{"id":22867,"date":"2013-10-06T22:35:42","date_gmt":"2013-10-07T02:35:42","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.thedailygouge.com\/?p=22867"},"modified":"2013-10-09T13:37:32","modified_gmt":"2013-10-09T17:37:32","slug":"the-daily-gouge-3","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.thedailygouge.com\/?p=22867","title":{"rendered":"The Daily Gouge, Monday, October 7th, 2013"},"content":{"rendered":"

It’s Monday, October 7th, 2013…and here’s The Gouge!<\/strong><\/p>\n

First up, Thomas Sowell provides the facts regarding what inquiring minds really<\/em><\/span> want to know:<\/strong><\/p>\n

Who Shut Down the Government?<\/span><\/h1>\n

 <\/p>\n

\"hush_about_obamacare1\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Even when it comes to something as basic, and apparently as simple and straightforward, as the question of who shut down the federal government, there are diametrically opposite answers, depending on whether you talk to Democrats or to Republicans.<\/p>\n

There is really nothing complicated about the facts. The Republican-controlled House of Representatives voted all the money required to keep all government activities going — except for ObamaCare. This is not a matter of opinion. You can check the Congressional Record.<\/span><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

As for the House of Representatives’ right to grant or withhold money, that<\/span> is not a matter of opinion either<\/span><\/em>. You can check the Constitution of the United State<\/em>s<\/span>.<\/span> All<\/em><\/span> spending bills must<\/em><\/span> originate in the House of Representatives, which means that Congressmen there have a right to decide whether or not they want to spend money on a particular government activity.<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

Whether ObamaCare is good, bad or indifferent is a matter of opinion. But it is a matter of fact that members of the House of Representatives have a right to make spending decisions based on their opinion<\/em><\/span>.<\/span><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

\"ObamaGovShutdown\"<\/a><\/p>\n

ObamaCare is indeed “the law of the land,” as its supporters keep saying, and the Supreme Court has upheld its Constitutionality. But the whole point of having a division of powers within the federal government is that each branch can decide independently what it wants to do or not do, regardless of what the other branches do, when exercising the powers specifically granted to that branch by the Constitution.<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

The hundreds of thousands of government workers who have been laid off are not idle because the House of Representatives did not vote enough money to pay their salaries or the other expenses of their agencies — unless they are in an agency that would administer ObamaCare. Since we cannot read minds, we cannot say who — if anybody — “wants to shut down the government.” But we do know who had the option to keep the government running and chose not to. The money voted by the House of Representatives covered everything that the government does, except for ObamaCare<\/em><\/span>.<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

The Senate chose not to vote to authorize that money to be spent, because it did not include money for ObamaCare. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid says that he wants a “clean” bill from the House of Representatives, and some in the media keep repeating the word “clean” like a mantra. But what is unclean about not giving Harry Reid everything he wants<\/em><\/span>?<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

If Senator Reid and President Obama refuse to accept the money required to run the government, because it leaves out the money they want to run ObamaCare, that is their right. But that is also their responsibility. You cannot blame other people for not giving you everything you want. And it is a fraud<\/em><\/span> to blame them when you refuse to use the money they did vote, even when it is ample to pay for everything else in the government.<\/span><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

\"Obama-Debt-Ceiling-Obamacare-Lie-SC\"<\/a><\/p>\n

When Barack Obama keeps claiming that it is some new outrage for those who control the money to try to change government policy by granting or withholding money, that is simply a bald-faced lie.<\/em><\/span><\/strong> <\/span>You can check the history of other examples of “legislation by appropriation” as it used to be called. Whether legislation by appropriation is a good idea or a bad idea is a matter of opinion. But whether it is both legal and not unprecedented is a matter of fact.<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

Perhaps the biggest of the big lies is that the government will not be able to pay what it owes on the national debt, creating a danger of default. Tax money keeps coming into the Treasury during the shutdown, and it vastly exceeds the interest that has to be paid on the national debt. Even if the debt ceiling is not lifted, that only means that government is not allowed to run up new<\/em><\/span> debt. But that does not<\/em><\/span> mean that it is unable to pay the interest on existing<\/em><\/span> debt.<\/span><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

None of this is rocket science. But unless the Republicans get their side of the story out — and articulation has never been their strong suit<\/em> — the lies will win<\/em><\/span>.<\/span> More important, the whole country will lose.<\/span><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

As Peter Wehner noted last Thursday in Commentary Magazine<\/em><\/span>…<\/strong><\/p>\n

…In the current debate about the continuing resolution and the government shutdown, and because of their determination to begin to unwind the highly unpopular Affordable Care Act, Republicans are being referred to as jihadists, arsonists, anarchists, terrorists, extortionists, racists, gun-to-the-head hostage takers, grave threats to American democracy, the heirs of Joe McCarthy . . .<\/p>\n

There are several points to be made about this, the most obvious of which is that these charges are being leveled by President Obama and the aides and allies of Mr. Obama<\/em>\u2014a man, it’s worth recalling, who promised he would “turn the page” on the “old politics” of division and anger<\/em><\/span>.<\/strong> He would end a politics that “breeds division and conflict and cynicism.”<\/span> He would help us to “rediscover our bonds to each other and \u2026 get out of this constant petty bickering that’s come to characterize our politics.”<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

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Yet things are worse now than before; and they are worse in large measure because of Mr. Obama himself<\/em><\/span>.<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

Now, even if you believe what the GOP is doing is unwise\u2014even if you believe the Affordable Care Act is one of the great achievements in American history\u2014the characterization of Republicans by the left is not just unfair but slanderous. One can actually believe the Affordable Care Act is harmful and should be undone without being”people with a bomb strapped to their chest,” in the words of White House aide Dan Pfeiffer.<\/span> But the kind of sulfuric rhetoric that’s being commonly used these days is also, on a deep level, damaging to our country.<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

Yet the MSM dutifully echoes, without question…and as gospel<\/em><\/span><\/em>…<\/em>every falsehood these liars utter.\u00a0 Frankly, it wouldn’t surprise us if they hadn’t a clue what<\/em><\/span> the Constitution actually says…about any<\/em><\/span>thing!
\n<\/strong><\/p>\n

Meanwhile, as every day evidence mounts this White House is going out of its way to make the closing of some 15% of government as painful as possible for taxpaying<\/em><\/span> Americans:<\/strong><\/p>\n

Homeowners Forced out of Private Homes Due to Shutdown<\/span><\/h1>\n

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\"Obama-and-Reid\"<\/a><\/p>\n

First, the National Park Service “closed” the open-air WWII Memorial.<\/span> Next, they attempted to block people from even<\/span> looking<\/em><\/span><\/a><\/span> at Mount Rushmore.<\/span><\/strong> Now, park rangers are forcing private citizens out of privately owned homes due to the government shutdown. They have even barricaded the road, ensuring that they will not be allowed to return to their homes.<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

From KTNV News:<\/p>\n

Joyce Spencer is 77-years-old and her husband Ralph is 80. They’ve been spending most of their time in the family ice cream store since going home isn’t an option. <\/em><\/p>\n

The Spencers never expected to be forced out of their Lake Mead home, which they’ve owned since the 70s, but on Thursday, a park ranger said they had 24 hours to get out.”I had to go to town today and buy Ralph undershirts and jeans because I forgot his pants,” Joyce Spencer told Action News. <\/em><\/p>\n

The Stewart’s Point home sits on federal land, so even though the Spencers own their cabin outright, they’re not allowed in until the government reopens.<\/strong> <\/em><\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

In the interests of fairness, we must note “The Lake Mead properties are considered vacation homes”, and “one of the lease requirements to own a plot is people must have an alternative residence”.\u00a0 Still, any question Team Tick-Tock’s under orders to play this as pettily as possible?!?<\/strong><\/div>\n

Speaking of petty, in a related item forward by Jeff Foutch, as Breitbart.com<\/em> reports, under orders from Der Obafuhrere, the…<\/strong><\/p>\n

Feds Try to Close the OCEAN<\/em> Because of Shutdown<\/strong><\/span><\/h1>\n

 <\/p>\n

\"obama-bodysurfing\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Just before the weekend, the National Park Service informed charter boat captains in Florida that the Florida Bay was “closed” due to the shutdown. Until government funding is restored, the fishing boats are prohibited from taking anglers into 1,100 square-miles of open ocean. Fishing is also prohibited at Biscayne National Park during the shutdown.<\/span><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

The Park Service will also have rangers on duty to police the ban. Of access to an ocean<\/em><\/span>.<\/span> The government will probably use more<\/em><\/span> personnel and spend more<\/em><\/span> resources to attempt to close the ocean, than it would in its normal course of business<\/em><\/span>.<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

This is governing by temper-tantrum<\/em><\/span>.<\/strong> <\/span>It is on par with the government’s ham-fisted attempts to close the DC WWII Memorial, an open-air public monument that is normally accessible 24 hours a day. By accessible I mean, you walk up to it. When you have finished reflecting, you then walk away for it.<\/span><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

At least that Memorial is an actual structure, with some kind of perimeter that can be fenced off. Florida Bay is the ocean. How, pray tell, do you “close” 1,100 square miles of ocean? Why would one even need<\/em><\/span> to do so?<\/span><\/strong><\/span> Apparently, according to an anonymous Park Service ranger, \u201cWe\u2019ve been told to make life as difficult for people as we can<\/em><\/span>. It\u2019s disgusting<\/em><\/span>.\u201d<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

Centuries ago, King Canute famously failed to command the ocean tide to stop. His display was actually a means to educate his subjects on the limits of royal power. Today, however, our President actually believes he has the power to control the oceans.<\/p>\n

When in reality, he’s nothing more than a dusky version of…<\/strong><\/p>\n