I originally had another diary planned tonight, but I won’t be able to post it due to the fact that Top Comments is officially shutdown, due to solidarity with our workers who cannot work given the federal shutdown, and in solidarity with all thinking people who have a concept of what idiots Boehner, Cruz, McConnell & their complete cast of WATBs (the second entry, credited to Atrios) are. Top Comments will remain shutdown until Republicans realize that their demand for concessions to compensate them for their loss of face due to their own stupid choices is even more stupid than the original choices were that lead them into this mess.
I contacted Top Comments Administrator in Absentia, brillig, earlier today about a continuing resolution to keep Top Comments UNshutdown for another evening or two, but she refused to negotiate, so we have resolved to continue seeking a resolution for continuing until the continuation resolves ... or a resolution solution continues, resolutely, or something like that.
(More in the shutdown section, below.)
Sadly, tonight, it is not just Top Comments that is shutdown, it is Top Comments hosting, and Top Comments commenting, even Top Comments commiserating. If we are fortunate, it may be possible to open comments for fractions of a second about the time Top Comments shutdown cooperatives click the post button, then shutting them off quickly so that no comments can be posted between then and the time they re-open for a few milliseconds at the time of the next Post click. The majority of the time, comments will be shutdown (ALL the in between post click times, in fact), but, as you all know, it’s rare that the majority rules.
If the Top Comments shutdown is not ended by October 17, Daily Kos will fall into commentary default, through no fault of our own, falling rapidly into the bowels of blogdom through the ever widening default fault.
In the meantime, Top Commenteers are advised to __ (sentence interrupted due to Top Comments diary editor being shutdown).
If Top Comments had been able to go forward tonight, here are some of the comments it might have been possible to include, not to mention many others which surely would have been included. Shutdown is a bitch!
Joking aside, this isn’t a funny time. I read a CNN story today where Boehner demands spending cuts for debt limit increase.
I was spitting mad after reading that. It isn’t the responsibility of the President and Congressional Democrats to help Republicans save face after the national crisis they have CHOSEN to create. They have misbehaved, and now they want to be GIVEN something in return. Enabling the kind of behavior we have seen from Republicans for the past couple of DECADES is that last thing ANY political human being should ever do.
They have worked very hard to sell the narrative that Democrats and President Obama won’t negotiate. All of you know as well as I that this is the purest bullshit. Everything has been negotiated ad infinitum all along - indeed, FAR more than most of us could easily stomach. All Democrats are doing is refusing to negotiate with terrorists, and the actions of Republicans are nothing less.
The responsibility President Obama and Congressional Democrats accept is to the Constitution and to the people of the United States. The concessions Republicans seek don’t ‘belong’ to Democrats. The are the property of the people of the United States, and it is the people who have to be sacrificed to make the concessions Republicans demand. Democrats can’t accommodate those Republican wishes without betraying the American people, without abdicating their responsibilities to us and the country. But, this point MUST be made in every public statement Democrats make, so that, hopefully, the people will come to realize that the President and Congressional Democrats are not PARTLY responsible for this bullshit shutdown (and pending default!), Republicans are. ALL BY THEMSELVES.
Sure they have lost face. They chose it, they deserve it, and worst of all, it illuminates the LIE behind their desire to reinvent their party. This is business as usual, they couldn’t give a damn about changing anything. They are playing the American public for fools. They need to pay for this, more than any US political party has needed to pay for anything, ever.
If you don’t want to lose face, Republicans, use your heads. Better still, use your hearts. Apologize to the American people for this crisis you’ve chosen to create. Show a different side. Show that you will at least CONSIDER meeting your responsibility to HELP govern this country. Even for you, this is the WRONG path. Turn away from it, apologize, and GROW UP.
On to tonight's comments!
From BeninSC:
This comment by Chasmodai is this person's first EVER Daily Kos comment, and it is most appropriate on this shutdown night.
Flagged by Subterranean, this comment by Clipper expresses the disgust everyone should have for the talking heads on Sunday with their ridiculous false equivalencies.
Flagged by corvo as 'top comment of the year material,' this comment by UntimelyRippd deserves your attention. Calling Howard Dean!!!
From bastrop:
Can I recommend the entire diary Asymmetric Polarization: 1988, 2000, and 2012 by Liberty Equality Fraternity and Trees as a top comment? (Ed. Note: No. Just kidding. ;) Yes.)
If not, I have to go with this comment by fladem. Smart people showing their wares here.
From Geenius at Wrok:
This comment by markthshark gives an in-depth look into the problems Republicans have created for themselves.
From SeattleTammy:
I saw this one (this comment, by Square Knot) that just made me go "Damn..."
It was in this diary, by pollwatcher, on this hideous Republican shakedown.
From zenbassoon:
In Laura Clawson's front page diary about Obama calling out Boehner to prove he doesn't have the vote, this just in nails the endgame for Boehner no matter what happens, with this comment.
Top Mojo, courtesy of
mik!
1) Complete Surrender by Blazehawkins — 228
2) I get that... by Mark E Andersen — 174
3) Well, we should hope so. by hannah — 160
4) I complain every chance I get when I'm in a by Leslie Salzillo — 128
5) This is correct. by CwV — 118
6) A hypothesis about Obama's goals by dricey — 112
7) Character Assassination is the Mainstay of the by Gooserock — 103
8) We sure did not have lasers... by Mark E Andersen — 101
9) Marc Ambinder raised this point back in 12/10 by RFK Lives — 101
10) Please pay me! by Joe Bacon — 93
11) So a competent negotiator by Dallasdoc — 87
12) There are trolls everywhere. by aoeu — 84
13) Disagree by Armando — 81
14) My uncle fought in the Polish resistance then by blugrlnrdst — 80
15) My Best Guess.... by Steve Singiser — 78
16) A note from Aji: by Aji — 78
17) Someone linked to this reddit comment by skohayes — 78
18) My partner still buys by pamelabrown — 74
19) You mean a return to the 1950's? by DBoon — 73
20) That's how blackmailers see it by Dallasdoc — 73
21) Will the real John Boehner please stand up. by ZedMont — 73
22) Harry Reid already agreed by gulfgal98 — 72
23) Arrest Him by VictorLHKOS — 71
24) #sekritarmy calls it as it sees it by kerflooey — 70
25) Painting a target is relatively new. by aoeu — 70
26) Republican-controlled House..... by Ekaterin — 69
27) See Garrett Epps in the Atlantic by litho — 67
28) More about Ancient Britain by Ojibwa — 66
29) The dude is sinking by litho — 66
30) Shit by high uintas — 66
Top Pictures, courtesy of
jotter!