House Republicans cave on government shutdown

It seems the House GOPers didn't see a large enough ransom potential in a government shutdown at this time and decided not to take the economy hostage. Instead the House easily passed a bill to keep the government running, at least in the short term.

The House gave final approval Thursday, in a bipartisan 318 to 109 vote, to a continuing funding resolution that outlines spending through the end of the fiscal year, Sept. 30. It assures that the government will stay open when the current funding measure expires March 27. The House vote came a day after the Senate approved the bill. It now goes to President Obama for his signature, ending a relatively smooth and drama-free process for a Congress that has repeatedly deadlocked on spending issues. But it only covers the next six months.

Haven't seen a breakdown on the vote but feel safe in assuming most of the 109 nays were Republicans indebted to a largely crackpot con base.

But that's not all. They were busy at John Boehner's place this week. House Republicans also endorsed Paul Ryan's vision to starve granny and kill off the excess poors.

Just this morning, House Republicans passed this year’s version of Paul Ryan’s budget proposal, which — if implemented — would defund the Affordable Care Act, slash tax rates on the wealthiest Americans, slash spending on social programs, and radically restructure the nation’s retirement programs. The measure won support from the vast majority of House Republicans, passing with 221 votes, with all Democrats in opposition.

Ten Republicans joined House Democrats in opposing the Ryan budget measure.

Six of the 10 said the Wisconsin Republican’s budget didn’t cut spending fast enough, while four said it cut spending too steeply or in the wrong areas.

The other four are in more vulnerable districts, where those lawmakers could conceivably lose to a strong Democratic challenger.

Meanwhile, the effects of the sequester cuts are trickling out into the states and cities like toxic fracking waste seeping into the water table, slowly eroding vital public services. Sadly not seeing much BigMedia reminders that this is happening because the GOP refused to raise an extra dime's worth of revenue from the investor class -- a/k/a the only people who benefited from the recovery so far.