[ClearCase_guy]

And we may be seeing the front end of an evolution

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[dontreadthis]

I was hoping for this. Circumstances can change opinions.

[Beowulf9]

I mean, at this point, what is it doing when it is up and running?

[4rcane]

I feel the gop party is misreading the polls. They see polls like majority believe gop is blamed for shutdown and they automatically view this as a negative. They should view it as a positive

[boycott]

Other than the military and a few other jobs, that can shut it down for good.

[fieldmarshaldj]

"and nearly knock off its popular Democratic senator."

Popular to whom ? Given that Gillespie overwhelmingly carried the bulk of the state and there's enough Dem chicanery in NoVA to alter the outcome, Warner could hardly be described as "popular."

[ifinnegan]

Pictures like the one below did more to stem the liberal tide than anything Prince Rebus or GOP-E did

How Obama reacted to the shut down really showed a lot of people just what the Dems are all about.

[Principled]

Interesting b/c there is a realization that Rs don't see a shutdown as bad for them.

But the author is a lib who continually blames the shutdown and the "broken" congress on Rs.

Cruz's strategy will work - straight up bills to fund components one at a time w/ nothing at all in them to object to. Fly thru the house w/ overwhelming votes and likely bipartisan, fly thru the senate w/ overwhelming votes and likely bipartisan... let 0bama veto that and see who gets blamed HA HA HA HA LOLOLOL !

[Mister Da]

IIRC, 87% of the EPA staff was deemed not essential in the last shutdown.

Pubs need to change the way the budget is passed. Pass individual spending bills for various functions of gov’t - EPA, Defense, IRS, Justice, etc., FREE of amendments & specific to the area being funded. For the first one, pick an area of government with bipartisan & public support - Parks & Recreation or the like. Leave the tough spending bills for last.

Then let Obama veto it, insisting on an omnibus spending bill.

Ignore him. Move on to the next bill & pass it. Again an Obama veto.

Soon a case can be made to the voters that Obama is obstructionist, refusing to pass bills for even popular programs. His popularity will plummet as his base sees him specifically veto their favorite programs.

OTOH, if Obama chooses to sign individual spending bills, then he will be left either signing tough spending reductions/restrictions in later bills such as funding for EPA, IRS, Justice, & all his favorite social programs, OR leave them UNFUNDED until such time that he is willing to climb off his high horse & compromise.

If the Pubs intend on repeating the usual budget process, with pork aplenty & chock full of cronyism & bad compromise, then Pubs are doomed in 2016 as they represent nothing different than the Rats, they keep on using the same failed tactics, they have no solutions & by their actions/inactions this country continues to rapidly decline.

Lead, follow, or get out of the way.