Of course, I felt fine even when the government was closed. My mail was delivered. My airline travel was controlled and inspected. I sent off our tax returns even though there was probably no one there to sign for them. G'ma's physicians still accepted her Medicare benefits as payment.
There were even some wonderful benefits to the shutdown. Intrepid Cat caught up on her math skills via Khan Academy while on her unpaid vacation. The Pilates Diva and her family finished her belated-50th Birthday Grand Canyon Hike up and out of the campground with nary a soul going down as they ascended. Thee Park Rangers closed the trail at 6am, but gave those at the bottom 48 hours to get out. They had the trail to themselves.
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I was infuriated along with the rest of you when I saw this.... especially since Rep. Randy Neugebauer voted along with his obstructionist friends to put that poor Ranger in such an awkward position.
His outburst didn't really change my mind about anything; I've written off the House Republicans as dangerous to themselves and others. I wonder how one can represent people without access to health insurance and decry the ACA. I laugh with the rest of you at the poll result showing that people love the Affordable Care Act but loathe Obamacare. It's hard to remove racism from the equation sometimes.
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Where's Lyndon Johnson when we need him? Where is a leader with stature, someone who could command attention, someone with gravitas or power or both? Tip O'Neill... Bob Dole... you may not have agreed with their politics, but they got the job done.
I'm delighted that Caroline Kennedy was confirmed as our Ambassador to Japan this morning, but what about everyone else on the lists? My retired-but-I-fill-in-when-they-call-me State Department friend served at several embassies without upper level managerial staff over the last year; they've not been confirmed. Doing nothing has become a badge of honor among a certain segment of our legislators; I wonder if their constituents knew that was the plan when they sent them to D.C.
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Through it all, the financial markets were showing green arrows, apparently not believing that the world was coming to an end. All this posturing and proclaiming has resulted in a stifling of economic growth, in an increase in animosity and divisiveness, in a general throwing up of hands among those of us who consider ourselves to be sensible consumers of information.
There is double-talk and willful ignorance and a blind disregard to the wishes of the majority of the voting public. The gerrymandered districts held securely by Tea Party Republicans will continue to haunt John Boehner... unless the thoughtful arm of the Republican Party (there must be one, don't you think?) sends reasonable candidates to the voters for their consideration.
A girl can dream, can't she?
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That party has been over-taken by radicals. My dad is a Republican, but he's horrified with what the Republicans have allowed to happen to their party. Our whole government was shut down by the likes of Cruz and Paul. The sicken me, but what sickens me more are the people that elected these asshats into office. That's the nicest thing I can call them. They are beyond any sort of respect. They don't respect the office they hold. Their only concern is getting at Obama--by any means necessary. If that entails bringing down our country, then they will do it. I'm just glad many people have seen through this facade. I pray these people are not elected again and our country can move forward.
ReplyDeleteHave a great weekend.
Megan xxx