PART-TIME WORK & THE ACA

(h/t Barry Ritholtz)

The economist Mark Zandi debunked the wingnut myth that because of the ACA employers are reducing workers hours and here's more data from the Current Population Survey:

Obamacare Isn’t Causing an Increase in Part-Time Employment, In One Chart
Posted October 3, 2013 at 12:26 pm by Max B. Sawicky
EPI

The fact is that since the end of the Great Recession, the trend in part-time employment has been down, not up. The black line in the chart below shows the share of part-time workers in the labor force. The light blue region shows the level of workers who are part-time due to economic reasons. The navy blue region show the level of workers who are part time due to “non-economic” reasons (health, child care responsibilities, etc.). The vertical bars denote recessions, from peak to trough.

GOOD FOR THE FHA!!!

(h/t Barry Ritholtz)

This is another bit of counter-evidence to the wingnut claim that the government caused the 2008 collapse -

Buried in Fine Print: $57B of FHA Loans Big Banks May Have to Eat
by Kate Berry
OCT 7, 2013 6:43pm ET
AMERICAN BANKER

The nation's four largest banks are holding $57 billion of seriously delinquent loans that they've been slow to move into foreclosure over concerns that the Federal Housing Administration, the government mortgage insurer, will refuse to cover the losses and hit them with damages, according to industry sources.

However, the FHA's guarantee does not apply if lenders are found to have violated underwriting or servicing standards, or to have engaged in misconduct. Banks can also be held liable for treble damages under the False Claims Act if they are found to have "falsely certified" that mortgages met all FHA requirements.

THIS FREAK IS WORSE THAN KUHNER

(h/t Digby)

Not because he has crazier ideas but because he has much more influence:

Michael Needham: The Strategist Behind the Shutdown
The 31-year-old Stanford business grad explains how he outmaneuvered GOP leaders and why he thinks House Republicans can defund ObamaCare.
By STEPHEN MOORE
October 11, 2013, 7:43 p.m. ET
Wall Street Journal

'I really believe we are in a great position right now," says Michael Needham, the 31-year-old president of Heritage Action, the lobbying arm of the nation's largest conservative think tank....Though Texas Sen. Ted Cruz is the public face of the high-risk strategy to "defund" ObamaCare, the masterminds behind it are a new generation of young conservatives, chief among them Mr. Needham.

I GUESS SHUTDOWN & DEFAULT ARE NOW "VALUES"

The idiot voters at the Values Voters Summit chose Tailgunner Ted to be their hero:

Cruz wins Values Voter Summit straw poll
By Alexandra Jaffe - 10/12/13 03:14 PM ET
The Hill

Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) won the Values Voter Summit straw poll on Saturday, cementing his title as the de facto leader of the conservative movement.

Cruz took 42 percent support, while physician Ben Carson and former Pennsylvania Sen. Rick Santorum both took 13 percent support — but Carson came in ahead of Santorum by one vote. Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) came in fourth with six percent and Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) took fifth with five percent support.

THE FRINGE SPEAK

3 gems from conservative maggots:

Rep. Louie Gohmert (R-TX) says Sen. John McCain "supported Al Qaeda"

Rep. Michele Bachmann (R-Jeebus) refers to the ACA as "Deathcare"

Dr. Ben Carson (AKA, the newest GOP Great Black Hope) says the ACA is "the worst thing since slavery"

THE HOUSE BAGGERS DON'T CARE BUT...

they have pissed off 3 important groups:

Business, labor and nonprofits demand that shutdown end ‘immediately’
By Kevin Bogardus - 10/11/13 04:59 PM ET
The Hill

In a joint letter sent to President Obama and lawmakers, leaders of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, the AFL-CIO and United Way Worldwide said the shutdown shouldn’t continue another day.

“As leaders of business, labor, and the nonprofit sector, we are writing to urge you to end the federal government shutdown immediately,” the letter says.

“While we may disagree on priorities for federal policies and we even have conflicting views about many issues, we are in complete agreement that the current shutdown is harmful and the risk of default is potentially catastrophic for our fragile economy.”

The signatories on the letter were Tom Donohue, the Chamber’s president and CEO; AFL-CIO President Richard Trumka; and Stacey Stewart, the U.S. president of United Way Worldwide.

SAVING FACE > SAVING COUNTRY

Atrios and I have noted before that the GOP has dug itself such a deep hole that is needs something from Pres. Obama to "save face" and now Charlie Cook has come to the same conclusion:

The experts, in McGregor's words, made three major points: "This is likely to get worse before it gets better. The president might choose not to negotiate on his core principles, but he'll still have to find a way to let Republicans save face. And even if you're dealing with hostage-takers, there's still room to talk."

It was the second point that really resonated with me. If your intent is to decimate your opposition and win at all costs, that's one thing. But if your intention is to resolve a conflict that has enormous consequences for our national economy and finances, you have to give your opposition a place to land, a way to settle and save face.

EVEN LIMBAUGH, BECK & LEVIN CAN'T SAVE THIS GROUP

Despite paying those 3 to heavily promote FreedomWorks, the organization is on the verge of bankruptcy.

EVEN A WSJ EDITOR THINKS THE GOP IS IN DENIAL

Jason Riley tells editorial board member Mary Kissel that the GOP is in denial about how badly it has been hurt by the shutdown and the threat to default. Jeffrey Kuhner, one of the crazier rightwing pundits, is a great example of how deluded the Bagger conservatives have become:

In the long term, however, the Republicans are on the verge of a major triumph.

RUSH LIMBAUGH GIVES ONE ANSWER

He's decided that denial is the best response to the polls that show approval of the GOP is in freefall and has been trying to convince his listeners that the liberal media is trying to bamboozle them.

LET'S SAY WE DO HONOR OUR DEBTS W/O RAISING THE DEBT CEILING

(h/t The Daily Howler)
The NY Times article from which I took the chart below offers this analysis:

Pulling the plug on one or more of the Treasury’s automated payment systems might be one way to reduce spending, analysts have said. “The way that they are set up, they can either be set to ‘on’ or ‘off,’ ” Credit Suisse analysts said in a note to clients. “A system either makes all of its payments, or it doesn’t make any at all.”

Breaching the debt ceiling would mean that the Treasury would be forced, in effect, to balance the government’s budget. It would need to refrain from sending out about 30 percent of the government’s payments until Congress raised the ceiling again — enough to tip the economy into a recession in a matter of days or weeks, many economists say.

HAVE THE RADIO GASBAGS REACHED PEAK ABSURDITY YET?

Limbaugh, Hannity, Levin, Beck and others have told us for years that the GOP will win elections when it becomes a real (extreme) conservative party.  Two recent polls show that the extreme GOP conservatives in the House and Senate have just about demolished the national popularity of the Republican Party:

NBC/WSJ poll -

Just 24 percent of respondents have a favorable opinion about the GOP, and only 21 percent have a favorable view of the Tea Party, which are both at all-time lows in the history of poll.

Gallup poll -

Republican Party Favorability Sinks to Record Low
Falls 10 percentage points from September's 38%
by Andrew Dugan

Can the gasbags spin their way out of this?

BTW, WHO THE FUCK MADE FATS LIMBAUGH THE SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE?

The House Baggers don't seem to grasp that Limbaugh and Hannity only exert influence over the radical right instead of a majority of Americans.  Those two are also notorious liars (see this recent example from Limbaugh) who count on the real low-information voters (a Limbaugh term for Obama voters) not bothering to check anything they say on the air.  Today I heard a caller mention to Limbaugh that Wall Street was displeased about the Bagger shenanigans, something that made the front page of the New York Times, but all Limbaugh had to do was deny that he's heard anything about it:

Mmm-hmm.  No.  I haven't seen that.  Snerdley just said that Wall Street is ticked off 'cause they've got no influence in the Tea Party. I haven't heard that.

LIKE OTHER FAUX NEWS GASBAGS...

Megan Kelly's audience is mostly old folks:

Ms. Kelly averaged a total audience of 2.1 million viewers for her debut edition of “The Kelly File” from 9 to 10 p.m. That was an increase of 32 percent from the audience that Mr. Hannity had been averaging for the previous four Mondays in that hour. But of that 2.1 million viewership only 289,000 were 25 to 54 years old, roughly 14 percent of her total audience. 

IT'S NICE TO READ THIS

As I noted before, many business groups have gottne fed up with the House Baggers and it's nice to see the Baggers described as they really are:

Joe Echevarria, the chief executive of Deloitte, the accounting and consulting firm, said, “I’m a Republican by definition and by registration, but the party seems to have split into two factions.”

While both parties have extreme elements, he suggested, only in the G.O.P. did the extreme element exercise real power. “The extreme right has 90 seats in the House,” Mr. Echevarria said. “Occupy Wall Street has no seats.”

WHEN IS ARMAGEDDON?

Most of what I've read indicates that Nov. 1st is the "drop dead" date and it might happen before then.  Here's a chart from the NYT:

ANOTHER WINGNUT MYTH: DDT BAN

The wingnuts claim that 50 million people have died because of a ban on the use of DDT BUT THERE WAS NO BAN:

African countries adopt controversial deadly chemical, DDT, for malaria treatment
Tobore Ovuorie
Published: July 17,2013

The book, Silent Spring, published in 1962, suggested that DDT and other pesticides may cause cancer and that their agricultural use was a threat to wildlife and plants. Its publication birthed the environmental movement, and resulted in a large public outcry which eventually led to DDT being banned for agricultural use in the U.S. in 1972. More than 600,000 tonnes were applied in the U.S. before the 1972 ban.

The chemical was subsequently banned for agricultural use worldwide under the Stockholm Convention, but its limited use in disease vector control continues till date, but remains controversial.

Notwithstanding the controversies, 3314 tonnes were produced in 2009 for the control of malaria.

WORST PERSON OF THE DAY

This professor has tenure and is making a good income, so he doesn't seem to care about the bottom 50%.

Food stamp recipients fret as stimulus boost ends
2 hours ago • By RIK STEVENS
Daily Journal Online

A temporary increase in food stamps expires Oct. 31, meaning for millions of Americans, the benefits that help put food on the table won't stretch as far as they have for the past four years.

John Cochrane, a professor of finance at the University of Chicago's Booth School of Business, also opposed the stimulus, saying it advanced the false assumption that "completely wasted federal spending helps the economy."

He said that worries about people who need help were a legitimate concern but that food stamps create a disincentive to move to find a better job because recipients are worried they'll lose the benefit.

"At some point," he said, "you have to be a little bit heartless."

His bio at Booth states that he is "an Adjunct Scholar of the CATO institute."

UPDATE: The University of Chicago has decided that it is now OK for the blue-collar workers to use the elevators during the day.

MAYBE THIS WILL WORK

I noted before that the 1st Amendment claims of the ratings agencies may not be absolute so maybe this suit has a chance.

Standard & Poor’s Sued by New Jersey Over Bond Ratings
By Christie Smythe - Oct 9, 2013 11:23 AM MT
BLOOMBERG NEWS

Standard & Poor’s Financial Services LLC and its parent, McGraw Hill Financial Inc. (MHFI), were sued by New Jersey for allegedly failing to give objective ratings to mortgage-backed securities, the state’s attorney general said.

Standard & Poor’s harmed New Jersey consumers with claims that its ratings of the securities were independent when they were in fact driven by the company’s sales goals, the attorney general said today in a statement.

MAYBE THE BAGGERS WANT ARMAGEDDON

This pic from Williams Rivers Pitt reminded of the long-standing conservative opposition to the social improvements over the last 80+ years:

The extremely conservative radio gasbag Mark Levin has called for the elimination of the New Deal, the Great Society and Obamacare, so maybe the House Baggers are willing to give the Sampson Gambit a try.

BREACHING THE LIMIT

It's not clear exactly what would happen if the debt limit isn't increased but none of the options involve preserving the "full faith and credit of the United States."

UPDATE: Brad Plumer has more info, including this gem - 

Back in 1979, after Congress dithered on a debt-ceiling increase, the government inadvertently defaulted on about $122 million worth of Treasury bills, due to unexpectedly high demand and an error in word-processing equipment. This was only temporary, and Treasury quickly corrected the error.

Still, the damage was long-lasting. A 1989 study in the Financial Review estimated that the incident raised the nation's borrowing costs by about 0.6 percent, or $12 billion. And the damage lasted for months. That was after a brief, accidental default that was quickly fixed. A breach today would be an intentional action that would speak to serious changes — and new risks — in the American political system.

THE CHAMBER NEEDS TO TRY HARDER

So far, the House Baggers aren't at all impressed by the efforts of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and other business groups to end the shutdown & prevent a default.  This pic is from the front page of Yahoo News:

MODIFICATION

Below I wrote that the Baggers were the political version of the Fundies and upon reflection, I should note that there is quite a bit of overlap across the 2 groups.  Bagger favorite Rep. Bachmann provides a notable example:

Rep. Michele Bachmann (R-MN) claims the end of days is near, and as proof the former Republican presidential candidate cited President Barack Obama's decision last month to support Syrian rebels, which she calls al-Qaeda terrorists, with anti-chemical weapons gear and limited arms.

“This happened and as of today the United States is willingly, knowingly, intentionally sending arms to terrorists, now what this says to me, I’m a believer in Jesus Christ, as I look at the End Times scripture, this says to me that the leaf is on the fig tree and we are to understand the signs of the times, which is your ministry, we are to understand where we are in God’s end times history," Bachmann told Jan Markell, radio host of "Understanding the Times," on Saturday.

The real secular Baggers are like these truckers "for the constitution", who plan to demonstrate in DC and try to have Pres. Obama and others arrested for what they claim is treason:

Conlon and Andrews say Obama committed "treason" by allegedly funneling weapons to al-Qaida-linked rebels in Syria. Members of Congress who support arming Syrian rebels, Conlon said, are accessories to the alleged crime. He identified House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., and Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif., as politicians he will seek to arrest for alleged acts against the Constitution.

SPEAKER BOEHNER IS PROBABLY WRONG

NPR just reported that one of its experts thinks that there are enough votes in the House to pass a clean CR:

[public policy professor Jerry Mayer of George Mason University]
MAYER: It is absolutely true that a clean CR would pass if we can believe what is emerging from some Republicans' offices that there's numbers around 23, 22 - it only takes 17 or 18 Republicans to get this if all democrats vote for it.

ABC News also thinks there are enough votes:

By ABC News’ count, 217 members say they would support a “clean” measure to extend all government funding without other conditions attached, such as defunding or delaying the president’s health care law. 217 is the threshold needed to pass the measure.

SO, LET'S HAVE AN UP OR DOWN VOTE

SCALIA IS ANOTHER DISGRACE

There's plenty of other evidence but this alone is sufficient to mark Scalia as a rightwing ideologue:

SRN’s Bennett Gets ‘Supreme’ Compliment

On this first Monday in October — the Constitutionally mandated opening of the next session of the United States Supreme Court — Talk radio is apparently on the docket with at least one SCOTUS Justice. In an exclusive interview in New York magazine, Associate Justice Antonin Scalia cited former Secretary of Education turned Salem Radio Network host, Bill Bennett, as his favorite Talk radio host. The compliment came in response to the magazine’s inquiry about Scalia’s media habits. “You know who my favorite is? My good friend Bill Bennett,” he said. “He has a wonderful talk show. It’s very thoughtful. He has good callers. I think they keep off stupid people.” Upon learning about the accolade from Scalia, Bennett (pictured) replied, “I couldn’t be happier to know that Morning in America is a part of Justice Scalia’s morning routine. Now, if we can just get four more of his colleagues to tune in before they put their robes on, maybe the country will be in better shape.”

REMEMBER THE TERRI SCHIAVO DISGRACE?

I recall that several disability activists were supporting the conservative position that Schiavo was in fact conscious and should not be taken off life support.  Now, CBS has followed NPR's lead in an attack on Social Security Disability despite these facts:

The myths pushed by 60 Minutes have been repeatedly debunked by experts. The report admitted that the vast majority of people applying for benefits are denied, but ignored the fact that the majority of appeals are also denied, and that award rates have actually fallen during the economic recession. In April, the Wall Street Journal called the claim that federal disability benefits were to blame for people leaving the labor force "exaggerated,"explaining that disability was in fact the least common reason individuals left the workforce.

As the Center for Economic and Policy Research's Dean Baker noted, the report also "completely ignored all the comments from experts in the field ... pointing out that fraud is in fact not rampant in the disability program." Indeed, the Government Accountability Office has repeatedly found that fraud accounts for approximately one percent of all disability payments.

Will those activists now step up and defend SSDI?

THIS KIND OF STUPID IS ALMOST INVINCIBLE

(h/t Anne Laurie)

Josh Eidelson of SALON wrote up an interview he had with Bagger Rep. John Culbertson (TX) and got this bit of neutron star brain density:

So you don’t support legally preventing companies from denying people based on a pre-existing condition?
You let the states handle it, and then let the states set up high-risk pools for folks with pre-existing conditions. You keep the federal government out of it, because other than the United States military and – with very few exceptions, the US military being exhibit A, the federal government generally screws up everything it touches. And I do not want the federal government interfering in the healthcare of average Americans. Nor do my constituents. My constituents are absolutely apoplectic about Obamacare, and my job description is “Representative.”
What does that mean for Medicare then?
What does that mean for Medicare? What does that have to do with anything?
Well, should Medicare exist as a federal program?
That’s not even relevant to the conversation. Medicare has been the law for decades.
Do you believe that it should continue as is?
It’s been the law for decades. I’m not sure what you’re looking for.

UPDATE: Culbertson isn't the only Bagger moron in the House. (h/t Josh Marshall)

For Rep. Ted Yoho (R-FL), government shutdown is ‘the tremor before the tsunami’
By David A. Fahrenthold, Published: October 4

“I think we need to have that moment where we realize [we’re] going broke,” Yoho said. If the debt ceiling isn’t raised, that will sure as heck be a moment. “I think, personally, it would bring stability to the world markets,” since they would be assured that the United States had moved decisively to curb its debt.

RUSH, SEAN AND GLENN NEVER TOLD ME ABOUT THIS LETTER

(h/t Ian Reifowitz for Daily Kos)

The U.S. Chamber of Commerce sent a letter to Congress arguing that it should pass a Continuing Resolution and raise the debt limit so there would be no shutdown and no default.

Here's the link and below is the text:

Multi-Industry Coalition Letter Regarding the Continuing Resolution and Debt Limit

Release Date: 

Monday, September 30, 2013

TO THE MEMBERS OF THE U.S. CONGRESS:
The undersigned 251 organizations urge the House of Representatives and the United States Senate to pass a Continuing Resolution to ensure the uninterrupted funding of the federal government into the next fiscal year and to act expeditiously to raise the nation’s debt limit.
We appreciate fully the importance of restraining federal spending, both discretionary spending and mandatory spending, to reduce federal budget deficits, contain the growth of federal debt, and thereby re-establish fiscal discipline in the near-term and for the long haul. However, with the U.S. economy continuing to underperform, the federal government needs to maintain its normal operations pending a successful outcome of broader budgetary reforms. It is not in the best interest of the employers, employees or the American people to risk a government shutdown that will be economically disruptive and create even more uncertainties for the U.S. economy.
Likewise, we respectfully urge the Congress to raise the debt ceiling in a timely manner and remove any threat to the full faith and credit of the United States government.
However, entitlement spending remains the main driver of these deficits and high debt levels and must be addressed. Today we spend $1.6 trillion on just three of the nation’s entitlement programs – Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid. In 10 years, the total price for these programs will soar to $3 trillion.
Spending on entitlement programs and interest on the debt currently represent 65% of total government outlays and already exceed all federal income tax revenues collected. In 10 short years these payments are projected to reach 76% of government spending. During this decade and the next without reform, entitlement spending will rise more rapidly as the number of Americans 65 and older will jump by 70% while those of working age will increase by less than 7%. The biggest threat imaginable to our entitlement programs is to do nothing at all.
As the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) just reported (September 12):

• “Historical and projected growth of federal spending relative to the size of the economy can be attributed almost entirely to growth in spending for a few large programs—namely, Social Security and the major health care programs.”
• “The fundamental federal budgetary challenge has hardly been addressed.”
• “The largest federal programs are becoming much more expensive because of the retirement of the baby boomers and the rising costs of health care.”

Congress cannot continue “kicking the can down the road;” it’s time to take corrective action to address the unaffordable path of entitlement spending, to stabilize federal finances and to undertake fundamental tax reform to strengthen the American economy.
We urge the Congress to act promptly to pass a Continuing Resolution to fund the government and to raise the debt ceiling, and then to return to work on these other vital issues.
Aeronautical Repair Station Association
Agricultural Retailers Association
Air Conditioning Contractors of America
Air-Conditioning, Heating, and Refrigeration Institute
Airlines for America
Airports Council International - North America
American Apparel & Footwear Association
American Beverage Association
American Coatings Association
American Concrete Pressure Pipe Association
American Council of Engineering Companies
American Farm Bureau Federation
American Forest & Paper Association
American Gas Association
American Hotel & Lodging Association
American Insurance Association
American International Automobile Dealers Association
American Iron and Steel Institute
American Land Title Association
American Rental Association
American Road & Transportation Builders Association
American Supply Association
American Trucking Associations
AMT - The Association For Manufacturing Technology
Arizona Chamber of Commerce and Industry
Arizona Small Business Association
Arkansas State Chamber of Commerce/Associated Industries of Arkansas
Arlington Chamber of Commerce – TX
Associated Equipment Distributors
Associated General Contractors of America
Associated Oregon Industries
Association Forum of Chicagoland – IL
Association of Equipment Manufacturers
Association of Home Appliance Manufacturers
Association of Washington Business
Aurora Regional Chamber of Commerce – IL
Austin Area Chamber of Commerce – TX
Austin Chamber of Commerce – TX
Automotive Aftermarket Industry Association
Baltimore Washington Corridor Chamber – MD
Barrow County Chamber of Commerce – GA
Batavia Chamber of Commerce – IL
Bismarck-Mandan Chamber of Commerce – ND
Brainerd Lakes Chamber – MN
Buckeye Valley Chamber of Commerce – AZ
Buffalo Niagara Partnership – NY
Building Owners and Managers Association (BOMA) International
Business Council of Alabama
Business Roundtable
Cabarrus Regional Chamber of Commerce – NC
California Chamber of Commerce
California Manufacturers & Technology Association
Carolinas Food Industry Council
Carpinteria Valley Chamber of Commerce – CA
Carson Valley Chamber of Commerce – NV
Central LA Chamber of Commerce – LA
Chamber of Commerce of Huntsville/Madison County – AL
Chamber of Commerce of the Mid-Ohio Valley – WV
Chamber Southwest Louisiana
Chambers of Commerce Alliance of Ventura & Santa Barbara Counties – CA
Charleston Metro Chamber of Commerce – SC
Chicago Southland Chamber of Commerce - IL
Chicagoland Chamber of Commerce – IL
Connecticut Business & Industry Association
Construction Financial Management Association (CFMA)
Construction Industry Round Table
Consumer Bankers Association
Corn Refiners Association
Cushing Chamber of Commerce & Industry – OK
Dakota County Regional Chamber of Commerce – MN
Dallas Regional Chamber – TX
Dayton Area Chamber of Commerce – OH
DC Chamber of Commerce
Delaware State Chamber of Commerce
Denver Metro Chamber of Commerce – CO
Destination Marketing Association International
Edison Electric Institute
Electronics Representatives Association
Erie Regional Chamber & Growth Partnership – PA
Fairfax County Chamber of Commerce – VA
Fairmont Area Chamber of Commerce – MN
Fall River Area Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Inc. – MA
Fashion Accessories Shippers Association
Financial Services Forum
Florida Chamber of Commerce
Fort Madison Partners – IA
Fremont Chamber of Commerce – CA
Fullerton Chamber of Commerce – CA
Gateway Regional Chamber of Commerce – NJ
Georgia Chamber of Commerce
Greater Albuquerque Chamber of Commerce – NM
Greater Bakersfield Chamber of Commerce – CA
Greater Beaumont Chamber of Commerce – TX
Greater Boca Raton Chamber of Commerce – FL
Greater Des Moines Partnership – IA
Greater Durham Chamber of Commerce – NC
Greater El Paso Chamber of Commerce – TX
Greater Homestead/Florida City Chamber of Commerce – FL
Greater Iowa City Area Home Builders Association – IA
Greater Irving-Las Colinas Chamber of Commerce – TX
Greater Lehigh Valley Chamber of Commerce – PA & NJ
Greater North Dakota Chamber
Greater Oak Brook Chamber of Commerce – IL
Greater Oro Valley Chamber of Commerce – AZ
Greater Phoenix Chamber of Commerce – AZ
Greater Raleigh Chamber of Commerce – NC
Greater Reading Chamber of Commerce & Industry – PA
Greater Shreveport Chamber of Commerce – LA
Greater Spokane Incorporated – WA
Greater Topeka Chamber of Commerce – KS
Guitar & Accessories Marketing Association (GAMA)
Hanover Area Chamber of Commerce – PA
Harrisburg Regional Chamber & CREDC – PA
Hilton Head Island-Bluffton Chamber of Commerce – SC
Hudson County Chamber of Commerce – NJ
Illinois Manufacturers' Association
Independent Electrical Contractors (IEC)
Industrial Packaging Alliance of North America
Industrial Supply Association
International Dairy Foods Association
International Foodservice Distributors Association
International Franchise Association
International Housewares Association
International Warehouse Logistics Association
Investment Company Institute
Iowa Association of Business and Industry
Joliet Region Chamber of Commerce & Industry – IL
Junction City Area Chamber of Commerce – KS
Kalispell Chamber of Commerce – MT
Kansas Grain and Feed Association
Kentucky Chamber of Commerce
Kingsport Area Chamber of Commerce – TN
Lincoln Chamber of Commerce – NE
Little Rock Regional Chamber of Commerce – AR
Longview Chamber of Commerce – TX
Los Angeles Area Chamber of Commerce – CA
Lubbock Chamber of Commerce – TX
Management Association for Private Photogrammetric Surveyors (MAPPS)
Manhattan Chamber of Commerce – NY
Manufacturers Alliance for Productivity and Innovation
Marana Chamber of Commerce – AZ
Marshalltown Area Chamber of Commerce – IA
Maryland Chamber of Commerce
Maui Chamber of Commerce – HI
Metal Powder Industries Federation
Metro South Chamber of Commerce – MA
MetroHartford Alliance – CT
MetroWest Chamber of Commerce – MA
Minneapolis Regional Chamber of Commerce – MN
Missouri Association of Manufacturers
Missouri Chamber of Commerce and Industry
Mobile Area Chamber of Commerce – AL
Montana Chamber of Commerce
Monterey Peninsula Chamber of Commerce – CA
Monticello Chamber of Commerce & Industry – MN
Motor & Equipment Manufacturers Association
Naperville Area Chamber of Commerce – IL
National Asphalt Pavement Association
National Association of Chemical Distributors
National Association of Government Guaranteed Lenders
National Association of Manufacturers
National Association of Real Estate Investment Trusts
National Association of Trailer Manufacturers
National Association of Wholesaler-Distributors
National Beer Wholesalers Association (NBWA)
National Black Chamber of Commerce®
National Electrical Contractors Association (NECA)
National Electrical Manufacturers Association
National Federation of Independent Business
National Grocers Association
National Marine Distributors Association (NMDA)
National Marine Manufacturers Association
National Parking Association
National Restaurant Association
National Retail Federation
National Roofing Contractors Association
National Society of Professional Surveyors
National Stone, Sand & Gravel Association
National Utility Contractors Association
Nebraska Chamber of Commerce & Industry
New Jersey State Chamber of Commerce
New Orleans Chamber of Commerce – LA
Non-Ferrous Founders’ Society
North American Equipment Dealers Association
North Carolina Chamber
North Carolina Retail Merchants Association
North Star Consulting Group
Northeast Pennsylvania Manufacturers and Employers Association
Northern Kentucky Chamber of Commerce
Northern Rhode Island Chamber of Commerce
Northumberland County Chamber of Commerce – VA
Northwest Food Processors Association
Nuclear Energy Institute
Ohio Chamber of Commerce
Orange County Business Council – CA
Orlando, Inc. (Orlando Regional Chamber of Commerce) – FL
Outdoor Power Equipment and Engine Service Association (OPEESA)
Outdoor Power Equipment Institute
Overland Park Chamber of Commerce – KS
Oxnard Chamber of Commerce – CA
Palm Desert Area Chamber of Commerce – CA
Pasadena Chamber of Commerce and Civic Association – CA
Pennsylvania Chamber of Business and Industry
Petroleum Marketers Association of America
Port Hueneme Chamber of Commerce – CA
Portland Cement Association
Prince William Chamber of Commerce – VA
Retail Industry Leaders Association
Rochester Area Chamber of Commerce – MN
Rogers – Lowell Area Chamber of Commerce – AR
Salt Lake Chamber – UT
San Antonio Chamber of Commerce – TX
Santa Clarita Valley Chamber of Commerce – CA
Schuylkill Chamber of Commerce – PA
Secondary Materials and Recycled Textiles Association (SMART)
Securities Industry and Financial Markets Association
Sierra Vista Area Chamber of Commerce – AZ
Smugglers' Notch Area Chamber of Commerce – VT
Society of Chemical Manufacturers & Affiliates (SOCMA)
South Bay Association of Chambers of Commerce – CA
South Carolina Retail Association
Springfield Area Chamber of Commerce – MO
St. Cloud Area Chamber of Commerce – MN
St. TammanyWest Chamber of Commerce – LA
Summit Chamber of Commerce – CO
Tacoma-Pierce County Chamber – WA
Tennessee Chamber of Commerce & Industry
The Aluminum Association
The Association for Hose & Accessories Distribution
The Business Council of New York State, Inc.
The Chamber of Commerce serving Johnson City-Jonesborough-Washington County (TN)
The Council of Industry of Southeastern New York
The Ohio Manufacturers' Association
The Real Estate Roundtable
Tompkins County Chamber of Commerce – NY
Torrance Area Chamber of Commerce – CA
Travel Goods Association
Tucson Metro Chamber – AZ
Tulsa Regional Chamber – OK
U.S. Chamber of Commerce
U.S. Travel Association
United States Telecom Association
Valley Industry & Commerce Association (VICA) – CA
Van Buren Chamber of Commerce – AR
Virginia Chamber of Commerce
Washington Retail Association
West Virginia Manufacturers Association
Window and Door Manufacturers Association
Wisconsin Grocers Association
Woodworking Machinery Industry Association
Yuma County Chamber of Commerce – AZ

I'D LIKE TO SEE THE ENTIRE DOCUMENTARY

(h/t Susan Madrak)

This is just a trailer for a study of how a decent person became a bitter, hateful wingnut:



BTW, Bob Grant was a hate jock in NYC and both Hannity & Beck have admitted they greatly admired him.

THE NY TIMES EXPOSES SOME OF THE NOISE MACHINE PARTS

(h/t Raul Grijalva)

This article gives outsiders a rare look at the conservative subversives behind the shutdown & default brinksmanship:

The current budget brinkmanship is just the latest development in a well-financed, broad-based assault on the health law, Mr. Obama’s signature legislative initiative. Groups like Tea Party Patriots, Americans for Prosperity and FreedomWorks are all immersed in the fight, as is Club for Growth, a business-backed nonprofit organization. Some, like Generation Opportunity and Young Americans for Liberty, both aimed at young adults, are upstarts. Heritage Action is new, too, founded in 2010 to advance the policy prescriptions of its sister group, the Heritage Foundation. 

The billionaire Koch brothers, Charles and David, have been deeply involved with financing the overall effort. A group linked to the Kochs, Freedom Partners Chamber of Commerce, disbursed more than $200 million last year to nonprofit organizations involved in the fight. Included was $5 million to Generation Opportunity, which created a buzz last month with an Internet advertisement showing a menacing Uncle Sam figure popping up between a woman’s legs during a gynecological exam.

This is a point I've heard and read before:

If the law took full effect as planned, many conservatives feared, it would be nearly impossible to repeal — even if a Republican president were elected in 2016.

They must realize that most voters will approve of the ACA, so they are just trying to impose their ideology on the majority of Americans.

STUMBLING INTO DEFAULT

Byron York reports that a GOP House member spent an hour with reporters and told them how he saw the current deadlock:

The congressman began with an anecdote from the Civil War. "I would liken this a little bit to Gettysburg, where a Confederate unit went looking for shoes and stumbled into Union cavalry, and all of a sudden found itself embroiled in battle on a battlefield it didn't intend to be on, and everybody just kept feeding troops into it," the congressman said. "That's basically what's happening now in a political sense. This isn't exactly the fight I think Republicans wanted to have, certainly that the leadership wanted to have, but it's the fight that's here."

"We're not in a situation that has been planned out and war-gamed and plotted, OK?" said the congressman. "We stumbled into a situation like Gettysburg that nobody planned, and all of a sudden each side is feeding more troops into it, and it's turning into a much bigger deal."

I was thinking that stumbling into World War I is also a good analogy.

HE WENT THERE

Speaker Boehner said that (1) a clean CR couldn't pass the House and (2) if Pres. Obama doesn't fold, the U.S. will default.   Perhaps Boehner should bring a clean CR up for a vote to prove he's correct.