How Do We Deal With This?

Filed in National by on August 3, 2011

Via TPM:

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – The Senate failed in a last-minute bid on Tuesday to end a partial shutdown of federal aviation programs that has halted airport construction projects and thrown tens of thousands of people out of work.

Senators scrambled to find common ground with the House of Representatives on a bill to temporarily fund the Federal Aviation Administration but neither side would budge before adjourning until September.

What’s the solution?  I’m serious.  Dems held their ground and “tens of thousands” of people are out of work.  Republicans don’t care.  Yet again they’ve not only taken a hostage they’re willing to shoot, they’ve taken one they want to shoot.

So… How do we deal with this?

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A stay-at-home mom with an obsession for National politics.

Comments (14)

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  1. puck says:

    Put a last best offer on the table. Put out a veto threat on anything to the right of the last best offer. Wait for voters and/or investors to tell Republicans to accept the offer. Maybe cancel any emergency spending that is masking the true effects of Republican intransigence.

    Do nothing else, no matter what happens. And whatever you do – do NOT let Obama negotiate this.

    I’m not even familiar with the FAA situation, but I am pretty sure this is a good process for confrontation with Republicans.

  2. pandora says:

    But… but… During the debt ceiling the voters who called supported Republicans. That astonished me.

  3. V says:

    Republicans are better at messaging (I hate it, but they are), the media backs them, AND they’re willing to drive the car right off the cliff (and then blame the Dems standing their ground for the loss of jobs).

    They win. Again.

    Consider me officially soured. I’ll still show up to vote, but I’m tired of watching the horse get beaten over and over again.
    Face it guys, we’ve lost. All hail our corporate overlords.

  4. anonone says:

    Pandora, I don’t trust the numbers that were given saying that mostly Republicans called and I wouldn’t put it past right-wing billionaires like Koch to have set up paid phone banks to get people to call.

    I don’t understand why the FAA workers are working without pay and I also don’t understand why the airlines are still flying under these conditions.

    Of course, I don’t see the president making an issue of it either.

  5. Geezer says:

    I have reached the conclusion that the only way to get rid of Republican dogma is to enact it. People will not like the effects of GOP policies, but are apparently incapable of understanding pain until they feel it themselves.

  6. pandora says:

    I’m coming to that conclusion, as well, Geezer, and that frightens me.

    I keep coming back to Puck’s first comment, and I’m not sure how that works. I get the “we don’t negotiate with hostage takers” position. What I have trouble seeing is how blame lands solely on Republicans (and that will need to happen). I think the stand-off will result in more of the “Washington Is Broken” message – which is what the GOP is running on this year.

    Basically, I’m thinking that the voters will simply view both sides as politicians willing to shoot the hostage.

  7. socialistic ben says:

    im convinced a1 is really a republican. He is incapable of blaming anyone but Obama for everything.

    Geezer, i think you’re right. give these idiots (our fellow americans) what they think they want, then hope we still have free elections when they see what the GOP dream really is.

  8. pandora says:

    Pandora, I don’t trust the numbers that were given saying that mostly Republicans called and I wouldn’t put it past right-wing billionaires like Koch to have set up paid phone banks to get people to call.

    I don’t have time to deal in conspiracy theories. We have bigger problems.

    And if you don’t believe the numbers then are you claiming that D congress people are lying about the phone calls, as well?

  9. pandora says:

    Shoot! I just fed the conspiracy theory! Please ignore the last sentence of my comment. My apologies.

  10. anonone says:

    Yes, the D Congress people have every reason to lie about the phone calls. It certainly helps justify their votes.

    In regards to so-called “conspiracy theories,” right now Wisconsin Dems are claiming that Koch brothers-funded “Americans for Prosperity sent absentee ballots to Democrats in two Wisconsin state Senate recall districts with instructions that could render the votes ineligible.”

    We have no bigger problems than our sold-out republic.

  11. puck says:

    “What I have trouble seeing is how blame lands solely on Republicans”

    We need have the courage of our convictions and not worry about this anymore.

  12. puck says:

    Obama’s request for us to call Congress was too vague. He said to call and urge a “balanced solution,” which most people don’t realize is Washington-speak for taxes.

    So I suspect what happened is people called up with the usual “end the partisan bickering” meme – which is Republican-speak for “Cave in to the Republican solution.”

    And I kind of think Obama knew this would happen.

    If Obama really wanted support from the left side he would have given better instructions: “Call your representative and let them know you insist on a solution that makes the nation’s wealthiest pay their fair share.”

  13. funfacts says:

    the stalemate has two causes:

    The democrats (Reid) are insisting on larding up the bill with pork…

    and Obama, through his recess apointment on the NLRB tried to make an endrun around the existing labor law and rig the collective bargaining rules for common carriers. The R’s are insisting on restoring the rule of law

  14. Truth Teller says:

    Instead of asking folks to make calls ,he should have demanded a clean bill and used the 14Th amendment but that would have taken Balls.