US Government Shutdown is OVER

[Everlong]

http://www.cnn.com/2013/10/16/politics/ ... ?hpt=hp_t1

So it's finally over, after an embarrassing week or two or however long it was. I'm sure Buck has plenty to weigh in on this

[Daz]

The rest of the world is still laughing at you.

[Everlong]

The rest of the world is still laughing at you.

Let them laugh while they're eating a Big Mac and getting ready to watch the latest Hollywood flick while preparing for their countries' latest import of 100% homegrown 'merican LIBERTY

[DanielsonTHAGOAT]

I hate the American government so much.

[Hanley!]

It is hilarious that the most powerful country allowed something like that to even happen. The Tea Party morons responsible deserve most of the abuse for what happened, for sure. But I think it shows something fundamentally wrong with the government.

Until I watched the West Wing, I didn't know that bills can be amended to include basically anything under the sun over there, regardless of whether it's relevant to the bill in question. I still find that pretty mind-blowing.

[Everlong]

It is hilarious that the most powerful country allowed something like that to even happen. The Tea Party morons responsible deserve most of the abuse for what happened, for sure. But I think it shows something fundamentally wrong with the government.

Until I watched the West Wing, I didn't know that bills can be amended to include basically anything under the sun over there, regardless of whether it's relevant to the bill in question. I still find that pretty mind-blowing.

This actually isn't even close to the first time this has happened either. This was actually the 18th government shutdown in US history, but the first in quite some time.

And yeah, probably 75% of every bill is just a bunch of pork, which is political slang for unnecessary items that get thrown into a bill to appease legislators and encourage them to vote for it.

[UTK]

Yeah, but the damn "agreement" is only valid until the beginning of next year. The only thing they focused on was not defaulting, which made sense considering the corner they put themselves in. But the lack of a long-term agreement bugs me.

It is hilarious that the most powerful country allowed something like that to even happen. The Tea Party morons responsible deserve most of the abuse for what happened, for sure. But I think it shows something fundamentally wrong with the government.

The Tea Party deserves abuse in general.

[Locke]

Poor bum like me never even noticed the difference. My way of life wasn't effected down to the last grain of salt in the cabinet. Nothin'.

[AkydefGoldberg]

Without getting too deep but having a general over-view of the situation, it just seems both parties are willing to treat its citizens with contempt with this childish "We won't do this until you do this for us" policy. They are willing to shut down the government and cause a problem for the staff who won't get paid for the time they've been off; people unable to use those services and cause concern for the world ecomomy. I imagine in February, this whoo-haa will be starting again.

Just my view, but it does seem that Obama isn't as cosy with senators than his predecessors? That's the feeling I get from what I read that they don't particularly like him and/or willing to compromise because he hasn't made a major effort with them. I thought Biden being the Vice President and older than Obama in diplomatic and political terms was to help in situations like this, i.e him using his experience to get concessions or agreements with Senators who've been round the block abit more. Maybe I'm wrong in my assessment but just my feeling.

[Hanley!]

I wouldn't really blame both parties, because what was the president's side going to do? Allowing the government to be taken hostage over something as stupid as that would have been a horrible precedent to set. The phrase "we do not negotiate with terrorists" comes to mind here. You don't want to let people know you can be bullied like this, it's really dangerous territory.

[UTK]

I wouldn't really blame both parties, because what was the president's side going to do? Allowing the government to be taken hostage over something as stupid as that would have been a horrible precedent to set. The phrase "we do not negotiate with terrorists" comes to mind here. You don't want to let people know you can be bullied like this, it's really dangerous territory.

Republicans are terrorists. Noted.