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[MetalSlimeHunt]

As per usual, both sides are not mirrors of one another. The Democrats have little choice but to play hardball when the Republicans only engage in "bipartisanship" as a way to have control of the government when they don't have control of the government.

[smjjames]

I know they aren't mirrors of each other, but it has definetly been actions by both sides over time that led to this habit of not doing a proper budget.

[Frumple]

More than that, the dems've already proposed a bipartisan budget and expressed willingness to hash things out if the GOP is willing to come to the table with even a facsimile of good faith. The response has appeared to be a "fuck you" followed by persistently fornicating themselves.

Can't recall any shutdown risk in my lifetime that wasn't driven by republican bullshittery either more than anything or outright entirely. Hell, last I heard the primary reason we're looking at this shit at all this time is because the GOP can't even manage internal consensus after kicking the can down the road for... how long has it been, now? Most of this administration to date? Longer?

If there's blame to be placed on the dems for this crap, it's about as much as you place on a pedestrian for getting mowed over by a drunk running a red light at 20+ mph over the speed limit.

[smjjames]

Most of the adminstration to date, yeah, started with one in April or so, then they started punting it on a monthly basis in September.

They're going to punt it to February and in all likelyhood will then punt it to March, where a debt ceiling limit/cliff is supposed to lurk somewhere within. Punting it like that can't be good for the country and it really highlights the dysfunction. Some of the Republicans are even getting tired of doing these CRs, so, the proverbial camels back is going to break at some point.

[Zangi]

*Insert history of Rs playing chicken with budget in previous administration.*

[smjjames]

*Insert history of Rs playing chicken with budget in previous administration.*

Eventually they won't blink until it's too late. That's the problem with playing chicken with the debt ceiling, what if neither side blinks? I know nobody actually wants to go default, but in this political climate, neither side backing down or being unable to come to a consensus is so very possible.

[Frumple]

Debt ceiling's more of a problem, but it's "just" government shutdown on the table at the mo', iirc. Effects of that is something of a question, but the answer mostly boils down to how long it lasts and who gets blamed (generally whoever has the presidency, followed by whoever has congressional majority, and wouldn't you know...). The country's largest single employer mostly not being able to pay employees certainly has just a wee titch of political effect, heh, that gets less wee titchy the longer it goes on.

... also you only wished no one wants the US to default. There's a few congresscritters that've been open and to all appearances sincere about wanting it to happen, if I'm not misremembering.

[smjjames]

Nobody reasonable anyway. I know theres a few like Ted Cruz and the various debt hawks.

[Flying Dice]

The dissenters tend to only really be open about it when they know they're not going to win re-election against a more orthodox primary challenger though (see current events).

[EnigmaticHat]

... also you only wished no one wants the US to default. There's a few congresscritters that've been open and to all appearances sincere about wanting it to happen, if I'm not misremembering.

I can't find the Parks and Rec quote about slitting the throat of the federal government, so I'll have to settle for this.

[Frumple]

Oh hey, looks like the transcript of another fusion gps interview's been released. This time with the house intel committee. 31 meg pdf for the main one, with a smaller one that looked vaguely like simpson's lawyers bludgeoning the committee into better behavior. Wish I had more familiarity with this stuff, so I could tell if the latter actually looked as much like something able to catch arson charges as it seemed.

[smjjames]

Oh hey, looks like the transcript of another fusion gps interview's been released. This time with the house intel committee. 31 meg pdf for the main one, with a smaller one that looked vaguely like simpson's lawyers bludgeoning the committee into better behavior. Wish I had more familiarity with this stuff, so I could tell if the latter actually looked as much like something able to catch arson charges as it seemed.

At least one allegation has already come up that the Trump Organization may have done money laundering (knowingly or unknowingly) with Russian individuals or some sort of crime may have been happening. It's just allegations though and a hypothetical, he didn't divulge any sort of proof.

edit: In reading the document, it could be partially based on his work in journalism covering crime and corruption in the former Soviet Union. It still sounds like he had a suspicion of something but had no proof. If anybody is going to know more or be able to find out more regarding those allegations, it'd be Muellers team.

edit3: Looks a lot like he was seeing a lot of shady stuff with the Russian mob.

Meanwhile, the Republicans are saying that right now they don't have the votes to avoid a shutdown, and they're doing that vote soonish.

edit2: It passed the House, now it's on to the Senate where it doesn't look like they'd have the votes.

[martinuzz]

A shutdown would be good, right, because then the feds wouldn't get paid to go hunt weed smokers?

[SalmonGod]

It will probably make some interesting times for me.  Customs doesn't completely shut down, but in the past it's still led to some weird problems at work.

[nenjin]

A shutdown would be good, right, because then the feds wouldn't get paid to go hunt weed smokers?

That and our country's lending rating going in the shitter and the basic mechanics of government locking up. But that's a small price to pay I suppose?