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Capitol a ghost town as reality of government shutdown sets in
NBC Politics ^ | October 2, 2013 | Kasie Hunt

Posted on 10/02/2013 3:21:43 AM PDT by Biggirl

In shutting down the government, members of Congress have turned their own U.S. Capitol complex into a ghost town running on a skeleton crew. There aren't any tourists milling through the Capitol rotunda. Fewer police officers are working, so many entrances are closed. Up to two-thirds of each office's staff is at home, forced to shut off their BlackBerries. And many of the usual comforts of a lawmaker's day job have vanished.

(Excerpt) Read more at nbcpolitics.nbcnews.com ...


TOPICS: Government; News/Current Events; US: District of Columbia
KEYWORDS: capitol; govtshutdown; shutdown; washington; washingtondc
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To: Biggirl

The likelihood though is that the Boehner supporters in the House will soon cave. If they would sit tight, people might (they probably are too dense, however) see that the shutdown affects very little. Not too many visit national parks in October. I feel sure though that Republican congressmen from Obama states will be the first to cave.


21 posted on 10/02/2013 4:24:39 AM PDT by Theodore R. (The grand pooh-bahs have spoken: "It's Jebbie's turn!")
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To: silverleaf

Tough cookies.

First, you should not be paid for time you are not working, period. If you later receive pay for that time, it was in fact a paid vacation.

Second, if you are a highly paid Federal contractor, you should not expect much sympathy on this site. Some might even suggest that you are part of the problem.


22 posted on 10/02/2013 4:34:12 AM PDT by dinodino
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To: dinodino

others recognize that your personal well being, safety and national security reside in the expertise and competence of certain highly paid federal employees who are performing duties 24/7 under powers enumerated by the US Constitution

sleep well, cookie


23 posted on 10/02/2013 4:37:44 AM PDT by silverleaf (Going to war without the French is like going hunting without an accordion.)
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To: Biggirl

Interpretation: For once in a Blue Moon, there is room to walk/drive/breathe in the area.


24 posted on 10/02/2013 4:42:18 AM PDT by trebb (Where in the the hell has my country gone?)
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To: silverleaf

If you are active duty military, i agree with you. If you are a civilian chair-warmer at DoD, not so much.


25 posted on 10/02/2013 4:43:01 AM PDT by dinodino
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To: silverleaf
I don’t wish misfortune on anyone.

The wealthiest counties in America surround Wash DC, with governmental salaries and benefits roughly twice that of normal America.

They reliably vote rat.

Federal employees will not find much sympathy in fly-over and fly-around America, where towns and societies are dying under the boot your employer.

26 posted on 10/02/2013 4:43:41 AM PDT by Jacquerie (An Article V amendment convention of the states is our only hope.)
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To: luvbach1

Nope, I’m a contractor. LWOP for me.


27 posted on 10/02/2013 4:44:33 AM PDT by COBOL2Java (I'm a Christian, pro-life, pro-gun, Reaganite. The GOP hates me. Why should I vote for them?)
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To: Jacquerie

Oops. “dying under the boot of your employer.”


28 posted on 10/02/2013 4:45:07 AM PDT by Jacquerie (An Article V amendment convention of the states is our only hope.)
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To: silverleaf

My personal well-being and safety resides in me. Our national security resides in me and millions of other Americans who will put our second amendment rights into use when needed.


29 posted on 10/02/2013 4:46:59 AM PDT by EricT. (Freedom is slavery. Ignorance is strength. Big brother is watching you.)
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To: Biggirl

good. “forced to shut off their blackberries”—such drama!


30 posted on 10/02/2013 4:47:56 AM PDT by yldstrk (My heroes have always been cowboys)
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To: Biggirl

Finally, they found a way to slash costs and begin fiscal responsibility...close ‘em all down.


31 posted on 10/02/2013 4:48:29 AM PDT by Netz
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To: dinodino

If you are or were military, you know “chair warmers” who make it possible for you to do your job every single day and you recognize that DoD civilians and military are a team

For many years the nation has been content to keep the size of our all-volunteer armed forces at a level not requiring a draft by using DoD civilians and contractors to carry out many defense-related activities.

Remember that the brave men who took up arms to try to save the US ambassador in Benghazi and died there, were “contractors”... not that anyone cared to deride them as chair warmers

Now, the chairwarmer at the White House? Not so much part of the team


32 posted on 10/02/2013 4:56:21 AM PDT by silverleaf (Going to war without the French is like going hunting without an accordion.)
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To: silverleaf

The brave folks in Benghazi were not warming chairs in D.C. You insult their names by comparing them to the fat in Washington.


33 posted on 10/02/2013 4:59:54 AM PDT by dinodino
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To: Biggirl

Go home.
Your job isn't that important.


34 posted on 10/02/2013 5:04:42 AM PDT by Delta 21 (Oh Crap !! Did I say that out loud ??!??)
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To: dinodino

they were contractors (you called DoD civilians “chair warmers”)- oh, just the ones in DC?? Like at Langley? Pentagon? Meade?

you sir dishonor them and every other DoD employee and asset by gloating over unpaid furloughs

Some “chair warmers” were working at the Navy Yard when it was attacked and ran to their cars to get their personal weapons. When 9-11 attacked the Pentagon chair warmers and active military alike dragged burned bleeding bodies out of the wreckage and went back looking for more, and all mourned the dead. No one sorted out who was wearing a uniform or a suit. The MILITARY includes our civilians, we take care of each other and we all do what has to get done

If I have to explain this, you haven’t been there

Now, I refuse to engage further in battle of wits with an unarmed enemy


35 posted on 10/02/2013 5:15:57 AM PDT by silverleaf (Going to war without the French is like going hunting without an accordion.)
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To: silverleaf

Again, if you receive “back pay” for the time you were furloughed, then you got a paid vacation at the expense of us taxpayers. Have a great day leeching off the productive segment of society.


36 posted on 10/02/2013 5:18:00 AM PDT by dinodino
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To: silverleaf
Some people have an over-inflated idea of their own importance in the grand scheme of things.

The government needs to stay shut down.

/johnny

37 posted on 10/02/2013 5:32:26 AM PDT by JRandomFreeper (Gone Galt)
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To: dinodino

@dinodino. You clearly have no understanding of how the modern military is trained, equipped, deployed and sustained. Therefore, you lack credibility.

TC


38 posted on 10/02/2013 5:42:20 AM PDT by Pentagon Leatherneck
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To: dinodino

There is no indication that DoD civilians currently out of work due to the shutdown furlough will be paid for the time lost beginning yesterday. In fact, they were ordered to work yesterday morning to accomplish an orderly shutdown, but further ordered not to record their time for October 1. They may be paid later for October 1, but that is not certain.

Thus far, DoD civilians have not been paid for the 6 days of administrative furlough that took place this summer as a result of the sequester.

I am all for the active duty military being paid, because of the potential for them to be placed in harm’s way - even if they are not currently and may never have been in harm’s way - as well as because of the personal autonomy they forfeit in order to serve. But it is a fact that many active duty military are currently assigned to sit right next to civilian “chair warmers.” And many of those military members are rather concerned this morning about what they do not know and what is not going to get done, likely for many days to come. And if those civilians do come back, they will be expected to catch up on the backlog of work via night and weekend work that they do not record.

Given the perverse nature of the current Senate, which thinks it has a political winner on its hands, this furlough may continue for a while.


39 posted on 10/02/2013 6:43:48 AM PDT by Belle22
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To: dinodino

You sounds like the basic leftist POS! The folks you deride help our military men and women everyday. Most of them are retired military and conservative - far from being a “leech” as you say. You need to redirect that venom to the scum who support King Obama.


40 posted on 10/02/2013 6:44:47 AM PDT by ohioman
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