Months ago Edwin Meese and cronies planned Federal budget crisis as attack on Obamacare

[DonViejo]

Federal budget crisis was months in the planning
New York Times
Sunday, October 6, 2013 12:55am

WASHINGTON — Shortly after President Barack Obama started his second term, a loose-knit coalition of conservative activists led by former Attorney General Edwin Meese III gathered in the capital to plot strategy. Their push to repeal Obama's health law was going nowhere, and they desperately needed a new plan.

Out of that session, held one morning in a location the members insist on keeping secret, came a little-noticed "blueprint to defunding Obamacare," signed by Meese and leaders of more than three dozen conservative groups.

It articulated a take-no-prisoners legislative strategy that had long percolated in conservative circles: that Republicans could derail the health overhaul if conservative lawmakers were willing to push fellow Republicans — including their cautious leaders — into cutting off funding for the entire federal government.

"We felt very strongly at the start of this year that the House needed to use the power of the purse," said one coalition member, Michael Needham, who runs Heritage Action for America, the political arm of the conservative Heritage Foundation.

full article
http://www.tampabay.com/news/nation/federal-budget-crisis-was-months-in-the-planning/2145782

[leveymg]

1. It's a two-fer. The other part is austerity w/out even having to vote for it

The method chosen -- a series of partial (and selective) gov't shutdowns that take effect if both sides don't agree to the terms -- serve that purpose perfectly. The GOP got what they want. They really don't have to get any changes to ACA to win.

How are we to make them pay a high political price? With the Pentagon fully open for business on Monday, and much of the "non-essential" parts of the federal government remaining closed, at least until 10/17, they're way ahead on points.

BTW: this engineered crisis serves fiscal conservatives and deficit hawks in both parties perfectly well. Why would they want to change a thing? The means are the ends.

[wandy]

2. This plan of attack goes beyond the ACA. It sets a precedent by which..............

the GOP owners can get their way simply by defunding the government....
If they wish to eliminate Medicare, simple, government shutdown.
If they wish to repeal the minimum wage, simple, don't increase the debt celling.

Setting government funding on a quarterly bases could bring the US to third world status in a few years.
Lower wages + less regulations = higher profit.

[leveymg]

3. Exactly. Austerity by default.

Didn't take a genius to figure that out, just a group that was sufficiently ruthless and lacking in a sense of a duty to anything other than their own ideological and economic agenda.

[wandy]

5. At least we are not the only ones to see this.........

As usual Bernie Sanders is spot on......
http://www.democraticunderground.com/1017148919
Just in case you did not see this. The hard truth at about three minutes in.

[Sunlei]

4. repubs. have obstructed our Gov from way back /w they tried to shove mccain/palin down our throats

current info is nothing new.

RW doesn't like anything (including humans) that get in the way of amassing private wealth using OUR State and Federal funds.

[CrispyQ]

6. Kicking, because everyone needs to have this story as a source,

to refute repub friends & family, who claim that both sides are equally to blame for the shut down. THEY ARE NOT! It is one side that is shutting down government, because they are not happy about the outcome of the election.

[Cha]

7. K&R

[politicaljunkie41910]

8. So this has become a regular acticity for the Rightwingnuts on inaugural day.

To meet and plot strategy on new ways of how they are going to obstruct in the coming term. How un-American.

Why isn't this considered treasonous? Plotting to destroy the country from the inside out couldn't have been what the founding fathers had in mind when they set up this democratic republic know as the United States of America. The only exceptional thing about America today is that she is exceptionally stupid to not realize how increasingly dangerous the influence of money in politics has become.

For the record, the SCOTUS will get a second chance this week to inflict more damage on the nation by hearing another case which will lead to their eliminating any further restrictions on donations to politicians and PACs.