If I just walked off my job, especially in the middle of doing it, I'd be fired without a moment's hesitation.

In a just world, the same rule would apply to members of Congress.

Ok, lets get something out in the open here - theatrics is part and parcel of life in the House. organized walk outs, coordinating standing and applause, lapel pins. its all arranged ahead of time, and it's all part of the show.

But this is something different. when you stage a show, the point is for people to SEE it. cutting off the cameras defeats the purpose and really makes me think the House GOP has something to hide.

Because transparent freedom, that's why.

Weaver95:

But this is something different. when you stage a show, the point is for people to SEE it. cutting off the cameras defeats the purpose and really makes me think the House GOP has something to hide.

I honestly don't think they feel they have anything to hide. They are just that farking arrogant.

vartian: Weaver95:

But this is something different. when you stage a show, the point is for people to SEE it. cutting off the cameras defeats the purpose and really makes me think the House GOP has something to hide.

I honestly don't think they feel they have anything to hide. They are just that farking arrogant.

that's certainly one possibility. the House GOP doesn't strike me as being particularly humble. But cutting the CSPAN feed is a very large mistake. For starters, it's petty. Tactically speaking - nobody will see your walk out...which defeats the entire purpose of HAVING one in the first place. And lastly - by cutting off the CSPAN feed it makes the GOP look like they've got something to hide. which they probably don't - lets face it, we all know just how vain, mean and petty the House GOP have become. But now it LOOKS like they're hiding something. So again, why stage a walk out/protest, don't let the public watch the show and then act like you don't want people to see you put on your show...?

Didn't all those members sign that pledge to never raise taxes? If the GOP is all about lowering taxes, why is this so hard?

haemaker: Didn't all those members sign that pledge to never raise taxes? If the GOP is all about lowering taxes, why is this so hard?

Because SOCIALISM!

Weaver95: So again, why stage a walk out/protest, don't let the public watch the show and then act like you don't want people to see you put on your show...?

I'm equally perplexed. It isn't as if CSPAN gets huge numbers; this didn't have to be a news story. They chose to allow it to be.

Hell if I can figure out that logic * shrugs*

vartian: Weaver95: So again, why stage a walk out/protest, don't let the public watch the show and then act like you don't want people to see you put on your show...?

I'm equally perplexed. It isn't as if CSPAN gets huge numbers; this didn't have to be a news story. They chose to allow it to be.

Hell if I can figure out that logic * shrugs*

yeah, that's another good point. again - lets face it, CSPAN doesn't exactly pull down stellar ratings. But the House GOP just drew a LOT of attention by cutting off the CSPAN feed. Again, if this was typical political theater then why cover it up? if this even WAS a coverup in the first place, then it failed since, as you say, the GOP basically just got everyone's attention by their actions.

so the only thing I can come up with is that the walk out wasn't part of the plan. or it was spur of the moment. in any even, the GOP said 'f*ck it' and they all left the room. then they cut the cameras off because hey - f*ck you guys too. this was pure emotion, not planned or calculated.

if i'm right and this was all just spur of the moment crap...then the GOP is in worse shape than we figured. poor impulse control and frayed tempers don't make for a stable government.

Weaver95: poor impulse control and frayed tempers don't make for a stable government.

The word "stable" doesn't really come to mind when *I* think of the Republicans in the House.

Weaver95: But cutting the CSPAN feed is a very large mistake.

Not passing the damn bill was a big mistake, there was little about this whole thing that made much sense.

Weaver95: But the House GOP just drew a LOT of attention by cutting off the CSPAN feed.

No, they didn't. They drew a lot of attention by walking out, which is what all the news stories were about. Nobody reported widely that the CNN feed was cut off. That will only matter to political wonks and partisans looking to score points. It was walking out and fighting with the Senate Republicans over a bill they should have passed that drew a lot of attention. About the only thing I can think of is that they're giving the Candidates something to rail against to make *them* sound better, but even that is far fetched and stupid.

The bigger WTF here is how CSPAN doesn't even have control of its own cameras because Boehner won't let them.

haemaker: Didn't all those members sign that pledge to never raise taxes? If the GOP is all about lowering taxes, why is this so hard?

to not raise taxes on RICH people who can afford to pay them

themindiswatching: The bigger WTF here is how CSPAN doesn't even have control of its own cameras because Boehner won't let them.

freedom of speech
sort of

bwhahahahahahahahaah

Uchiha_Cycliste: \It's worth noting the the amount of evil increases geometrically along the scale.


The old logarythmic axis of evil. Brilliant!

themindiswatching: The bigger WTF here is how CSPAN doesn't even have control of its own cameras because Boehner won't let them.

The cameras currently in the House are in the control of the House; that's the way it's been since day one. What Boehner did was turn down a request by C-SPAN to put in additional cameras that would be under C-SPAN's control. Just pointing that out for clarification purposes.

What Boehner and the GOP did today was absolutely reprehensible and a direct result of the party's stated mission to deny Obama a second term, no matter what the cost. Unfortunately for them, it's going to blow up in their big dumb faces and wind up leading to a long period of Democratic rule over this country. They probably don't even realize how much of a fark you they gave to their constituents today just to keep the Tea Party caucus in line. But the voters do, and will give them a reminder of it come November.

If their ideas are so good why are they trying to hide discussion of them?

You don't hear me not talking about my massive cock, IQ of 145 and 750,000 a year lawyer job.

Even though the Republicans are farking assholes for doing this, Hoyer just sounds like such a typical politician by saying ""We regret, Mr. Speaker, that you have walked off the platform without addressing the issue of critical importance to this country, and that is the continuation of the middle class tax cut, the continuation of unemployment benefits for those at risk of losing them, and a continuation of the access to doctors for all those 48 million seniors who rely on them daily for help."

I mean a normal person would just go "Hey, you scumbags, come back here and lets vote on this thing to help the average American". Instead it sounds like a stupid generic politician speak.

CanisNoir: Nobody reported widely that the CNN feed was cut off.

Thanks for paying attention.

Wish to try, try, again?

They keep acting like petulant children in the hopes of making the Administration look bad, but from recent polls, it seems they're only managing to make themselves look bad.

Well done, GOP.

Perhaps it was done not to hide the fact that the republicans were walking out, but to hide which republicans were walking out. With elections coming up, a lot of them have to be feeling some heat from their constituents. Maybe this was done in an effort to keep their opponents from getting images and video for their campaign commercials. That way there is some plausable deniability that exists. It's easier to lie about what you did or didn't do when your ass ain't on video actually doing it...

Stay classy GOP. Oh wait, you never were.

Knight of the Woeful Countenance: It's amazing to me when even the trolls around here and WSJ are scratching their heads at the Republican's actions. It really tells ya something about the current state of the GOP.

Fox News spin "Patriotic GOP bravely marches out of Congress to prevent vote on liberal tax bill" in 3..2..

dustman81: Fox News spin "Patriotic GOP bravely marches out of Congress to prevent vote on liberal tax bill" in 3..2..

I think even FOX News is having a hard time spinning this for the GOP.

Yesterday, The vapid twat on their morning show was having a mini-meltdown claiming that the GOP are handing the president a second term with this nonsense.

That's a good indicator of how deranged the GOP has gotten in the last few years.

Let's be fair. They just want to make sure the tax cut is paid for somehow -- because a tax cut for working people has to be paid for versus a tax cut for rich because tax cuts for the rich magically pay for themselves.