The Government Shutdown Countdown Lowdown MEGATHREAD

[grumbler]

Ok, not literally the Tea Party Caucus, but rather the caucus of all those Republicans that are currently opposing the bill.  I imagine that if they have the numbers to invoke the Hastert Rule, they also have the numbers to invoke the "GTFO, speaker" rule.

Boehner hasn't invoked the Hastert Rule, as far as I know.  If you have info to the contrary, I'd be glad to see it, though.

[Jacob]

At least one staunch Republican Obamacare sceptic has come around to the ACA: http://thinkprogress.org/health/2013/10/02/2721501/butch-matthews-obamacare-convert/

So what would Matthews tell other Americans who are skeptical about Obamacare? "I would tell them to learn more about it before they start talking bad about it," he noted. "Be more informed, get more information, take your time and study and not just go by just what you hear on one side or the other. Actually check the facts on it."

"I still am a very strong Republican, but this... I'm so happy that this came along," he continued.

[derspiess]

That's significant.

[Darth Wagtaros]

Wonder if his next of kin has been notified of an upcoming windfall yet.

[Jacob]

That's significant.

I know - the notion of actually looking at the numbers and figuring out how it will impact regular people and yourself rather than to just swallow the Cruz-Fox line must seem quite revolutionary to staunch Republicans who are more used to hearing it described as "the most insidious law known to man."

[citizen k]

Report: California Obamacare totals inflated
http://www.politico.com/story/2013/10/california-obamacare-97770.html

California's health insurance exchange reported — wrongly — that it had received 5 million hits on its website the first day of Obamacare. State officials said the real number was only about a tenth of that, or 645,000, the Los Angeles Times reported Wednesday.

[Jacob]

Half a million makes way more sense than 5 million on the first day for California, IMO.

[derspiess]

That's significant.

I know - the notion of actually looking at the numbers and figuring out how it will impact regular people and yourself rather than to just swallow the Cruz-Fox line must seem quite revolutionary to staunch Republicans who are more used to hearing it described as "the most insidious law known to man."

It's just one dude.  But if you want to count that as a huge victory, go ahead. 

[sbr]

I love that one side is responsible for shutting the thing down, then the other side is the bad guys because they won't let the ones who caused the shutdown to try and restart it on their own terms.

[Jacob]

It's just one dude.  But if you want to count that as a huge victory, go ahead.

I'm not counting it as a huge victory, just as a single data point

[Admiral Yi]

I love that one side is responsible for shutting the thing down, then the other side is the bad guys because they won't let the ones who caused the shutdown to try and restart it on their own terms.

I think this is a case of sympathies dictating conclusion.

The GOP has offered a CR on funding Interior and Veterans (and maybe NIH).  If closing those departments is a terrible thing, opening them is presumably a nice thing.

The reason Democrats refuse to sign off is because they need the House to authorize funds for Obamacare.  The only way they will get that is if not funding Obamacare has other negative repercussions, such as a government shut down.

The GOP did the Democrats a gigantic favor by linking Obamacare to the rest of government spending in the first place.

[sbr]

So they can offer bills to fund the parts of government they like (our at least don't hate) and ignore those they don't.  Why should they have that power?

[derspiess]

The constitution

[lustindarkness]

Is it starting? http://news.yahoo.com/possible-shots-u-capitol-puts-senators-lockdown-183943370.html

[merithyn]

The constitution

Apparently not.