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msnbc.com's Carrie Dann
msnbc.com's Carrie Dann
Tea Party activists gather in the shadow of the Capitol to urge budget cuts.
From msnbc.com's Carrie Dann
As budget negotiations continued inside the halls of Congress Thursday, a gathering of Tea Party activists huddled at a cold outdoor rally on Capitol Hill to send a message to the deal-makers inside:
They're ready to pick a fight.
A few hundred people -- far fewer than the massive rallies seen before last year's midterm elections -- who braved the dreary weather urged lawmakers to push deep cuts to the federal budget even if it results in a temporary shuttering of the government, chanting "Cut it or shut it!" and punctuating cheers with calls to "shut it down!"
"If Harry Reid wants a fight, let's give it to him!" said Rep. Mike Pence (R-IN), one of a parade of conservative lawmakers who made remarks at the event sponsored by the Tea Party Patriots.
Many of the rally's speakers were careful to note that Democrats are "rooting" for a shutdown and that GOP budget-cutters hope to avoid a funding lapse that would turn off the government's lights.
Democratic leaders "want to turn you into their scapegoats and blame the Tea Party for shutting the government down," said Rep. Michele Bachmann (R-MN).
Rep. Allen West (R-FL) declared, "We are not here to talk about shutting the government down... But if you want to talk about shutting down the government, go over there and talk to Chuck Schumer and Harry Reid and the folks at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue!"
Sen. Jim DeMint (R-SC) told reporters after his brief remarks to the crowd that a federal closure is undesirable but would not be catastrophic.
"No Republican wants to shut the government down. I don't think anybody here really wants a shutdown," DeMint said, "but we shouldn't be so afraid of a shutdown that we can't make the right decisions right now." He added, "We can't be cowed by this threat."
The preemptive finger-pointing over a potential shutdown likely stems from the scars of the budget fights of the mid-1990s, when the public soured on GOP leaders in the wake of a series of federal closings.
A full federal closure "is not going to be very popular with the American people," warned Clinton-adviser-turned-conservative-commentator Dick Morris, who instead suggested a "targeted shutdown" of agencies -- like the EPA and the National Labor Relations Board -- that are loathed by Tea Party activists.
"We don't have to close down the government. We're going to close down the parts of the government we can't stand!" Morris said.
That sentiment was met with cheers -- as well as a smattering of shouts to "shut it down!"
*** UPDATE *** Here's a dispatch from NBC's Catherine Chomiak:
As the continuing resolution currently funding the government inches closer to its expiration date of April 8, Tea Party activists rallied today for a budget battle. Reps. Steve King (R-IA), Mike Pence (R-IN), Michele Bachmann (R-MN) and Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY) fired up the crowd on a dreary day in Washington, D.C., with calls for a fight and threats of a government shutdown.
Congressman Pence, citing the current deficit, debt, and “defiant liberal majority in the Senate” said the time was right “to pick a fight."
“The debt stops here,” he said. “If liberals in the Senate would rather play political games and shut down the government instead of making a small down payment on fiscal discipline and reform, I say, 'Shut it down.'”
Representative and potential Republican presidential candidate Bachmann hit Democrats saying they are hoping for a government shut down. “That’s their plan," Bachmann said. "They want to shut the government down, and they want to turn you into their scapegoat and say, 'It’s the Tea Party’s fault for shutting the government down.'"
Paul urged the Tea Party members to keep up their political involvement. “The fight is just beginning,” he vowed. “Keep their feet to the fire, call them, email them, let them know that you are prepared for America to move forward, but only by balancing the budget and making government smaller.”
In addition to a fight on the budget, King showed support for his fellow House Republican saying, “We need to fight on Mike Pence’s proposal on unfunding (sic) Planned Parenthood… And we need to fight on cutting off the funding that implements Obamacare.”
Bachmann also got loud cheers from the crowd when she proposed sending “a change of address form to 1600 Pennsylvania Ave.”
This is something Bachmann has said before and will probably be said again, as she continues to consider a 2012 presidential bid.
Leave a Comment:
If they choose to shut down the Govt, then no one on a govt payroll should get paid, I mean no one! No pay for the DEA,ICE, Congress, the armed forces NO ONE!!!!!!
Don't agree, WeldDem. Only congressional office holders and the President can be held accountable for a government shutdown. Soldiers, federal agents, and civil service workers have no place at the table in budget negotiations. Now I think everyone even remotely associated with congress should forfeit all pay, allowances, and benefits during a shutdown. That would include medical coverage during such a period for all office holders ~ ~ and there would be a prohibition against retroactive payment for the time government is in limbo.
Still paid with Govt funds that will need to be paid for, Eff them
Ya know, maybe the government should shut down just so these fascists can swim in their own urine! They don't want to compromise, then @!$%# them!
I have a question for all you erudite polical savvyists: How come the government shutdown deadlines are scheduled for a week after all the monthly government checks are issued? Is this by accident or by design? I do visit a lot of these comment panels, and I must congratulate the current participants in this one. You seem to recognize that the problem lies in a divided congress, and a divided political party (The Republicans), and not with the White House. Congress creates the paperwork, the Prez only signs it. I like the Tea Party, for the simple reason that it will divide and weaken the Republican Party. Then the true parties will rise...The BofA party, the Citiparty, the UBS party, and the Insurance Company Coalition. Oh they're here...They don't vote though, they just appoint. It won't be America, but at least it'll be honest.
Oh those (that) Corporate Party votes Gary, just by the "Trillions" instead of the "Millions" like US!
Please Lord what America REALLY needs is another FDR to save US today! If not I fear we might not make it to 2016 so..........
Vote Paul/Nader 2012 Investigate/Prosecute/Incarcerate these new "Oligarchs"
Paul / Nader would not amount to a fart in a hurricane on election day. I doubt they could win a single primary.
They said that about Ross Perot too didn't they? Of course being a "Quiter" he screwed himself in the almost end.
So instead we should all just give into more of your same ole same ol?
Get REAL People if you want REAL Change you are going to have to fight for REAL Men / Woman of Princable not just more of their "Sock Puppets" (well they are real but....) from the Demo-Republo-Rat Party! I'd even vote for "Mother Treasa" IF SHE COULD RUN!
But I won't vote for ANY MORE of the same ole "Robber Barons" or their Minions!
Tea party & repubs two of a kind,if goverment shuts down,you can put the blame on them again. Lets see who do we have to run for the repubs in 2012?? Trump?, Bachmann, Palin, Huckabee, Newt,God forbid an of these to win. Trump the birther,bachmann & palin the way uninformed,Huckabee boring, Newt liar & two faced, Guess that only leaves Obama. Its really bad when a junior tea party congressman says he needs a raise,he just can't make it on 172 thousand a year, REALLY/????. Or when you have a republican congressman who is on the board of foreign affairs that is worried that the war in Libya might spread to Africa!!!! A clue mr. congressman Libya is in Africa.
What's really interesting to me is Maine's new Republo Governer Lepage also gave his really cute "Assistant" $172,000 a year! Hmm and why is that since Maine to is "Broke" and cutting worker benefits but now a State AA makes as much as a US Congress person! She must be REALLY good at "SOMETHING"?
Ah can't you smell it in the wind.......
It needs to shut down and save some money.
Shut it down and shut down these fascist punk's salaries and benefits as well. Let them all choke on their own vomit!
Shutting down the government doesn't save any money. Interest and penalties just pile up and add to the cost of accomplishing nothing.
But the rich are getting richer, the poor poorer. Everybody knows that. According to the United Nations, the United States already has the highest level of income inequality of all of the highly industrialized nations. 43 million are already on foodstamps. 40 percent of income earners in the United States now collectively own less than 1 percent of the nation’s wealth while the upper 5% own 55% of the wealth and the gop, birthers, & tea party plans to up that to 95% of the wealth. Their mantra is taxed enough already after herbert boover i mean gw bush cut their taxes. And warren buffet, the richest of all, says he is paying the same tax rate as his receptionist.
The teabaggers want the government to shut down. If they get their way, I hope it lasts for as year. Why? Because not a one of them will be able to apply for Social Security while the government is shut down.
tired of these @!$%#s, easy to say cut spending but what gets cut is not the fat it is the public services we all rely on, air traffic control, highways and bridges, veterans benefits........ they want cuts how about moving out of the city grab a horse couple of goat and show us how it is done bunch on numbskulls
The "tea party" is over-run with idiots
tell you what i think.if the tea party is complaining about this then why dont those on SSI and other GOVERNMENT Entitlements give them up and save us some money... what was that Tea Partiers dont touch MY money...worthless people (tea party people) a combat veteran
Yeah Shut it down, we don't care how much damage is done to the country, we want the government shut down because we're complete moron azzholes.
The bush years will not be forgotten!!!! vote for common sense, Where are the jobs our new congress PROMISED!!!!!! All i see is bs from them, repubs have the house, where are the jobs mr. speaker.
End the fed http://www.zerohedge.com/article/fed-bailed-out-libya-owned-bank
SHUT IT DOWN
These are some very sad people its a shame what they are doing to the good Republicans
Good republicans? Would that be the ones who want to strip schools? How about the ones who defunded planned parenthood? Or maybe the ones who want to take away unemployment benefits? With good republicans who needs bad ones?
If the "good Republicans" had any guts, they would get rid of the bad influence. The T-baggers got elected in large measure because the Democrats didn't vote. One doesn't need high math skills to read the election numbers of 2010 in comparison to 2008. Considering how orthodox Republicans are currently acting, they lack this ability, otherwise they would see the folly of their caving in to a splinter minority of their own party.
This is hilarious! Glad it is now on record who wants to shut it down.
The teabirthers are old people. Half of them will probably pass away before Nov 2012. Especially if they keep getting their blood pressure up like that.
Who gives a crap what the teaparty wants. I could care less about those scum...
When are you people going to wake up and smell the coffee????? In 1980, the debt was < $1T!! AT the end of bush's last budget, FY 2009, the debt was $11.9T and Pres. Obama inherited $1.3T of that. To deal with the recession ( also inherited from bush and the GOP) he added another $500B to taht budget, making the total deficit for that year about $1.8T. The following year, Obama’s first budget, the deficit came in at about $1.66T-- a REDUCTION!! This fiscal year, it will likely be a bit less......... another reduction!
I wonder how that changes your opinion of the GOP, who endangered national security and economic future with this MONSTROUS plan just so they could give the money spent on social entitlements to the bankers and Wall St bigwigs who just crashed this economy.BTW...... did you know that the run up of debt by reagan/bush/bush, thru tax cuts and overspending was DELIBERATE????? The plan--- "starve the beast" was begun under reagan. The idea was to mortgage the government to the hilt so that it created a debt/budget crisis. That way the GOP could then claim that the only way to solve this problem was to eliminate/privatize SS, Medicare etc. The last 3 GOP signed TWENTY deficit riddled budgets which led to $11T of debt--- ON PURPOSE!
http://www.treasurydirect.gov/govt/reports/pd/histdebt/histdebt_histo5.htm The math I come up with is reagan/bush/bush - $11T of debt. Pres. Obama about $2T. ( some of that inherited!)http://www.forbes.com/2010/05/06/tax-cuts-republicans-starve-the-beast-columnists-bruce-bartlett.html <=== A CONSERVATIVE REPUBLICAN
http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/10054/1037783-109.stm ( Nobel prize winning economist)
I want the goverment shut down. I want to see the welfare queens and illegals riot in the streets when the checks dont come.
Entitlement checks will continue even if the government shuts down. What will stop is the processing of new applications for Social Security etc. So if grandma is 64 and 11 months old, she will be SOL.
Yeap just like in 1929 so can you say "Stalin" Comrad? How about Socialist Workers Party?
welfare queens and illegals riot in the streets
Oh yes this will play REALLY well on FAUX while you watch from your fancy "Gated Communities" at least until they come for YOU!
But I ain't defending Ya that's for SURE! Bring it on the quicker the better for sometimes that is ALL they will listen to!
Yes bring on La Madame Guillotine and let them eat CAKE!!!
I hope it shuts down the social security administration and checks don't go out. Then all of the hypocritical social security recipients in the tea party that hate government and government programs can starve...LOL. Although I do feel bad for the democrat and otherwise reasonable seniors that would suffer.
Got news for you, the Social Security Checks will continue! lol
So I guess you'll still be waiting on your check...hypocrite. You hate government programs and assume that they are all waste and fraud because you are lazy, greedy selfish @$$e$ that do take advantage of everyone one and everything that you can and therefore assume that everyone else does the same. I am a hard working liberal that doesn't expect the government to take care of me, but hope that if unfortunate circumstances were to come to pass that such programs would be available. Look at all of the gray haired medicare/social security recipients in these pictures rallying against government programs and taxes. Do they realize they live on other people's taxes. If you are so self sufficient withdrawal from your medicare and social security and take care of yourself. (I talked to a lady the other day that was complaining about money taken out of her social security check by medicare and complaining about government stealing her money to take care of other people. I was very confused as she actually subsists on government money and is actually complaining that the government took money out of her check for government programs.) Could someone please explain how the tea party overcomes cognitive dissonance as the thought of how one reconciles living off government programs and hating government so much actually makes my head feel like it might explode. The ignorance is bliss excuse may apply here, but maybe there is a better explanation.
These friggin' Tea Farty people are abolutely insane! Very Scary, someone put'em out of their misery, please!
Millions of illegal aliens boycotted work, claiming that the economy would collapse without them. What we found out was the economy didn't even miss them. If the government shuts down, we won't miss them either. The liberal leeches will panic, but working Americans can take care of themselves without Uncle Sam quite well.
If the government get shut down, the Tea Baggers will be branded with causing the shutdown and they will pay at election time.
Problem is, John ~ there are not enough of you "WE''s to carry a general election. Let the government shut down and in a bout a week you won't even have several of the ones you can now claim. The lesson here is that no one truly gives a sh*t until they are directly impacted, then you will have their undivided attention with most realizing what has happened and why along with who caused it. But don't let me rain on your parade ~ it will be such a short one.
Job1 - only time will tell. I see all this hate for the Tea Party Movement and I wonder where its coming from.
I think there is a lot of misinformation on what they stand for. The Tea Party people I know are more to the middle and they are made up of Democrats, Republicans and Independents.
The 2012 elections are going to be like 2008, with a very record group of Democrat Progressives voting.
So, this will be a great opportunity to get rid of the Tea baggers –Republicans in office.
People have to remember that only 37% of the eligible voters voted in 2010 and that is not going to happen in 2012.
Folks....
Even though I am a fan of the Tea Party, I do not speak for them, only myself.
Now, all you folks who are saying that we (Tea Party) want to shut down the government are not telling the truth, only the Chuck Shummer talking points. I do not want the goverment to shut down - I want them to cut the wasteful and un-needed spending. If it comes to the point of either fishing or cutting bait, then shut it down!
If the government is shut down, then everyone loses whether you continue to get your benefits and/or entitlements or not. I do not include SS or Medicare in cuts except for the fact that both programs have to be reformed or my children and grandchildren will not receive any of their entitlements at all because there will be no programs. My proposal would be to get rid of anyone on SS and medicare that did not pay into it. Next, take the $106k cap off of SS taxes. Pay SS on all the income. I would also be in favor of hiring some really bad-a$$ investigators and turn them loose on the fraud, waste and abuse of medicare. I would love to see several perp walks every day.
I propose getting rid or severely curtailing all social programs such as federal welfare, food stamps, etc. because they are really being scammed and most of the money is being wasted and not helping except to create generational welfare recipients. Make it a 1 year max on all welfare and food stamps funding for anyone.
Medicaid - return it to the states (that is where it belongs). Medicaid is nothing but a big scam - they take money and launder it, take a big chunk and then using wisdom from on high, returns it to the states. Cut out the middle man.
Military - go through the defense budget (non-classified) line-by-line and I'm sure there is a lot which needs to be cut. We are a great country because we create good stuff that protects us and it starts out being secret e.g. (F-117, B-2, GPS, communications, etc.)
There are many good things that the government has the responsibility of doing, but there are many more that are either wasteful, un-needed, illegal or all the above.
I'm saying that we either get a handle on the spending or we will turn out to be another Greece or even worst and it seems that a lot of folks on the left don't care.
We are quickly heading for financial ruin and I for one, don't want that and if it takes shutting down the government to get the point across, then so be it!
Just Saying...
or is it just important to shut down the parts that you don't agree with?
echo82..
Just the wasteful, un-needed, duplicated, un-constitutional and senseless parts.
Just Saying...
@tea party fan---and what parts are those?
I'm a pacifist...because many people feel like this should we remove defense spending from the budget. You do not get to pick and choose based on your personal feeling (feel free to have them), but your decision about what is "wasteful, unneeded, duplicated, unconstitutional and senseless" to you may not be for others.
echo82....
Oh, so much to say and so little time....
First, eliminate the dept of education - they do nothing but spend money. Next, the dept of energy - they were to supposed to make us energy independent and have done nothing - move the nuclear parts to the dept of defense. Then, eliminate most of the dept of Ariculture including all crop substities, land bank, food stamps, etc - keep the food inspectors.
Next, eliminate all boards and commissions (especially the potato and tomato boards).
Next, make all grants for research competitive (not political payback) e.g. - anyone getting grants for cancer research must not contain any salaries, only equipment and supplies and has to show some results at the end of the grant or they don't apply for another one.
Cut all congressional and executive staffs by at least 25 ~ 50 percent.
Immediately approve all permits for drilling new oil wells (especially in Anwar).
Immediately repeal all regulation implemented since 2000, and especially Obamacare.
I can go on and on and on and on - want some more?
Just Asking...
how much money would all that save? and why just regulation implemented since 2000?
echo82...
Don't know how much it would save, but I will guess that it will be many hundreds of billions of dollars. As far as the regulations since 2000 - I needed to pick a date (I thought) and that one just came out of midair. Really, I just want to get rid of the crazy ones that hinder job creation and burden small businesses with a ton of paperwork and does not solve anything. You can pick any date you want.
Just Saying...
tea-party-fan
You'll never get all of that under just your terms! Count on it! And the more you people push it that way the further away it is going to get.
Big business wants the EPA shut down.. What a shocker. then they can go back to the old days of just screwing up the enviroment.
Morris actually speaking a bit of truth...about their real agenda