In the News

 

 

By M.D. Kittle 

 

MADISON — Members of Wisconsin’s congressional delegation made the rounds late Monday, political soldiers with their marching orders, as the federal government faced its first shutdown in two decades.

Some kept their Twitter and Facebook pages hopping with talking points and a dash of invective while they waited for the next political ping-pong ball to bounce back. Others did the cable and talk radio circuit, each pitching his party’s message — something about being above partisan politics, trying to convince whoever would listen that the other side is the crazy one.

 

That argument probably was going to be a tough sell for most Americans, watching yet another episode of dysfunctional Congress.

“Will be on @Thom_Hartmann in 15 min to discuss #GOPshutdown and need for commonsense in Congress#”  Tweeted U.S. Rep. Mark Pocan, D-Madison, giddy about his scheduled appearance on the liberal talk show.

 

Pocan kept up his party’s inflammatory talking points in another tweet predicting economic collapse.

“The #GOPShutdown could tank our economy… http://tinyurl.com/lvw3xgh via @CNN RT if you say#EnoughAlready to Tea Party hostage-taking,” he wrote.

 

Referring to Republicans at large and conservatives in particular as hostage-takers, terrorists and other supercharged pejoratives remained very much in style throughout the day for breathless Democrats.

 

Earlier in the day, House Republican leaders on a 228-201 vote landed their plan to keep the government going in exchange for delaying the requirement that individuals buy health insurance under Obamacare.

 

Federal subsidies for members of Congress, Capitol Hill and White House staff, the vice president and president, among others, would be axed under the proposal.

 

A short time later, the Senate, with very little debate, pushed back the House plan and sent a “clean” bill back to the House, without any of the delays on Obamacare or other legislative extras.  It was all back in the House’s hands late Monday night, but majority leadership didn’t appear to be budging from their line in the sand on Obamacare, with open enrollment for the massive health care overhaul set to begin Tuesday.

 

U.S. Rep. Paul Ryan, R-Janesville, issued a statement Monday on the Obamacare debate.

 

“One of our core principles is equality under the law. The President gave special exemptions to big business, Congress, and his political allies. But he refused to give the same relief to working families. That is fundamentally unfair,” Ryan wrote. “We will take action to give people the same relief the President gave big businesses, and we will take away the special deal for Congress. Will Senate Democrats close the government to protect an unfair deal?

 

“We have an opportunity to help families in need and help grow the economy. I hope we can find willing partners on the other side of the aisle.”

 

There is much debate over whether members of Congress and other federal staff members really do receive “subsidies” for health care, but earlier this year Obama ordered a delay on the implementation of the health care law for the largest employers, agreeing that the bigger businesses needed more time to work out the details of the law.

 

“With only two hours until the #GOPshutdown, House Republicans continue to play partisan games,” tweeted U.S. Rep. Gwen Moore, adding the Dem’s familiar#EnoughAlready hashtag.

Moore joined U.S. Sen. Tammy Baldwin, D-Wisc., in pushing the message about Obamacare open enrollment.

 

“For too long, millions have been denied health care security. Hey #WI – that changes tomorrow: http://goo.gl/PYFGbo . #GetCovered,” Baldwin tweeted.

 

Despite other polls to the contrary issued by mainstream media and Democrats, U.S. Rep. Sean Duffy, R-Weston, pushed a poll showing the American people were with Republicans in their stand against Obamacare.

 

“Americans support delay of #Obamacare. Tell President Obama it’s time to negotiate#tcot @aaf http://americanactionforum.org/survey/aaf-bat” Duffy tweeted.

 

Negotiating didn’t seem the order of the evening as the clock readied to strike midnight on the last day of the federal government’s fiscal year.