Warner: Shutdown talk embarrassing

[cal04]

Parties Point Fingers at Each Other in Spending Fight
http://www.rollcall.com/news/parties_point_fingers_at_each_other_in_spending_fight-208996-1.html

(snip)
Sen. Mark Warner said it’s “embarrassing” that Congress is involved in another standoff over government funding.

“Can we once again inflict on the country and the American people the spectacle of a near government shutdown? I sure as heck hope not,” the Virginia Democrat said on CNN’s “State of the Union.”

(snip)
“There is a group, and I do believe it is centered in the House in terms of some of these tea party Republicans, who say on every issue, ‘We’re going to make this a make or break,’” Warner said.

(snip)
“I’ll give the Senate Democratic leader most of the credit,” the Tennessee Republican said. “He’s manufactured a crisis all week about disaster, when there’s no crisis.”

(snip)
But Warner countered that emergency disaster aid should not have to be offset, noting that the war in Iraq was not offset with cuts to other government programs.

[patrice]

1. TRUTH!!! "... noting that the war in Iraq was not offset with cuts to other government programs."

Now that's something I'll go listen to if I can.

[BeyondGeography]

2. This should be repeated ad infinitum

<snip>“Why should we rebuild schools in Iraq on the credit card but expect that rebuilding schools in Joplin, Missouri, at this point in time have to be paid for?” Warner asked, referring to a devastating tornado that hit Joplin this year.<snip>

Wake the fuck up, America.

[Cali_Democrat]

3. This is the main reason why the US was downgraded by S&P

Well, two main reasons:

1) A completely paralyzed political system that is essentially incapable of governing (laugh next time anyone tells you America is the greatest country in the world)

2) Absurd tax policies that favor supply side economics (wealthy) at the expense of the budget deficit.


America is becoming a joke in the eyes of the world. Everyone is losing confidence in our country.

[patrice]

4. Americans don't pay REAL attention but rest of the world can't help but notice, esp WARS on credit.

Actually not even on credit, because all of it, including the NO BID, GUARANTEED COST+ 15% PRIVATE contracts, was off-budget in emergency appropriations, so not only was it all charged, we pretended that we weren't charging it.

[cal04]

5. Warner: “There is this effort that’s ‘my way or the highway’ again,”

Senators place blame for budget stalemate

http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2011/09/25/senators-place-blame-for-budget-stalemate/?hpt=po_bn2

(snip)
“There is this effort that’s ‘my way or the highway’ again,” said Warner, the former governor of Virginia.

But Alexander, a former governor of Tennessee now in his second Senate term, pointed the blame back at Democrats, saying Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid “manufactured a crisis all week about disaster when there’s no crisis.”

“Everybody knows we’re going to pay for every single penny of disaster aid that the president declares and that FEMA certifies,” Alexander insisted. “The House sent over a bill that does that and the Senate should have approved it.”

Warner called the current standoff a “spectacle,” while Alexander described it as a week of “chest-pounding and game-playing.”