The Other McCain

"One should either write ruthlessly what one believes to be the truth, or else shut up." — Arthur Koestler

‘Retreating Into Masada Would Not Save The GOP Zealots From The Legion,’ Spake Senator Harry ‘Biggus Dickus’ Reid

Posted on | October 4, 2013 | 82 Comments

by Smitty

Congresswoman Michele Bachmann remains inspirational:

According to Bachmann, the general agreement among Republicans is that the resistance to President Obama’s agenda surrounding the shutdown has now expanded beyond Obamacare, thanks to Obama’s intransigence. “This is a lot bigger than Obamacare,” Bachmann said. “This is about whether this country is going to succumb to socialism and this dictatorship of a White House. It began with this WWII memorial pushback. It continues with the National Park Service’s attempt to shut down Pisgah Inn in North Carolina. We’re going to push back.”

As always, the lady from Minnesota speaks great truth. With the support of the Tea Party (and who knows? Maybe some of the GOP Pharisees in the Senate who come over to the cause), we can make this the turning point to restoring limited government to the country. Or at least not end up like the Zealots:

Lighter colored wedge on the right side of the image is where Peter O’Toole (played by Lucius Flavius Silva in the historical account) and the lads built the Ramp of Doom.

Comments

82 Responses to “‘Retreating Into Masada Would Not Save The GOP Zealots From The Legion,’ Spake Senator Harry ‘Biggus Dickus’ Reid”

  1. K-Bob
    October 5th, 2013 @ 5:44 am

    Also have a look at this article at Doug Ross’ site. They are even starting to scare Democrat law professors.

    If barack tries this, protests will seem a mere quaint anachronism within a dangerously short time.

    These power-besotted control freaks in the Administration are waving a torch around a perilously short fuse.

  2. K-Bob
    October 5th, 2013 @ 5:53 am

    Letting SCOAMFcare take hold is like “curing” a foot infection by letting it destroy the patient’s entire leg.

  3. Rosalie
    October 5th, 2013 @ 8:09 am

    In other words, we keep on giving into them. We have the RINOS for that purpose. And that’s the only thing they do well. In the meantime, our country is being taken over by RINOS and jackasses.

  4. Rosalie
    October 5th, 2013 @ 8:11 am

    I think it would be nice to “achieve” that there really are two parties in Congress and one is working for us.

  5. Quartermaster
    October 5th, 2013 @ 8:59 am

    Pisgah Inn has closed.

  6. Quartermaster
    October 5th, 2013 @ 9:01 am

    It’s possible. The question I have, then, is why now? You would think the people with means would have been knocking on his door far earlier. His district is not in Ohio Coal Country, but, given the make up of the Ohio GOP (a very strong bunch of establishment shills that have drug the GOP through the mud with Bob Taft) one would think the Coal Barons would have been pounding on his door, not just politely knocking.

  7. smitty
    October 5th, 2013 @ 9:04 am

    There will be an end. Either the Senate or House will blink. Odds, sadly, are on the House, but nothing’s certain.

  8. Quartermaster
    October 5th, 2013 @ 9:06 am

    The highlighted text is not a link.

  9. Quartermaster
    October 5th, 2013 @ 9:09 am

    I’d say more like killing the patient, but we’re on the same side of this and won’t quibble.

  10. smitty_one_each
    October 5th, 2013 @ 9:09 am

    “Splitter!” — Unix-Jedi http://t.co/q1uJtM14xT

  11. smitty_one_each
    October 5th, 2013 @ 9:09 am

    “I think I just “got” Boehner’s strategy today and actually, it might be quite brilliant. Ok, so the…” — crosspatch http://t.co/TvFKg8XUle

  12. smitty
    October 5th, 2013 @ 9:10 am

    “The lead stories every night would be about the failed launch of ObamaCare if we hadn’t given them this distraction.”

    No way the codpiece media would ever report ObamaCare honestly.

  13. unknown jane
    October 5th, 2013 @ 9:18 am

    I don’t think you are realizing that the vast majority of people are not inclined towards either side — having become disgusted with antics. It could go any way (the causes are varied, the outcomes are not set in stone — be careful what you wish for, as the old chestnut goes).

    You’re talking about a situation that could topple the rule of law and cause blood — that’s never a situation where the outcome is known, and isn’t something to therefore be blase about.

  14. Unix-Jedi
    October 5th, 2013 @ 9:44 am

    No, Boehner most certainly did not devise such a brilliant strategy,

    Correct. It was accidental, and confluence of a number of things.

    There was no need for a shutdown for ObamaCare to crash and burn.

    Nope. In fact, had Obama blinked and pushed it back a year when this first started, there wouldn’t have been a “Crash and Burn”.

    all we are doing is giving Obama more excuses to blame us. They aren’t true, of course, but what does the man EVER say that is true?

    And here you really go off the rails.

    Obamacare failing was always going to be blamed on the “Republicans/Tea Baggers”, if for nothing else the tricks played to get it passed with 0 Republican votes.

    You’re falling into the McCain trap. (John). “Ooh, the press will blame us and say mean things, we’d better cave.”

    No. This was a bad place to take a stand, and it was forced by Cruz and the Tea Partiers, to be true.

    But so was Obama’s Sequester – and that’s working out well. (Note that Obama is taking credit for “Cutting the deficit” and at the same time demanding a debt-ceiling hike. Is the press calling him out on that? Nope. Is the press presenting anything fairly?

    No. And you understand that, and admit it, and then say “So, presuming the press treat’s us fairly, this is the best course of action….”

    No. The best course of action is a principled stand. It’s hurting a lot of Republicans to stick to a stand – but it’s far better in the long run.

    Boehner is just looking for a reasonable way out, which is more than Cruz or Lee every gave a thought to.

    There is no “reasonable way out”. Not until the other political party is willing to negotiate in good faith.

    Boehner MIGHT be starting to figure out that the Democrats keep playing him for a fool. Jury’s still out on that one.

  15. Rosalie
    October 5th, 2013 @ 9:47 am

    What surprises me is that you don’t say one bad thing about the Democrats and how they are conducting themselves throughout this shutdown. Reid is acting like a pompous ass (so what’s new?) and O is acting like Chavez. Yet, you criticize Cruz and Lee.

  16. Unix-Jedi
    October 5th, 2013 @ 9:51 am

    Someone observed to me…

    If the static park websites are down due to “Shutdown” funding being offline – even the ones subbed out to private companies….

    How is the Obamacare website still alive, much less temporarily down for maintenance today?

    Shouldn’t it be rather unmaintained right now?

  17. crosspatch
    October 5th, 2013 @ 10:26 am

    Waiting until now, rather than doing this last year was smart. It takes away the Democrats’ argument of “if they had only allowed it to become effective, it would have worked and the people would have liked it”. It has now become effective, the people are getting a look at it, and they DON’T like it. The pressure is now going to start to build from rank and file Democrat voters to dump Obamacare and the Republicans are going to start to feel more like their allies in this than their adversaries.

  18. keyboard jockey
    October 5th, 2013 @ 10:31 am

    I question the timing too but look the DNC is in the red something like 18 million and the RNC is flush 12 million at this stage – going into the 2014 mid terms. The democrat brand has taken multiple hit’s no matter what the man behind the media current keeps reporting. Obama got something like 10 million less votes in 2012.

    Not only didn’t the democrat’s take back the house in 2012, I think the republican’s added a couple seats but I would have to look that up.

    Perhaps when Romney lost because those 4 million registered republicans didn’t show up to vote, the RNC and their donors finally reassessed their moderates out front approach? Hope springs eternal.

  19. richard mcenroe
    October 5th, 2013 @ 10:36 am

    He’s too busy trying to pull the mammoth out of the tar pit…

  20. richard mcenroe
    October 5th, 2013 @ 10:40 am

    What we need to point out is that if the gummint can shut down the parks it can shut down your healthcare. Ask any VA patient.

  21. Unix-Jedi
    October 5th, 2013 @ 10:53 am

    The pressure is now going to start to build from rank and file Democrat voters to dump Obamacare

    Sadly, no. The rank and file will defend it regardless of sense.

    The D’s understand. Never conceed. Never agree. Attack, Attack, Attack.

    Rank and File have imbibed Alinsky from birth, essentially, and the Republicans have been very slow to understand that.

  22. Unix-Jedi
    October 5th, 2013 @ 10:53 am

    Hah. Also a excellent point.

  23. Unix-Jedi
    October 5th, 2013 @ 11:02 am

    So, Democrats had a “spine” (aka tantrum) and get articles like this:

    http://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/marc-thiessen-the-seinfeld-shutdown/2013/10/04/b600d434-2cf2-11e3-97a3-ff2758228523_story.html

    And typically, the Republican sorts will get along to get along, because we don’t want people being MEAN to us.

    But that was before Barry:

    http://www.breitbart.com/Big-Government/2013/10/05/Feds-Try-to-Close-the-OCEAN-Because-of-Shutdown

    I think his petulance is going to be the deciding factor.

    Call your congresscritter. Tell them to stick to it until the people running the government decide to act like they work for us.

  24. crosspatch
    October 5th, 2013 @ 12:38 pm

    Here is an example. Trader Joe’s around here tends to be seen as a very “progressive” outfit to work for. They have basically ended health benefits for their part time employees. This has the employees angry but it is actually what they voted for (elections have consequences). While Trader Joe’s *is* trying to ease the pain of these people having to go onto Obamacare, it is painful nevertheless and “pain” is not what these people were expecting. They were expecting lollypops and patchouli scented unicorn poop. This is starting to turn many people who would normally support the Democrats into the “hey, wait a minute, maybe we shouldn’t be so hasty” crowd. It is increasing skepticism among many people who call themselves “progressive” once they see the actual cost of their so-called “progress”. Many aren’t really all that “progressive” anyway, they just go through the motions to impress their trendy friends.

    http://madamenoire.com/307793/responding-upset-workers-trader-joes-tells-part-timers-apply-obamacare-subsidy/ (note, video plays shortly after landing)

    This an example web page visited by people who are deep in the center of the Democratic demographic. They are becoming “concerned” now that they are being forced into Obamacare and it is the Republicans who are in a role right now of potentially rescuing them from their plight.

  25. Adjoran
    October 5th, 2013 @ 3:19 pm

    I wish you would stop putting words in my mouth and lying about my positions. If you can’t answer my question, it’s okay.

  26. Adjoran
    October 5th, 2013 @ 3:19 pm

    I wish you would stop putting words in my mouth and lying about my positions. If you can’t answer my question, it’s okay.

  27. Adjoran
    October 5th, 2013 @ 3:19 pm

    Just answer the question, if you can.
    It’s okay to say “I don’t know.”

  28. Adjoran
    October 5th, 2013 @ 3:19 pm

    Just answer the question, if you can.
    It’s okay to say “I don’t know.”

  29. Rosalie
    October 5th, 2013 @ 7:07 pm

    How am I “lying” about your positions? You do not say one bad word about the Democrats and like so many others, supposedly, on our side, blame Cruz and Lee. I don’t know as much as you do about politics, but at least our side is doing something and trying to do things fairly. You make it seem as though it was just Cruz and Lee, and only those two, who voted for the shutdown.

  30. Eric Ashley
    October 6th, 2013 @ 2:07 am

    You seem to be a RINO Adjoran. Intelligent, and occasionally you say useful things, but the necessity of saying ‘no’ every chance we get you don’t seem to get.

    As to the plan, the longer the shutdown goes on, 1) the more people realize they don’t need the gov’t. 2.) the more panicky the various money sucking factions and groups inside (pacs and think tanks and such) get inside the Dem party structure….and they start pressuring for a deal. 3) The gov’t shutdown is good in and of itself.

    As to Boehner below, he’s a RINO. Of course, he does not want to fight.

    And this brings us to 4) This toughens up the R Party, and elevates fighters to power instead of our current crop of poseurs.

  31. Mike Rogers
    October 6th, 2013 @ 10:27 am

    closing roads and even roadside pullouts where scenic photos could be taken.
    Kicking elderly couples out of their homes which were legally built on federal land. (Why did the homeowners not defend their property?)

    Will they dare to evict farmers and herds from legal grazing areas? Will the farmers shoot?
    I actually think they are pushing and pushing to see when the first shot will be fired so they can clamp down.

  32. unknown jane
    October 6th, 2013 @ 4:05 pm

    Right at the moment I’m not sure either side is acting in a truly responsible or sane manner.

    I don’t think I’m alone in this notion either.

    Nor do I believe that civil unrest would be something I’d treat in a blase fashion (I’ve seen civil unrest in other countries — plus my family has been here a long time and tend to live well into their nineties, so I’ve had some rather direct access to how bad the break down of law and order can effect people; I don’t wish it on anyone).

    Personally, I can’t for the life of me understand why the healthcare bill was brought up in this budget bill (yes, I realize the right is against it — but it’s a soup sandwich, not many people are truly happy with it on both sides of the political spectrum, let it go while pointing out what a mess it really is, and then bring it up as a platform, along with a better idea — this would really, really be nice, health care is a big issue, it would be nice if a not soup sandwich idea got introduced — come election time if you want to get rid of it; bringing it up just gave your opposition a lot of cover by way of deflection). It isn’t doing much of anything else if you ask me.