SAR #13290

In human affairs, right and wrong exist, and have consequences.

Not a Kumbaya Moment: The compromise (sic) is not the end of the drama. It's just the end of the second act. The Republican thugs get another bite of the apple come January, and this next time they'll reach even more boldly into the social safety net under the guise of “keeping the government open.” It is important to note that the prescribed budget talks are characterized as “fiscal reforms” by which is meant cutting everything that doesn't support war or Wall Street. So, call this one a draw and let's have a rematch early next year. Just like last year. What’s next? One-week continuing resolution? Hourly budget negotiations? 
 
Where's Waldo? Glenn Greenwald – Snowden's primary mouthpiece – has left the Guardian for a new media venture. In parting he said that “There are a lot more stories in the NSA archives, ” and that “the most shocking and significant stories are the ones we are still working on, and have yet to publish.”

Revised Script: Imagine that a handful of Democrats decided that something had to be done about the repeated slaughter of children by assault weapons and threatened to force the country into default unless a total ban on assault weapons was enacted. How would that play in Tea Party land?

Price Of Admission: Since the GOP takeover of the House in 2010, the cuts they have forced in government spending (in the name of promoting growth) have shaved nearly 3% off GDP. That missing 3% growth would have led to the unemployment rate falling below 6%. It's called leadership, because the rich are doing just fine.

Let's Do The Twist: The administration has told the Supreme Court that there are no constitutional issues involved in the NSAs eavesdropping 24/7 on every form of electronic communication. And even if there were, they say, it would not fall within the purview of the Supreme Court because the snooping is not a sufficiently “drastic and extraordinary” matter to rate such attention. And lastly, the administration claimed that the Supremes do not have any authority over secret intelligence affairs. 
 
Still Crazy After All These Years: Sarah Palin believes President Obama should be impeached if he raises the debt ceiling without the backing of Congress and should be impeached if he lets the nation default on its debts. Somebody should tell Sarah about the division of powers and who makes the laws. 
 
More Of The Same: The Supremes have taken a case that challenges the President's ability to make recess appointments. If the Court rules against the administration, this and future presidents facing a filibuster-vulnerable Senate will be unable to make appointments to agencies that the opposition does not like. This could effectively render things like the NLRB and SEC comatose. Just what the Roberts Court needed, another chance to stomp on democracy.

Hero In His Own Mind: Ted Cruz, one of the primary causes of the shutdown and debt limit crisis, having lost, now wants to be praised for not blocking a deal that is out of his reach to block. 
 
In Their Shoes: The tea party supporters (unlike the folks they elect) are many things, but insincere is not one of them. They grew up internalizing Ronnie's dictum that the government is too large, is the problem, that welfare cheats are sucking the life from the country, that taxes are too high and the debt crushing the life out of small businesses. None of these are true, of course, but that's the world the way they see it. And they are afraid and angry, and a lot of very cynical, self-serving politicians take advantage of them.

Qualifications: Trey Gowdy (Retard-SC) doesn't understand that the National Park Service closed down parks and memorials because he and his co-conspirators shut down the government. 
 
The Parting Shot:

Medical stuff has kept me from wandering my woods of late, so I'm using some shots from my recent vacation...