehner won't let it come to a vote.

    They need to make it a law that if a bill is passed in either house of Congress it must be voted on in the other house.

    -- Posted by Sam_1776 on Thu, Oct 3, 2013, at 11:43 AM
  • We need to also remember the Republicans said they never seen or read what was in Obamacare. The thing is they did, they even worked on it. They had added some provisions and made changes.

    It's a shame the way the Republican Party has changed. They had been loosing members since before Obama was even elected. I'm sure with the way they have been behaving in Congress since Obama has been in office they will loose more members.

    Well I know right here in Mountain Home, some Republicans are very disappointed in them, and voted for Obama in this last election.

    -- Posted by MsMarylin on Thu, Oct 3, 2013, at 12:02 PM
  • Funny how history changes to meet the needs of the ignorant. It was Nancy Pelosi, a "dumbarat" who said---just sign Obamacare---we can figure out what is in it later. To EVER sign something without reading it is just plain stupid!

    Both sides are to blame, they are all idiots. Voters included who put these idiots in office year after year.

    I wonder how much rum in takes to make Obama look good. Just wondering.

    -- Posted by OpinionMissy on Thu, Oct 3, 2013, at 1:49 PM
  • OpinionMissy...it's official..you are a RACIST!!!

    -- Posted by DUMBFOUNDED IN IDAHO on Thu, Oct 3, 2013, at 1:53 PM
  • Sam, why is a wrong for someone to use what you say are right wing websites. What makes the left wing sites you use any better. Oh thats right because sam says the right wing is lying. The funny thing is you actually think the left wing is telling the truth. I hate to break it to all of you but neither side is being truthful with the american people. And at this rate the government is going to take us all down. You can't keep spending more than you take in and expect to survive. Sooner or latter the debt will become overwhelming and we are there now. They all need to quit fighting over the past and fix the future. But then again we the people are not any better, We are still fighting over Obamacare its going to happen so get over it. Pass or fail we are stuck with it so use it if you have to or carry on with what you have. My guess is most of you that are still fighting about it are not even affected by it. If we the people can't even find common ground how can we expect our government to..

    -- Posted by Tinman65 on Thu, Oct 3, 2013, at 2:12 PM
  • OM Did I hit a nerve? I see your back side is showing up!

    -- Posted by MsMarylin on Thu, Oct 3, 2013, at 2:19 PM
  • Fox News is a right wing web site that is still barely in the main stream. MSNBC is a left wing web site that is still barely in the main stream. I use neither of those sites.

    I use politically unbiased sites or sites in the mainstream that may appear to be neutral or lean in a certain direction as long as they follow journalistic rules of telling the truth and checking the facts. When they make a mistake they correct it or I stop checking their site for information.

    Tinman try to find a site that I've used that doesn't meet that criteria.

    My complaint against some of the sites used by some people on the blog is that they start with a lie or an exaggeration on one site and like a virus similar sites pick it up and say the same exact lie or exaggeration. These sites seem to be united that they hate Obama and they hate anything that he does. Apparently there is absolutely nothing positive that these sites can say about Obama.

    Like someone else said recently. I don't care if people hate Obama but I don't like people hating him based on lies.

    -- Posted by Sam_1776 on Thu, Oct 3, 2013, at 3:21 PM
  • The most important poll, CoolBreeze, was the presidential election in November 2012 where Obamacare was one of the major issues and Obama won the election.

    However, to check your accuracy on the Rasmussen polling you should read the November 10, 2012 article called "Scott Rassmussen Tries To Explain Why His 2012 Polling Was So Bad" Here is a quote from that article.

    "Rassmussen Reports was among the least accurate pollsters of the 2012 Election Cycle, tying for 24th with Gallup out of 26 pollsters ranked in one post-election study. The main reason for this, of course, is the fact that Rasmussen went into his polls with a pre-conceived notion of what the electorate was supposed to look like and, based on those assumption, weighted his polls according to Party ID to fit into the model, something that practically no other pollster does."

    -- Posted by Sam_1776 on Thu, Oct 3, 2013, at 8:06 PM
  • HEY MS M.......DONT YOU KNOW YOU SHOULD BE HAVE ADMITTED TO DRINKING A CUURS AND YOU WOULD HAVE BEEN A GOOD OL GIRL,,,,,,,,,,SMILE !!!!!!!!!

    WHAT AND UNCALLED FOR COMMENT........

    -- Posted by lamont on Thu, Oct 3, 2013, at 9:28 PM
  • The most important poll has been mentioned, the presidential election.

    -- Posted by Sam_1776 on Fri, Oct 4, 2013, at 7:56 AM
  • However, there are other polls which are more recent.

    http://www.forbes.com/sites/theapothecary/2013/09/30/new-poll-only-one-third-of-...

    New Poll: Only One-Third Of Americans Support Repealing, Defunding Or Delaying Obamacare

    "Polls consistently show that Americans aren't happy with Obamacare. They think the law will make health care more expensive, and decrease its quality. But a new survey of 1,976 registered voters finds that only 33 percent believe that the health law should be repealed, delayed, or defunded. 29 percent believe that "Congress should make changes to improve the law," 26 percent believe that "Congress should let the law take effect" and see what happens, and 12 percent believe that the law should be expanded. The bottom line? Voters are skeptical that Obamacare will live up to Democrats' hype. But they also believe that it should be given a chance to succeed."

    -- Posted by Sam_1776 on Fri, Oct 4, 2013, at 8:08 AM
  • Is this blog about Congress being unable to govern or have MM and CB taken over it to overuse the word fathom, call liberals "bubbleheads", accuse liberals of not beleiving in God, and complaining about a 60 year old law about aliens not being followed.

    -- Posted by Geordey on Fri, Oct 4, 2013, at 12:16 PM
  • Don't cry MM. Congress and the President are allowed to change 60 year old laws. Preferably they would do this in a CLEAN way not through extortion.

    -- Posted by Geordey on Fri, Oct 4, 2013, at 2:51 PM
  • The problem is, that particular law doesn't exist. The text is taken from a document prepared by an organization called Americans for Legal Immigration and distributed by an organization called CT Citizens for Immigration Control.

    This bit of fiction has been around since at least 2008 and widely distributed as fact by numerous websites and organizations. It even caught Sherriff Joe Arpaio off guard.

    http://blogs.phoenixnewtimes.com/*******/2009/10/joe_arpaio_cites_non-existent.p...

    http://www.azcentral.com/news/articles/2009/10/16/20091016arpaio1016.html

    http://www.campaignsitebuilder.com/templates/displayfiles/..%5C..%5Cuser%5Cctcic...

    (On the bottom left you'll see who prepared it)

    http://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/8/1324

    http://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/USCODE-2010-title8/pdf/USCODE-2010-title8-chap12-su...

    -- Posted by Amuzeme on Fri, Oct 4, 2013, at 5:32 PM
  • Good catch, Amuzeme.

    -- Posted by Sam_1776 on Fri, Oct 4, 2013, at 6:27 PM
  • Do you have a comment that is on topic CoolBreeze, or is this just shooting practice?

    -- Posted by Sam_1776 on Fri, Oct 4, 2013, at 7:55 PM
  • Your law link that you just posted is about aliens and bringing them in but does not match the points and numbers in your previously posted made up law. So the web site does not dispute what Amuzeme said.

    Amuzeme 5, Moral majority -234

    -- Posted by Sam_1776 on Mon, Oct 7, 2013, at 11:07 AM
  • "The shutdown could last awhile since the Tea Party is demanding the President not be black anymore." - Andy Borowitz

    -- Posted by Sam_1776 on Mon, Oct 7, 2013, at 11:48 AM
  • Moral majority, you do realize that nationalreport.net is not a real news site, right? It is a satire site similar to theonion.com.

    This "story" is simply not true. Even FOX news got it wrong. Please check out their disclaimer here:

    http://web.archive.org/web/20130805225747/http://nationalreport.net/disclaimer/

    http://mediamatters.org/blog/2013/10/05/fox-falls-for-fake-story-about-obama-per...

    http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/live-feed/fox-news-falls-fake-story-644293

    http://www.snopes.com/politics/satire/museum.asp

    -- Posted by Amuzeme on Mon, Oct 7, 2013, at 1:29 PM
  • Don't feel bad Moral majority. Fox News thought it was real news too and reported it as news.

    Like you, they must do the same searches and don't check out their sources. After all, if it's bad it must be real.

    -- Posted by Sam_1776 on Mon, Oct 7, 2013, at 2:48 PM
  • The problem is, CoolBreeze, that you want so much for the Fox News error to be not an error that you are not seeing clearly.

    Anna Koolman, the Fox News Reporter posted this on her Twitter account over the week-end.

    "Just met w producers- I made a mistake yday after receiving flawed research abt a museum possibly closing. My apologies. Won't happen again."

    -- Posted by Sam_1776 on Tue, Oct 8, 2013, at 8:30 AM
  • I believe that Moral majorities on topic link has been refuted and we now seem to have moved to off topic insults.

    "I learned long ago, never to wrestle with a pig. You get dirty, and besides, the pig likes it." -- George Bernard Shaw

    -- Posted by Sam_1776 on Wed, Oct 9, 2013, at 10:52 AM
  • HERE WE GO AGAIN !!!!!!!!!!!!!

    -- Posted by lamont on Wed, Oct 9, 2013, at 4:27 PM
  • Moral majority, I won't comment on your conspiracy theory about the underground cities and highways, because that's off topic.

    On your comment about a National Park being closed, well it's not. People can go through it but there are no services. An area of ocean in the national park serviced by the Park Service is also closed because they can't service it due to the shutdown.

    You seem to think that when CONGRESS causes a shutdown then each service that is stopped has to have painful scrutiny and a finger pointed at the federal government. If the federal government had kept all services up, you'd be complaining about that too because that would be ignoring the laws of the land.

    I did research on the claim in the Breitbart article that you posted. All of the truth, lies, and exaggerations are fully explained in the link below.

    http://www.politifact.com/florida/statements/2013/oct/07/tweets/did-obama-shut-d...

    -- Posted by Sam_1776 on Thu, Oct 10, 2013, at 8:18 AM
  • You need to read the article more carefully Moral Majority. Your questions are answered in it.

    Let me give you a hint though. If a boat goes out in certain areas and runs into trouble and needs help then the National Parks service would have to find the boat and provide help. That is a service.

    The government has the right to manage its lands and other things. If not then we would have anarchy. Our forefathers didn't want anarchy.

    -- Posted by Sam_1776 on Thu, Oct 10, 2013, at 9:48 AM
  • Here is the last part of the article that I posted. Note that this is a commentary on the Breitbart link that you posted and is not intended to address your moral outrage about closing a National Park.

    "But it's an exaggeration to state that Obama has tried to shut down the entire ocean -- or even to suggest that he has shuttered the Atlantic Ocean or all of the waters in the Keys. Tourists and locals can continue to fish, swim and play in the ocean, even in the Keys.

    We throw a big ol' bucket of ocean water from the Keys on this claim and rate this claim False."

    -- Posted by Sam_1776 on Thu, Oct 10, 2013, at 9:51 AM
  • Once again we are getting off topic for the blog.

    On topic, for the first time in a very long time a Gallup poll shows that economic factors are not the top concern among Americans. It is now a dysfunctional government.

    http://www.gallup.com/poll/165302/dysfunctional-gov-surpasses-economy-top-proble...

    -- Posted by Sam_1776 on Thu, Oct 10, 2013, at 12:02 PM
  • COOLBREEZE............There are protocals in place for the shutdown,this administration like any other does not decide what to shut down.GET OFF IT AND SEE THE BIGGER PICTURE.That statement is again one of those talking points that doesn't hold water............stop it

    -- Posted by lamont on Thu, Oct 10, 2013, at 5:42 PM
  • CoolBreeze needs to make up his mind whether he wants things shut down or he doesn't want things shut down.

    -- Posted by Sam_1776 on Thu, Oct 10, 2013, at 7:32 PM
  • It's not a matter of getting their way. It's a matter of producing a clean budget bill that can be passed in both houses and not be vetoed.

    -- Posted by Sam_1776 on Fri, Oct 11, 2013, at 8:27 AM
  • NO body argued with you about wether it should have happened we all know it shouldnt have.The irony of me speaking of the big picture ..........hello !!!!!!!. YOUR a trip.

    The republicans knew the implications of shutting down government they went there anyhow.KELLY SAID ALL THAT NEEDED TO BE SAID ABOUT NATIONAL AND INTERNATIONAL RAMIFICATIONS.

    17% AND WE HAVE THIS MUCH PAIN WHAT DO YOU THINK WOULD HAPPEN IF THEY LOCKED IT ALL.There are protocals and the republicans knew what they were,so chewing on a park ranger for the camera's only make people wonder what the heck your doing.

    I personally have seen what the lack of healthcare brings about and the cost of healthcare is out of wack in our economy.TO many people cannot logically survive and pay healthcare at it's current rate and that includes a heck of a lot of people in the middle class.IT is a shame when you can go abroad and get the same procedures for 25% of the cost here and we trained the doctors.I don't know how you feel about that

    coolobreeze but I have a problem with it.

    Everything that is being said about healthcare was said about social security when implemented and it had the same problems so maybe we should get rid of it too.........what do you think??????

    -- Posted by lamont on Fri, Oct 11, 2013, at 3:18 PM
  • Franklin D. Roosevelt had similar problems with Congress regarding setting up social security. He did fireside chats by radio to the American people to explain this to them before the loud few could try to scare them.

    Fortunately, or maybe because of the depression that we were recovering from, there was no threat by a small group to damage the country thru a shutdown.

    "A few timid people, who fear progress, will try to give you new and strange names for what we are doing.

    Sometimes they will call it 'fascism,' sometimes 'communism,' sometimes 'regimentation,' sometimes 'socialism.' But, in so doing, they are trying to make very complex and theoretical something that is really very simple and very practical.

    I believe that what we are doing today is a necessary fulfillment of what Americans have always been doing -- a fulfillment of old and tested American ideals." -- Franklin D. Roosevelt

    -- Posted by Sam_1776 on Fri, Oct 11, 2013, at 5:50 PM
  • THANKYOU SAM..........PROBLEM BEING it will fall on deaf ears.......and they will call FDR A SOCIALIST,COMMUNIST ETC........YOU HAVE A GREAT DAY

    -- Posted by lamont on Sat, Oct 12, 2013, at 11:37 AM
  • FINALLY the Senate passed a budget bill and the House is expected to pass it and the President to sign it tonight.

    -- Posted by Sam_1776 on Wed, Oct 16, 2013, at 6:44 PM
  • ALL THAT for nothing and we could still get our credit rating downgraded.LETS not forget how much this has cost the American people.......shut downs arnt free........The deficit is being dealt with probally not as fast as I would like or anyone who cares, but it is being done without brining people to there knees, close but not quite............later

    -- Posted by lamont on Wed, Oct 16, 2013, at 7:43 PM
  • Moral majority, that appears to be yet another off topic link.

    -- Posted by Sam_1776 on Wed, Oct 23, 2013, at 12:39 PM
  • THAT IS WHY I DIDNT READ IT.......THANKS SAM ......I OWE YOU ONE

    -- Posted by lamont on Wed, Oct 23, 2013, at 1:02 PM
  • I could but I won't Moral majority BECAUSE YOU ARE OFF TOPIC.

    -- Posted by Sam_1776 on Wed, Oct 23, 2013, at 4:14 PM
  • I read parts.......the word that stuck out was RADICAL LIBERALISM......SO.....WE HAVE RADICAL CONSERVATISM.......THE THING IS THEY BOTH LEAVE SOMETHING TO BE DESIRED. So what ????? there are fringes on both sides.ON TOPIC.....JUST LIKE OUR CONGRESS AND SENATE.THE FRINGE DOESNT GOVERN, IT DESTROYS FOR NO REASON OTHER THAN TO SHOW THEY CAN.WE are a centrist nation and that is what our constitution was designed to do.Our lawmakers have forgotten that,they only want power and money not what is best for the American people.They only seem to consider themselfes part of us when it effects there electoral consquences.

    They cant govern because governing is an after thought that is not why they are there.......later

    -- Posted by lamont on Wed, Oct 23, 2013, at 5:01 PM
  • Those in Congress are too busy being good little Liberals and Conservatives. The logical thing to do is to try to fix the problem not to run out of fingers pointing to who is to blame. Logical And Congress are mutually exclusive.

    -- Posted by twilcox1978 on Fri, Oct 25, 2013, at 5:16 PM
  • TWILL.......WERE HAVE YOU BEEN?????? On the money that's for sure.GOOD TO SEE HERE

    -- Posted by lamont on Fri, Oct 25, 2013, at 6:35 PM
  • Quote

    "More disreguard of our existing laws by congress:

    Federal Immigration and Nationality Act 1952

    Section 8 USC 1324(a)(1)(A)(iv)(b)(iii)

    "Any person who . . . encourages or induces an alien to . . . reside . . . knowing or in reckless disregard of the fact that such . . . residence is . . . in violation of law, shall be punished as provided . . . for each alien in respect to whom such a violation occurs . . . fined under title 18 . . . imprisoned not more than 5 years, or both."

    Section 274 felonies under the federal Immigration and Nationality Act, INA 274A(a)(1)(A):

    A person (including a group of persons, business, organization, or local government) commits a federal felony when she or he:

    * assists an alien s/he should reasonably know is illegally in the U.S. or who lacks employment authorization, by transporting, sheltering, or assisting him or her to obtain employment, or

    * encourages that alien to remain in the U.S. by referring him or her to an employer or by acting as employer or agent for an employer in any way, or

    * knowingly assists illegal aliens due to personal convictions

    http://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/USCODE-2011-title8/pdf/USCODE-2011-title8-chap12-su... For 1324

    http://www.uscis.gov/ilink/docView/SLB/HTML/SLB/0-0-0-1/0-0-0-29/0-0-0-8381.html For 274. Not sure what MM posted that was incorrect as to what the law says.

    -- Posted by pjluckyman on Sat, Oct 26, 2013, at 4:46 AM
  • Moral majority's cut and paste did not come from the full law but a cut and paste that is appearing on multiple right wing sites that are against reforming immigration. He says that he is showing the law, but he is showing an inexact version of it.

    The major problem with the post is Moral majority is asserting that Congress is disregarding our existing laws. He doesn't provide information on how Congress is doing this but most people would infer that his justification for that argument is that Congress is considering reforming immigration.

    That is faulty logic.

    -- Posted by Sam_1776 on Sat, Oct 26, 2013, at 10:23 AM
  • Isn't that the third time that you've posted that off topic link, Moral majority?

    -- Posted by Sam_1776 on Sat, Oct 26, 2013, at 4:11 PM
  • HE is making a personal statement without saying, at you MM,me and anyone else he see's as liberal. Then he will say I didn't do anything.This game has been played before.....it does get old.

    I am sure we could go off on a tangent about right wingers but why bother??? They are happy with themselfes and I am happy for them,just as long as they stay off my property and don't attempt to bother me physicaly.They need to remember they are not the only ones with weapons that know how to use them.I do think they want to refight the civil war,what a shame and waste of time.

    ON topic I guess we need to look at concentration camps it would seem that is the only thing that will satisfy some.What part of a nation of immergrints don't they understand?????........later

    -- Posted by lamont on Sat, Oct 26, 2013, at 5:58 PM
  • It's called passive aggressive behavior, and it's a waste of time to respond on it. Someone worked for me once that engaged in that behavior so I did a lot of reading on how to deal with it.

    You are basically supposed to address the specific behavior rather than the motive because they will always deny the motive.

    A typical conversation would go like this.

    Me: Kris called and said that you scheduled the urgent meeting for two months from now.

    P/A: You said to invite Earl and that was the first time that Earl and I were both available.

    Me: The meeting needs to occur sooner. Did you ask Earl if he could free up his calendar?

    P/A: No you said to find a time when everyone was available.

    Me: Schedule the meeting for as soon as you are free and invite Earl so that he can make sure that he is freed up for that time.

    The result of this, is that P/A scheduled the meeting for a time that Earl had a Dr. Appt. P/A secretly didn't want Earl to attend due to P/A's territorial issues with Kris, the client.

    I then told P/A that I would schedule the meeting, which I did.

    P/A didn't show up for the meeting. He said his daughter was sick. We had to reschedule the meeting again.

    It wears you down.

    -- Posted by Sam_1776 on Mon, Oct 28, 2013, at 10:28 AM
  • I have to admit that I sometimes stray off topic but both of those links are off topic, Moral majority.

    -- Posted by Sam_1776 on Mon, Oct 28, 2013, at 1:32 PM
  • Lamont,

    Hello, how have you been?

    Back to the topic, what happens in Congress is what happens in daily life. No one has the guts to be the jerk who only cares about getting things done and cares not if feelings get hurt. I work for a nonprofit and deal with this on a daily basis.

    -- Posted by twilcox1978 on Mon, Oct 28, 2013, at 2:16 PM
  • I think with Congress that it has a lot to do with motivation. With the House of Representatives our forefathers gave them a term of two years to make them more responsive to the voters. Unfortunately through chance and some gerrymandering some of our Representatives have a "safe" seat where they will get re-elected no matter what they do or don't do.

    -- Posted by Sam_1776 on Mon, Oct 28, 2013, at 4:47 PM
  • YOUR right SAM AND SOME WANT TO MAKE IT WORST BY HAVING THE STATE LEGISLATURE SELECT OUR SENATORS.There shouldn't be anything called a safe seat.

    I am doing OK TWILL beat the cancer and moving on.Got some things in there right place.HOPE YOU ARE DOING WELL.TAKE CARE

    -- Posted by lamont on Mon, Oct 28, 2013, at 5:22 PM
  • MM why don't you suggest that to leader BOHENER? he might think that is a good idea.

    In the meantime maybe they could get to conference on the budget,seems to me that should have priority.Could you ask him about that while your at it???? THANKYOU

    -- Posted by lamont on Tue, Oct 29, 2013, at 11:14 AM
  • MM.......AGAIN OFF TOPIC........HOWEVER IT COULD BE INTRESTING TO KNOW HOW ANYONE KNEW THE OTHER BIDS WERE NOT LOOKED AT......DID SOMEONE IN CONTRACTING SAY THAT?? or is that a right wing assumption???

    What does not stop, is your cherry picking,and belief in what ever is written on a right wing blog site.

    I watched the hearing's on the problems with the web site.What your blog site say's was not brought up. I am sure if it were and issue it would have been.THERE ARE 4 CONTRACTORS INVOLVED IN SETTING UP THE WEB SITE 4 NOT ONE.They all admit they short changed us in the testing, all of them, so they share blame equally.I suggest that you get your facts straight for yourself.

    LAST...... vice presidents don't make those decisions again nice try but it get's old.We already know that whatever a minority does other than steal something is wrong in your eye's, based on your baseless accusations about me,and calling me a liar when you don't even know who your talking about but I DO. WE ALL DONT LOOK ALIKE, I don't have dredd locks or piercings.

    I am sure you feel your source is creditable after all there saying what you want to hear.

    -- Posted by lamont on Tue, Oct 29, 2013, at 2:12 PM
  • Congress and governing should be a relatively simple matter. Politics are too big of a storyline in our lives. Whether you live in New York City or Grandview, Idaho the federal government should be back page news. We really should not be having this conversation.

    -- Posted by twilcox1978 on Wed, Oct 30, 2013, at 9:25 AM
  • I agree twilcox. When I checked the news today I saw nothing major going on regarding the committee to come up with a budget. Instead I saw:

    1. More on what the NSA had looked at.

    2. Congress investigating why the ACA web site was having problems.

    I come from a background in Information Technology. New web sites, especially one that was expected to get the volume as high as the ACA site are EXTREMELY tough. The volume kills web sites. There is not that much to investigate unless Congress wants to point some more fingers.

    I'd like them instead to focus on ways to reform the tax system, to cut spending, and to grow the economy.

    -- Posted by Sam_1776 on Wed, Oct 30, 2013, at 10:54 AM
  • You are so right SAM....IT GETS SO OLD....what tHEY NEED TO FOCUS ON........is being pushed aside...like changing the topic so that they can act like they are doing something when in fact they are doing nothing that helps the American public.

    Most of us who are literate in management know how hard it is to set up those kind of web sites and can appreciate it's complexity.I find the hearings a lot to do about nothing it's all political theatre.What is really starting to bother me though is how many people seem to be incompetent in there jobs.IF YOU CANT DO IT, DONT ACCEPT THE NOMINATION.DELEGATION SEEMS TO ALWAYS BE TO THE WRONG PEOPLE.IT almost seems like the only ones that get it right is the military and that should not be.

    WE need to be focused on the economy,taxes,and spending and everyone of those things can be fixed if we got the polotics and special intrest out of it.The finger pointing is beyond sanity that is for sure.BETWEEN Sen R.PAUL AND CRUZ sparing to be top dog ,the lies they tell and the false facts,plagerizam and a host of other things they keep the pot boiling in a way that is totally counter productive. Both are narrsocistic and arrogant bigots who look down there noses at everyone and play the people who follow them cheap.

    I don't think they want us to really know what they are not doing.I know they are not earning there money that is for sure.

    MM you can yawn as you like but until you ring up and apology for the attempt to discredit me no one is going to give you credabilty.NEXT time you want to stereotype someone make sure you know who you are talking about.IT was dumb why would I RISK A 28YR RETIREMENT CK TO BE PART OF SOMETHING ILLEGAL SUCH AS YOU IMPLIED..............YAWN !!!!!!

    -- Posted by lamont on Wed, Oct 30, 2013, at 12:11 PM
  • I almost have a Phd. in economics and can say that even from that perspective, there is really no sound way to rationalize our current debt situation or the current wasteful spending that goes on. Government is inefficient. We need minimal government due to that. The more you have, the bigger the drag on the economy.

    -- Posted by twilcox1978 on Wed, Oct 30, 2013, at 12:17 PM
  • MM......YOU NEED TO SIGN UP....... YOUR DISABILITY ALONE OUGHT TO QUALIFY YOU. EVERYONE ELSE WITH ADD IS QUALIFYING WHY NOT YOU ????

    I can tell you don't like it when people don't accept your insults........ to bad.STOP YOUR BIGOTED INSULTS,AND RACE BAITING.You can be ignored and we can let you talk to yourself for awhile........better still why don't you find some like minded people to talk to........I am sure there are some out there on some right wing blog.The people here are descent respectfull people I know that is hard for you to communicate with...........especially when you set yourself apart...........good luck !!!!!!!!!!

    -- Posted by lamont on Wed, Oct 30, 2013, at 1:09 PM
  • I agree that we need to reduce government but we need to be careful on how we do it so that we don't hurt the economy. I admire your working on a PhD in economics twilcox. That is a hard subject, and economists disagree on what to do.

    The link below has the initial talks about the budget. They've had just one meeting with the next meeting not scheduled until mid November. HOPEFULLLY, they are negotiating behind the scenes. They need to have a plan by mid December.

    http://thehill.com/blogs/on-the-money/188648-budget-talks-open-with-tax-fight

    -- Posted by Sam_1776 on Wed, Oct 30, 2013, at 1:44 PM
  • TWILL.....I am a little more cynical.....why do we keep trying to buy friends I just don't get that.There are for sure to many layers to government we use to call it empire building.I think it makes people feel important. It does make it harder to get anything done and it sure as heck provides a way not to be accountable, you can pass the buck. And that speaks to the ineffecieny.

    The drag on the economy for me is the political payoff in terms on contract's and laws. The laws disguise what's really going on because they usually have a payoff across the long term and in a continuos basis such as oil subsidies.WE really need to get a plan together for the future of our economy.I question wether we have such a plan based on what,we have gotten to be a service based population.We have got to produce something besides WEAPONS. Well got to run....

    TWILL YOU TAKE CARE AND I HOPE AND WISH YOU WELL ON YOUR PHD..............LATER

    -- Posted by lamont on Wed, Oct 30, 2013, at 3:57 PM
  • Apparently the House of Representatives led by the Republicans have no real work to do. I read this really entertaining editorial regarding the Republican witch hunt over the problems with the ACA site. It is cut and pasted below.

    Kathleen Sebelius vs. a party without a brain

    By Dana Milbank, Published: October 30

    Like the Scarecrow, whoever came up with House Republicans' plan to deal with Kathleen Sebelius on Wednesday didn't have a brain.

    It was their big chance to flambé the secretary of health and human services and the person who has overseen the disastrous launch of Obamacare. Instead, they wound up casting her as Judy Garland's Dorothy.

    "In 'The Wizard of Oz,' there is a great line," Barton, one of the first Republican questioners, informed Sebelius, a former two-term governor of Kansas. "Dorothy at some point in the movie turns to her little dog, Toto, and says, 'Toto, we're not in Kansas anymore.' Well, Madam Secretary, while you're from Kansas, we're not in Kansas anymore."

    Thus began several references, each more painful than the last, to Oz, Kansas, following the yellow brick road, pulling back the curtain, the wonderful things the Wizard does -- and, for good measure, something about Chicken Little, although he did not appear in the 1939 classic.

    And, sure enough, the Republicans on the House Energy and Commerce Committee went after Sebelius like so many flying monkeys. But -- spoiler alert! -- the film doesn't turn out well for Dorothy's persecutors, and the hearing, likewise, didn't turn out to be the humiliation for Sebelius that Republicans had in mind. Dorothy melted the Wicked Witch with a bucket of water; Sebelius doused her questioners with an unexpected and extended confession of responsibility.

    "Access to HealthCare.gov has been a miserably frustrating experience for way too many Americans," she said in her opening statement. "So let me say directly to these Americans: You deserve better. I apologize. I'm accountable to you for fixing these problems. And I'm committed to earning your confidence back by fixing the site."

    This was a sneaky and dastardly thing for her to do: sneaky, because it wasn't in the advance testimony she gave the committee, and dastardly, because in today's Washington, any acceptance of responsibility is so rare that the Republicans -- who were counting on her evading and deflecting -- were bound to be caught off-guard.

    Rep. Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.) seemed not to have heard the secretary's apology. "You're now blaming it on the contractors and saying it's Verizon's fault," she said.

    "Let me be clear. I'm not pointing fingers at Verizon," Sebelius said. "We own the site."

    Blackburn pressed Sebelius to tell her who led the team overseeing the project, and when Sebelius provided it, Blackburn pounced. "Michelle Snyder is the one responsible for this debacle?"

    "Michelle Snyder is not responsible for the debacle," Sebelius said. "Hold me accountable for the debacle. I'm responsible."

    Rep. Gregg Harper (R-Miss.) declined this offer. "The president is ultimately responsible for the rollout," he declared.

    "No, sir. We are responsible for the rollout," Sebelius replied.

    After more such back and forth, Harper insisted: "While I think it's great that you're a team player and taking responsibility, it is the president's ultimate responsibility, correct?"

    "You clearly -- whatever," Sebelius said, allowing herself a rare moment of exasperation. "Yes, he is the president. He is responsible for government programs."

    Otherwise, Sebelius, in a gray pinstriped jacket, her white hair well-coiffed and her fingernails manicured, was generally poised, keeping her voice measured even though Republican lawmakers took photos of her with their phones, and their staff members, lined up against a wall, laughed and applauded when their bosses scored points.

    She bluntly refused their requests to fire one of her deputies ("I will not, sir"), to make enrollment voluntary for the first year ("No, sir") and to hand over enrollment numbers ("No, sir"). She answered mildly even as a red-faced Rep. Billy Long (Mo.) and a furious Rep. Cory Gardner (Colo.) demanded that she drop her health-care coverage and join an Obamacare exchange (she pointed out that the law wouldn't allow it). She did not respond to Blackburn's contention that Obamacare had deprived people of having a health plan that is "a Ford, not a Ferrari" or a "red Solo cup and not a crystal stem."

    But many of her interrogators were unusually mild, probably disarmed by Sebelius's self-criticism. "I told the president that we were ready to go. Clearly I was wrong," she admitted. "No one ever imagined the volume of issues and problems that we've had."

    After 31 / 2 hours of Fords and Ferraris and "Wizard of Oz" references, Sebelius finally got to go home. But she had the power to do so all along: All she had to do was click her heels together three times and think, "There's no place like the House."

    http://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/dana-milbank-in-kathleen-sebelius-hearing...

    -- Posted by Sam_1776 on Thu, Oct 31, 2013, at 9:51 AM
  • THANKS....SAM...the lady is sharp I watched the hearing.The republicans attempted to belittle her and her poise made them look foolish.The childish antice showed there true colors.That coward from Mississippi realy was a trip.

    This is not about health care, it is about the president.The republicans need to spend there energy governing but they wont.They are still on this course that we have to nullify this presidency,They are playing the American public cheap that is not a wise course.

    They would do well to pay attention to the elections in new jersey and virgina and try and understand what the majority of americans want not just what republicans want.I WILL CONCEDE THIS, THE ULTRA CONSERVATIVES WANT.Yes we are a center right nation they need to start acting like it or they will find themselfes on the out side looking in.

    We have multiple problems that need to be solved now and they are busy going after the president,solve the problems that is what we pay you for.I don't know how anyone could do there job if they spend half the week being grilled like a criminal.I think that is part of there plan,that and don't allow any department heads to do the job.

    Well got to run for now ...........later

    -- Posted by lamont on Thu, Oct 31, 2013, at 10:42 AM
  • According to the article below, the election last night seems to show that moderates are the major swing vote, and not independents which the article said may mostly be "Republicans in hiding" are not anymore.

    I think moderates are the key, in Congress of stopping the constant lack of progress.

    http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/the-fix/wp/2013/11/06/winners-and-losers-fro...

    -- Posted by Sam_1776 on Wed, Nov 6, 2013, at 12:18 PM
  • YES.......THEY ALWAYS HAVE BEEN AND THAT IS BOTH SIDES THAT IS WHERE IT GETS DONE.The exstremes on either side don't get it done.We are a sensible people we didn't get here overnite and we wont fix it overnite,there has to be a balance.The ones on the very top can survive exstreme swings you and I the everyday folks cant...........later

    -- Posted by lamont on Wed, Nov 6, 2013, at 3:31 PM
Respond to this blog

Posting a comment requires free registration: