First question for any Republican congressperson being interviewed today.

[Admiral Loinpresser]

The first question for any Republican congressperson: "Are you still getting paid?" Follow up: "What do you say to the two million federal employees who are not?"

[Coyotl]

1. How much did insurance company profits increase since 2000?

[Pretzel_Warrior]

10. Great graphic

[tridim]

2. The answer is easy.

Yes, we are still getting paid, and no I don't care about the federal employees who are not. The people that vote for me don't care either, they will still vote for me because I don't have a "D" after my name. Next question?

[Admiral Loinpresser]

3. Actually that answer doesn't work.

My wife is a furloughed fed employee. She works with a former Tea Party member. My wife was able to convert her because she also got furloughed. Now she hates the Republicans.

[tridim]

5. I bet she still votes for the non-Dem.

Like my parents have been doing since forever.

Nothing matters except that "R" after the candidate's name. Nothing.

[jeff47]

6. That's fine.

Convince them to vote for a candidate that doesn't have an R or D after their name.

[Admiral Loinpresser]

7. She's no rocket scientist, but...

her husband is a disabled coal miner. One of the reasons she went back to work last year was to get health care for his "pre-existing condition," so she's in favor of the ACA now. Her consciousness has been raised since she started working with my wife last year, when she was still watching Fox News. The other day they were cleaning out the refrigerator at work (because of the furlough) and she looked at a container, saying "Hey if the expiration date is December 2014, I don't think it's really food." She is mad at the GOP like everybody else at this office. It's money out of her pocket. She's not voting for Republicans next time. At the very least I would take even money on it.

[Skidmore]

4. Yesterday Bashir directly asked Chaffetz (I think) if he was comfortable with

going in and telling his staff that their jobs were at stake, and he said he had no problem with it. Tried to insist that his staff was on board with this. He must have lobbyists masquerading as staff members.

[Admiral Loinpresser]

8. They are "on board" because they have no choice.

Getting furloughed is preferable to getting fired without a reference. Just don't use truth serum on them.

[Ohio Joe]

9. A good start but I would add a bit more to the end of that question...

I would make it:

What do you say to the two million federal employees who are not because you decided to not fund the government over something that had nothing to do with funding the government?

[Admiral Loinpresser]

11. btw, for the record

It may be hundreds of thousands who are not getting paid. A talking head last night said the data indicated it was big enough to negatively affect the economy in a month or so.

[jmowreader]

12. No, that's not the right question to ask them

The right question, the ONLY question that needs to be asked first, is "what the hell is wrong with you?"