Petards, and Being Hoisted Thereon

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So Republicans in Congress have been trying to hold the Department of Homeland Security hostage in order to pass a provision to block the President’s executive actions to shield certain illegal immigrants from deportation. They attached the block to a bill funding DHS and dared the Dems to not pass it. Now we’re three days away from a DHS shutdown, and yesterday Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell blinked, offering a “clean” funding bill separate from the immigration bill.

Naturally McConnell is being slammed from the Right for caving on immigration, like the little matter of shutting down Homeland Security is just an afterthought. There’s no ongoing terrorist threat or anything, you know.

Some of the crazier elements in the Senate (Cruz and Sessions) are still talking about blocking the bill, but what I’m picking up from most reporting is that Senate Republicans are pretty much resigned that they’ve lost this one. A number of polls show that most Americans would blame the GOP for a DHS shutdown. Polls also show that people think a DHS shutdown would actually be a big deal. Republicans think otherwise, possibly not understanding that DHS actually has a lot to do with border security and monitoring terrorist threats and stuff like that. Government is so confusing.

What the House will do is anybody’s guess.

11 thoughts on “Petards, and Being Hoisted Thereon”

  1. This is what happens when stupid, ignorant, and bigoted “Know-Nothing” politicians appeal to their base of even more stupid, ignorant, and bigoted “Know Even Less Than Their Know-Nothing” politicians, base.

    To be honest, even a political junkie like me is getting so weary of reading about this stupid purely political crap, and want to go and read some history – where things used to work – or fiction – where at least, happy ending or not – I know what I read, outside of giving me pleasure, won’t affect me.

    But, I know that’s what the stupid, ignorant, and bigoted cabal of “Know-Nothing’s” wants, is for people like me to stop noticing, so, I REFUSE.

    But I am tired of this bullshit!
    As are we all, in the rational community, I’m sure…

  2. Pingback: Mike's Blog Round Up -

  4. Even the most bumbling kidnapper knows you don’t take a hostage that you care about more than anyone else.

    Conservatives are like, “we gonna shoot the DHS”, and progressives are like, “you mean that security department Bush created, which we’ve always hated? Uuummm okay.”

  6. One reason that I like this blog so much is that Maha always has interesting and penetrating insights and she doesn’t go in for sensationalizing issues.

    Following the politics of our time and place seems to demand a daily dose of anxiety and rage. Cooler heads seldom prevail.

    So, CUNDgulag is right, once in a while you have to take a breather. History, science or anything that keeps your mind alive is the best choice, Besides, you can always keep one eye peeled for the latest political spectacle.

  7. John Boehner, “orange” you sorry you didn’t try to control your Teahadist’s earlier?

    Now, ‘You’re hoist by your own Teatards.’

  8. OT:
    If you’ve noticed an even greater disturbance than normal in the conservative “farce,” it’s because CPAC just opened-up!

    Gentlemen of the GOP, start your raving lunacy!
    Ladies, sit and admire those mighty Christian manly-men!

  10. Hey kids! Check this out:

    WASHINGTON — The Federal Communications Commission voted Thursday to approve strong net neutrality rules in a stunning decision, defying vocal, months-long opposition by telecom and cable companies and Republicans on Capitol Hill.

    Democratic Commissioners Jessica Rosenworcel and Mignon Clyburn joined Chairman Tom Wheeler to approve a rule that reclassifies consumer broadband as a utility under Title II of the Communications Act.

    The FCC intends to use this new authority to ban “paid prioritization,” a practice whereby Internet service providers can charge content producers a premium for giving users more reliable access to that content, as well as to ban blocking and throttling of lawful content and services. These rules also apply to mobile access.

    Hooray! An important victory for the good guys!

  11. This blustering is symptomatic of current politics. It’s all yip and yap, cause nobody’s going to let it swirl down the drain. But shout, roar, posture. That’s what’s demanded. Also, off topic, but same dynamic, all the lying, posturing and pawn shaking that’s going down on the global Risk/Monopoly board about Putin, Ukraine, god, name your geo-political region, is farcical because all the players belong to the same club. While this gaming produces real damage to the little people and their neighborhoods, these power players will probably let each other go on even if the Montagues would like to skewer Capulets or whatever the family names are. Of course Martin’s “Game of Thrones” families are all into evicseration of the other, and they can get away with it in the fictional world. On the other hand this analysis of the “real” world stage may be faulty because by all indicators reason has vanished into some fantasy netherworld inhabitated by predators and vampires.

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