Start Your Shutdown Clock. Seriously?

There’s a spending agreement, $38 billion, according to Reid, with the Democratic talking point being it’s all about defunding Planned Parenthood. Huh, $38 billion? That’s new. Anyway, Boehner is still contending the number’s too small and there’s no agreement and it’s not about funding Planned Parenthood. Either way it comes down to an ideological battle that Democrats fell for, because they went into negotiations with Republicans adopting their economic model, spending cuts over tax revenue. Too bad Michele Bachmann isn’t Speaker of the House.

Every time I write about Rep. Michele Bachmann I have an immediate need to first point out that her latest smart move doesn’t wipe away the political insanity she’s regurgitated over the long months, particularly her defunding “Obamacare” mantra. That said, after Pres. Obama said he’d veto the House bill, she quickly ascertained that pushing it forward anyway would be a huge waste of time. She’s correct even if nobody in her caucus followed her. Bachmann’s also showing leadership by stepping away from her own Tea Party caucus.

Bachmann wants a “clean bill” to fund the military, but also to take the government shutdown off the table for one week. Speaker Boehner just made this point in a quickie public statement. She’s also committed her pay to a non-profit for military families if the shutdown comes. From John King last night:

In an interview with CNN’s John King on Thursday night, Bachmann called for a “clean” bill to fund the government for a week, and fund the Pentagon through September.

“Well, my opinion is this: I think that we should have a clean bill that makes sure that the paycheck gets to the troops on time,” Bachmann said.

“After all, now that President Obama has us engaged in a third war in Libya, I think it’s imperative that our troops not pay a price and none of the families back home should worry whether or not they’re getting a check,” Bachmann added. 



Right now, Michele Bachmann is the only woman on the Tea Party far right leading the Republican fight with any discernible astute comprehension of reality.

Back in ’95, during the shutdowns during Pres. Clinton’s term, the military didn’t get caught in the political crossfire. From the Congressional Research Service: Government Shutdown Operations of the Department of Defense During a Lapse in Appropriations study.

A frequent question is how this compares to the last government shutdown in 1995-1996. There were two shutdowns at that time, one of five days, from November 13 through November 19, 1995, and one of 21 days, from December 15, 1995 through January 5, 1996. The first shutdown was not long enough to affect pay checks, and DOD was not affected by the second because defense appropriations were enacted on December 1, so funding was available.

Pres. Obama and the current Congress aren’t so lucky on timing, but there is a simple way around this if egos are put to the side.

That’s exactly what Rep. Bachmann is willing to do on this one, which considering the mess our troops are in is the least that should be done and done first.

So, I have a confession. There’s a reason I haven’t run breathless headlines and panting posts and columns, which have blanketed new media and cable TV, about what everyone sees as inevitable, the government shutdown. I just didn’t believe it was going to happen, never have.

But today both Sen. Reid and Speaker Boehner are acting like that’s exactly where we’re headed.

Rep. Bachmann is smart on troop funding, so why is she so stupid as to refuse to give on Planned Parenthood? Why is she leading the Republican Right’s war on women?

The Democrats and Republicans in Washington can’t possibly be this stupid. Did I just write that?

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