Octopus Overlords

em2nought wrote: ↑Fri Jan 04, 2019 4:51 pm If republicans were pouring into the country your representatives would build a wall so fast you'd think that they had actually worked for a living at some time in their lives.

You've said lots of insanely stupid shit here, but that comment might just take the cake.

Skinypupy wrote: ↑Fri Jan 04, 2019 4:53 pm

em2nought wrote: ↑Fri Jan 04, 2019 4:51 pm If republicans were pouring into the country your representatives would build a wall so fast you'd think that they had actually worked for a living at some time in their lives.

You've said lots of insanely stupid shit here, but that comment might just take the cake.

He is either a) a troll, b) a racist, c) dishonest, or d) all of the above.

Max Peck wrote: ↑Fri Jan 04, 2019 4:49 pm Prior to the current administration, how many times was the government shut down when a single party controlled the House, the Senate and the White House? When you control everything and still can't pass a budget, I'd say that's a remarkable turn of events.

That was the situation for the original shutdown under Carter! When you have all the power, it's harder to compromise (imo) because you have no one to blame for the concessions.

I did a little more hunting and found an old WP article that details each of the prior shutdowns (as of 2013) under the budgetary rules. Apparently there were a total of 5 shutdowns during the Carter administration.

Hundreds of TSA agents calling in sick. A little surprised it took this long, tbh.

Hundreds of Transportation Security Administration officers, who are required to work without paychecks through the partial government shutdown, have called out from work this week from at least four major airports, according to two senior agency officials and three TSA employee union officials.

Call outs have increased by 200%-300% at Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport, where typically 25 to 30 TSA employees call out from an average shift according to a local TSA official familiar with the situation.

Union officials stress that the absences are not part of an organized action, but believe the number of people calling out will likely increase.

"This problem of call outs is really going to explode over the next week or two when employees miss their first paycheck," a union official at Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport told CNN. "TSA officers are telling the union they will find another way to make money. That means calling out to work other jobs."

Since in practical terms they are mostly useless, I'm not particularly concerned about actual threats. However, it will bring security checks at airports to a screeching halt and create major bottlenecks when people start missing their flights due to being stuck in security line.

This just in: I'm being told that if you take people who largely live paycheck to paycheck, withhold their paycheck and tell them to show up to work anyway, many will decline your offer.

Trump insists that he can call a national emergency to build the Wall.



Urge to Godwin rising...

How many times has Trump employed the 'I can do X. I haven't done X. I may do X. But I can do X' series of lines?

I just read the other day about the absolutely terrifying list of things Trump can do just by declaring a national emergency. Him starting to discover those powers is not an especially good thing.

So supposedly the goal of the shutdown for Republicans is to increase border security by building a wall, and in order to do that, they're fine with not paying TSA workers who will then call in sick to work other jobs, which will decrease border security.

Maybe they're trying to increase security with our border with Mexico by making it look more secure by decreasing security everywhere else?

Hell, border security agents on the border he says it's an emergency to protect are working without pay right now

El Guapo wrote: ↑Fri Jan 04, 2019 6:56 pm I just read the other day about the absolutely terrifying list of things Trump can do just by declaring a national emergency. Him starting to discover those powers is not an especially good thing.

Was it this article in The Atlantic?

Definitely concerning.

Skinypupy wrote: ↑Fri Jan 04, 2019 4:53 pm

em2nought wrote: ↑Fri Jan 04, 2019 4:51 pm If republicans were pouring into the country your representatives would build a wall so fast you'd think that they had actually worked for a living at some time in their lives.

You've said lots of insanely stupid shit here, but that comment might just take the cake.

Funny thing is that if the republicans weren't so racist, I'd bet a LOT of hispanics would be far more inclined to vote GOP, so yeah, very false.

Pyperkub wrote: ↑Fri Jan 04, 2019 8:27 pm

Skinypupy wrote: ↑Fri Jan 04, 2019 4:53 pm

em2nought wrote: ↑Fri Jan 04, 2019 4:51 pm If republicans were pouring into the country your representatives would build a wall so fast you'd think that they had actually worked for a living at some time in their lives.

You've said lots of insanely stupid shit here, but that comment might just take the cake.

Funny thing is that if the republicans weren't so racist, I'd bet a LOT of hispanics would be far more inclined to vote GOP, so yeah, very false.

I would agree with this. Fundamentally hispanics fall into the conservative camp, but the GOP is so anti-immigrant that they get pushed towards the Democrats.

Holman wrote: ↑Fri Jan 04, 2019 8:13 pm

El Guapo wrote: ↑Fri Jan 04, 2019 6:56 pm I just read the other day about the absolutely terrifying list of things Trump can do just by declaring a national emergency. Him starting to discover those powers is not an especially good thing.

Was it this article in The Atlantic?

Definitely concerning.

Thanks for the link...I guess. I was in danger of running out of anxiety.

Lol.

Defiant wrote: ↑Fri Jan 04, 2019 7:07 pm So supposedly the goal of the shutdown for Republicans is to increase border security by building a wall, and in order to do that, they're fine with not paying TSA workers who will then call in sick to work other jobs, which will decrease border security.

The TSA largely inconveniences and harasses Americans, not Mexicans/other rapists/criminals. All this means is a bit longer wait in line to be poked and prodded by disguntledinimum wage workers. We are no less safe than when 20-30% more of them are on the job.

LawBeefaroni wrote:

Defiant wrote: ↑Fri Jan 04, 2019 7:07 pm So supposedly the goal of the shutdown for Republicans is to increase border security by building a wall, and in order to do that, they're fine with not paying TSA workers who will then call in sick to work other jobs, which will decrease border security.

The TSA largely inconveniences and harasses Americans, not Mexicans/other rapists/criminals. All this means is a bit longer wait in line to be poked and prodded by disguntledinimum wage workers. We are no less safe than when 20-30% more of them are on the job.

Well, sure. We know that, just as we know 'The Wall' won't stop illegal immigration. But Trump can't admit that.

Octavious wrote: ↑Fri Jan 04, 2019 2:45 pm Pretty much any hardline repub I know is just a sack of shit who seems to get joy out of others suffering. I really don't have a positive outlook on this country at all anymore. There's just too many shitty people in the world. I just need to try and keep my little piece of the bubble slightly happy. I mean the biggest outrage of what Obama did was give people healthcare. What a freaking monster.

That's why if I had a magic wand to wave I'd be in favor of breaking up into two countries. How do you share a government when viewpoints are so divergent? How do you compromise when one side doesn't think facts and reality are important?

How much does the TSA charge you to pat you down? They've started charging me more.


Im sorry..I dont even travel. Its a joke. I had a single momentary stupid thought in the middle of my sadness and lostness and had to post it. Carry on.

The economic costs of the government shutdown may already exceed the $5 billion President Donald Trump is demanding for a border wall, according to some analysts’ estimates.

link

Pyperkub wrote: ↑Fri Jan 04, 2019 8:27 pm Funny thing is that if the republicans weren't so racist, I'd bet a LOT of hispanics would be far more inclined to vote GOP

There it is: the talking point from the democrats (party of slavery, the KKK, and Jim Crow). Oh, and this guy.

You are so ridiculous. Everyone knows the parties did an inversion around integration and Civil Rights legislation. If that wasn't true, the Republicans wouldn't have a stranglehold over the part of the country that used to own slaves.

gbasden wrote: ↑Sat Jan 05, 2019 1:07 pm You are so ridiculous. Everyone knows the parties did an inversion around integration and Civil Rights legislation. If that wasn't true, the Republicans wouldn't have a stranglehold over the part of the country that used to own slaves.

You won't be able to stop him from using Fox News/Dinesh D'Souza talking points.

pr0ner wrote: ↑Sat Jan 05, 2019 1:39 pm

gbasden wrote: ↑Sat Jan 05, 2019 1:07 pm You are so ridiculous. Everyone knows the parties did an inversion around integration and Civil Rights legislation. If that wasn't true, the Republicans wouldn't have a stranglehold over the part of the country that used to own slaves.

You won't be able to stop him from using Fox News/Dinesh D'Souza talking points.

Disable his fox tv and internet and make sure he gets his info from real sources first? Make his briefings like a fox and friends Morning show.

em2nought wrote: ↑Sat Jan 05, 2019 10:51 am

Pyperkub wrote: ↑Fri Jan 04, 2019 8:27 pm Funny thing is that if the republicans weren't so racist, I'd bet a LOT of hispanics would be far more inclined to vote GOP

There it is: the talking point from the democrats (party of slavery, the KKK, and Jim Crow). Oh, and this guy.

And yet, it is the the white nationalists that are effusive in their support of Trump. How do you explain that? Why aren't they supporting the Democrats?

Heck, even Louis Farrakhan is effusive in his support of Trump.

It is comical how poorly educated modern “conservatives” are. Certainly Southern Democrats in the Civil War were the party of slavery. OF COURSE THEY WERE.

Which party courted those Southern Democrats and replaced most of their membership with them? Literally everyone knows this. Including the troll that posted the opposite of that here.

There isn’t a single living member of the GOP that actually believes that this is the Party of Lincoln, Teddy Roosevelt or even Dwight Eisenhower. This is the Party of Jefferson Davis, and they all know it down the core of their Confederate flag loving hearts.

Their just ashamed to admit it.

RunningMn9 wrote: ↑Sun Jan 06, 2019 12:17 pm It is comical how poorly educated modern “conservatives” are.

It's the logical end result of a steady diet of Fox News and Infowars.

Skinypupy wrote: ↑Sun Jan 06, 2019 12:45 pm

RunningMn9 wrote: ↑Sun Jan 06, 2019 12:17 pm It is comical how poorly educated modern “conservatives” are.

It's the logical end result of a steady diet of Fox News and Infowars.

There's some real irony in D'Souza's last movie title.

I was talking with a family member who works for Social Security. Apparently another messed up part of this shutdown is about to come up this week...

The payroll for Social Security is processed by employees at the Department of the Interior, currently under shutdown. The DoI payroll employees have been told they are essential and have to show up to work in order to cut payroll checks for other departments including Social Security. Apparently, there is some concern that the payroll people won't appreciate the irony of having to show up without pay to pay other federal employees. No one is certain what will happen, but many of employees at the Social Security office are currently making plans on how to live without getting paid this Friday. I'm curious how many other agencies also receive their payroll through DoI but can't find anything in detail.

I get paid via the National Finance Center. It's part of Agriculture, and it handles a ton of federal payroll processing. Looks like most of their employees appear to be furloughed, but they're keeping enough around to pay people who actually have appropriations to work right now.

From reading/watching over the last day or so it seems clear that the 'center' of Congress agrees that opening the view up to border security with 'wall' in some places, 'structures', and technology is the preferred solution. What is also clear is that the President is the biggest obstacle. I saw people from both sides seemingly embracing this with Rep. Tom Reed (R-NY) saying he thinks the President will sign something along those lines. Yeah right. Up until some talk show host criticizes him for buying into the watered down plan or whatever nonsense they throw out.

That said, Pelosi's weekend plan is pretty ingenious. She is going to break out individual agencies from the Republican CR and pass them one by one. The aforementioned Tom Reed was asked about whether he'd vote for these bills on Morning Joe and squirmed around quite a bit. He had a relatively weak response about it being 'purely politics'. It left me thinking 'No kidding, do you think'?!? He kept going on about this way all about playing to the extremists on both sides. Sorry buddy, the biggest extremist is your President. Congress has little to do with that. In the end, it was a pretty uncomfortable segment because they really had him in the cross hairs there. In the end, he slithered away without answering the question.

Didn't Pelosi already pass bills to keep everything but DHS open through the end of the FY, and DHS through Feb. 8? Is she now going to introduce more bills to hit all the closed agencies individually?

pr0ner wrote: ↑Mon Jan 07, 2019 9:18 am Didn't Pelosi already pass bills to keep everything but DHS open through the end of the FY, and DHS through Feb. 8? Is she now going to introduce more bills to hit all the closed agencies individually?

That was one of their offers to the WH. They didn't actually pass that I believe. Instead, the plan as laid out would break out the last Republican house passed CR by agency and pass them one by one. They'd just leave out DHS - which had 'the wall' funding.

malchior wrote: ↑Mon Jan 07, 2019 9:21 am

pr0ner wrote: ↑Mon Jan 07, 2019 9:18 am Didn't Pelosi already pass bills to keep everything but DHS open through the end of the FY, and DHS through Feb. 8? Is she now going to introduce more bills to hit all the closed agencies individually?

That was one of their offers to the WH. They didn't actually pass that I believe. Instead, the plan as laid out would break out the last Republican house passed CR by agency and pass them one by one. They'd just leave out DHS - which had 'the wall' funding.

Well, HR 21, which would keep all the other agencies open through the FY, and HJ Res 1, which deals with DHS through Feb. 8, passed the House on the 3rd and are sitting in the Senate to die. I'm not sure what else you're talking about that Pelosi wants to do right now.

I'm sure once the media starts hammering President Bonespurs on his Syria/Turkey/ISIS flip-flop via Bolton, he's going to double down on the only thing he has left - the border wall.

pr0ner wrote: ↑Mon Jan 07, 2019 9:25 am

malchior wrote: ↑Mon Jan 07, 2019 9:21 am

pr0ner wrote: ↑Mon Jan 07, 2019 9:18 am Didn't Pelosi already pass bills to keep everything but DHS open through the end of the FY, and DHS through Feb. 8? Is she now going to introduce more bills to hit all the closed agencies individually?

That was one of their offers to the WH. They didn't actually pass that I believe. Instead, the plan as laid out would break out the last Republican house passed CR by agency and pass them one by one. They'd just leave out DHS - which had 'the wall' funding.

Well, HR 21, which would keep all the other agencies open through the FY, and HJ Res 1, which deals with DHS through Feb. 8, passed the House on the 3rd and are sitting in the Senate to die. I'm not sure what else you're talking about that Pelosi wants to do right now.

Ok so they did pass it. Wasn't sure. She announced this new plan over the weekend. I'm looking for a story but it was all over the news this morning. I assure the Republican representative got very cranky and couldn't stand on firm ground either way about it. That probably means the GOP think tanks haven't figured out a good response strategy yet.

Edit: Found a Washington Times piece about it.

Smoove_B wrote:I'm sure once the media starts hammering President Bonespurs on his Syria/Turkey/ISIS flip-flop via Bolton, he's going to double down on the only thing he has left - the border wall.

Well when The Toddler said he was pulling troops out "now" he obviously meant when ISIS is completely destroyed. When he said ISIS has been defeated he meant...oh fuck it I can't even come up with some good satire to keep up with this dimwit's thought processes.