Government shutdown: Harry Reid spearheads Democratic strategy (refuse to negotiate)

Politico ^ | Sept 29, 2013 | Manu Raju and Burgess Everett

[Innovative]

When the president considered sitting down with the four congressional leaders in the White House ahead of the deadline to avert a government shutdown, Reid privately urged Obama to call off the meeting, according to several people familiar with the situation. Reid believed that it would amount to nothing more than a photo-op that would give the false impression that a serious negotiation was occurring, even warning he wouldn’t attend such a session. Obama scrapped it.

As Washington barrels forward to the first government shutdown in 17 years on Tuesday, the wily Reid has taken the lead role in pushing a hardball Democratic legislative strategy that can be summed up like this: Make the Republicans cave.

[Innovative]

Republicans need to make sure to let everyone know that it's the Dems who refuse to negotiate and hold the Dems responsible for the government shutdown.

[Mastador1]

Republicans need to make sure to let everyone know that it’s the Dems who refuse to negotiate and hold the Dems responsible for the government shutdown.

It doesn’t matter who the Republicans tell the truth of the situation. The media continues support the demons and slander the Republicans and the sheeple follow the media line. All the libs I talk to spout the media talking points, it’s Cruz and the Republicans that won’t negotiate, The ACA isn’t costing people more money for insurance, no one is losing their jobs or insurance. I’m fed up with the media still covering Obama’s A$$ five years in.

[Artcore]

This POS should be hung!

[Artcore]

This POS should be hung!
_____________________________

Just in case the grammar Nazi’s come out...HANGED.

[Secret Agent Man]

they will try

but

democrats/libtards run the media

the lies will be spread

say it loud and long and guess what most will believe

[missnry]

The Republicans have to go after the true source of the problem! The media activists are the problem! Every Republican talking about this imminent shutdown on morning talk shows needs to tell the interviewer to "put down your Team Obama Pom Poms and start reporting the facts of this situation!!" We live in a Republic NOT A DICTATORSHIP! Any member of the House of Representatives that goes on live TV should NAIL the Obama ACTIVISTS to the wall for their misreporting who is shutting the government down! HARRY REID and the guy who is probably at the golf course! Go after the media like a pitbull on a porkchop!

[Tilted Irish Kilt]

Innovative :".. it's the Dems who refuse to negotiate and hold the Dems responsible for the government shutdown.

It will never happen !!
The OBAMA administration is wed to the press and media
Look at the INCESTUOUS relationship that the administration has had with the media and the press.
We've been had !!
They own the media! and what they haven't owned,.. they've co-opted or extorted into cooperation .
Joseph Goebbles (minister of propaganda)would be envious !!

[Kevin in California]

That there’s funny but who’s the face attached to ABC (Hume?) and Fox? (?)

[Fee]

GOP Tea Party stepped on this one. When one goes to war, one must survey the terrain before attacking. Terrain is this, the MSM will make sure the GOP gets blame for the gov shutdown. If the GOP just passed the CR without attachments, the US will shift attention to the devastating effects of Obamacare as it takes effect. This is call common sense combat. Why the Tea Party and Cruz make a banzai attack across open terrain while the Dems with the MSM lay a PR trap is beyond me?!!! Reid will make the GOP bleed in the PR kill zone extracting maximum damage before the GOP can extract themselves from the attack. Hopefully this does not cost the GOP the house in 2014. If that happens it is in the wilderness for 40 years as the Dems solidify power in the US.

[rockinqsranch]

The priority is “Damn the Torpedoes full speed ahead” Stop Obamacare. IOW to ‘H’ with blame. Git er done. Worry about the blame game later as they will keep blaming until they are knocked out of power no matter.

The House holds the purse strings of the Nation. They have to hold together. Tell Reid, and Co. to go suck lemons.

Lotsa FU’s to pass around.

[stars & stripes forever]

Conservatives should go all the way - a governmental trifecta: government shutdown, budget sequestration, and a balanced budget

[Piranha]

You couldn’t be more wrong. I don’t know whether you are in favor of or opposed to Obamacare. It always is easy to go along and it takes courage to act as Cruz and Lee did and oppose funding of Obamacare.

I believe that Cruz and Lee now have a reasonable chance of winning. Even if they lose they will be no worse off than they would have been if they had capitulated. This way, the continued existence if. Obamacare remains in play.

They are heroic.

[Kansas58]

You are a troll. A long time troll but still a troll.

[nathanbedford]

I detected a subtle change among the talking heads this Sunday as compared to last Sunday. In the discussion among the pundits one week ago there was derision directed toward the Republicans and it continued this week but less vehement, less cocksure than the previous week.

The problem for the left-wing pundits who dominate these shows is that they are increasingly maintaining an immoral position. They are defending a lie and they are applying a double standard. The immoral position is that the law, even though flawed and harmful to the country, will be maintained and, by implication, should be maintained. They are defending a lie which is that it is the Republicans who are trying to shut down the government when it is the Republicans who are trying to shut down Obamacare and keep the government open; and it is the Democrats who are willing to shut down government to keep Obamacare open. Every word out of their mouths had been to the Republicans are bent of shutting down the government, this week: not so clear. They are defending a double standard which is that arbitrary behavior, such as an unwillingness to negotiate and an unwillingness to compromise on the part of the Democrats is to be condoned while vigor in pursuing a defensible policy position by Republicans is unreasonable.

These inherent anomalies are becoming clear. I think the main reason is the bravura performance of Ted Cruz for 21 hours. He was articulate, he was persuasive, he was factually accurate, and he was none of the things which the left has mischaracterized him to be. The pundits were in the position of telling America, believe us never mind your own eyes. That does not work in the television age.

Further, the intransigence of the Democrats is becoming overbearing. Likewise, the exaggerations of the Democrats calling the Republicans arsonists, blackmailers, extortionists etc. is difficult to defend and it simply does not fit with the narrative.

These reactions are purely subjective and quite possibly the result of wishful thinking. But there are straws in the wind. Did I not accurately hear one of the anchors recite a poll in which the public would now blame the Republicans 39% and the Democrats 36% for a shutdown? If so, the gap is closing rapidly and as more Democrats jump ship, the climate might change entirely.

Please note that the Republicans are demonstrating a willingness to both negotiate and conciliate as they move from repeal to defund to delay. In the wake of this the Democrats are now telling the world they will not even negotiate with Republicans but with the terrorists of the world. Who is reasonable and who is not?

Sooner or later, if the Republicans can hold, the anomalies will become the elephant in the room. That is not to say that the Republicans will prevail merely that there are subjective signs that they are gaining ground.

[VerySadAmerican]

Obama tells the story that Reid summoned him to his office and he thought the was in trouble. Instead, Reid suggested he run for president. I’m convinced the “powers” tell Reid what to tell Obama.

[VerySadAmerican]

Pete Sessions from Texas nailed Don Limon. He called him a cheerleader for the democrats.

[OldArmy52]

If a shutdown happens, it is Obaba/Dems who shut it down.

Of course they and the One Party Press will lie about it.

BTW, Adolf Hitler was a psychopath who surrounded himself with the perverted and psychotic. Obaba is a ...... Two cents worth of difference. To Obaba, normal, decent, non-Islamic people are Jews.

[Fee]

I do not support Obamacare. It will create another entitlement for politicians to manipulate and pander with. Today poor will get subsidies provided by working and well off Americans. Sooner or later the illegal immigrants on their pathway to citizenship will demand for healthcare just like they demand for legal status. Politicians will cater to them for votes and expand the Obamacare system till it is no longer financially sustainable. Old trick politicians use to gain power but bankrupt the nation because voters think everything is free or someone else is paying for it.
Reid is a Las Vegas man and he is playing his hand of cards with odds figured in. He has the MSM card who will blame the GOP for causing a gov shutdown. Just look at TV and see how it is reported. He figures the odds that the GOP will come out damaged is greater then the Dems or Obama getting slammed. Just look at who is taking their time and who is sweating late hours to prevent a gov shutdown. Dem Senate is taking their time and the GOP is working the late hours. Who is acting like they are winning and who is stressed out trying to meet a deadline? I agree with Cruz and the Tea Party on many things, but this move is a bonehead one. I call it like I see it. To be successful in a conflict one must be brave, smart and lucky.

[Fee]

You remember me, my favorite free traitor. If you can call me names so can I.

[Cheerio]

For the RAT party a Gov shutdown is a must. They need it to bludgeon the Pubbies over the head in 2014 election. So the GOP is "falling into their trap".

I SUPPORT THE GOP IN TAKING A HARD STAND - FIGHT NOW OR FOREVER GO THE WAY OF THE WHIGS. I don't want to hear one more word about how we have to take back the Senate in 2014, and THEN we can defund Obamacare - what rubbish. IT IS NOW OR NEVER. Obamacare will have grown sturdy tentacles into the culture by Jan 2015 when the new Senate is seated.
The GOP is going to be blamed even when it is not them that is shutting it down.
So for goodness sake stop whining about "Oh we are going to be blamed for the shutdown". Accept the blame and start to fight - putting on the gloves just may endure you to a lot of us that have given up on the GOP as a viable political party.