Rush was back this morning defending Cruz and calling out the Republican Establishment...
"Boy, folks, if this doesn't embody everything that a number of us have been trying to say and inform everybody about the Washington establishment, the Republican establishment. In these 21 hours, even the hours leading up to it, the criticisms of Ted Cruz from his own party. The attempt to ruin him and mock him in his own party and from the so-called conservative media. And then of all places Fox News trashing all over this, and Fox News essentially blaming me and other conservative media for making Ted Cruz what he is."
"The fact that even after 21 hours, even at the beginning of it, they cannot at least admit that this is who the man is. He doesn't need any advisers here. He doesn't need any pressure. The man is not a coward. Ted Cruz isn't afraid of anybody. The real question is, what is the Republican establishment afraid of? What are some of these conservative media types at Fox News afraid of? What is the Washington establishment on the Republican side afraid of? Government shutdown, losing elections, what do you guys think you've been doing?
Did you look at how many Republicans didn't show up to vote for Mitt Romney in 2008? Do you realize that if the Republican Party base had turned out, Obama would have been defeated? Why didn't it happen? When does fighting for freedom backfire? Explain that to me. Because that's what this is. I guess some of these establishment types in Washington, regardless of party, I don't think they really understand. I think there is such a divide in this country, it is so wide, that some people in politics, it's their business to understand these things. They don't even know what really is going on. I just heard Michael Barone say, "Well, this is nothing but theater. All Ted Cruz has done is engage in something that's impossible."
It's not theater. This is real. This is about freedom. I know to a lot of people that sounds corny. "Freedom, come on, Rush, our freedom isn't threatened." Oh, but it is. In ever so small, incremental losses, it is. It's what Obamacare is all about. It's precisely what Obamacare is all about, the loss of individual freedom, the loss of free markets. Ted Cruz is fighting for freedom in the greatest tradition of American freedom fighters. And how did so many Republicans manage to miss that fundamental American lesson?"
Related links: RUSH: Ted Cruz Just Drew The ‘Red Line’ On Obama And His Administration
If the GOP Establishment Can't Follow Through Now, What's the Point of Winning?
Ted Cruz, accompanied by Lee and several other young conservatives, are still at it after 20+ hours! His time will soon expire, since an agreement was made in which they technically don't want to call this a filibuster (you can guarantee Reid is chomping at the bit to shut his time down). But I just wanted to share a couple of thoughts explaining just what's going on and what this means for the conservative movement.
Ed Morrissey of HotAir writes:
No matter what one thinks of the strategy, Cruz’ performance has been impressive in every sense of the word. The “long speech” — it’s not really a filibuster, since debate has already been limited and a vote scheduled for today — has objectively raised the profile of the opposition to ObamaCare, and whether that would have worked better for a delay than defunding is really moot at this point.
Why is Cruz doing it? Heritage explains why he's standing against Obamacare:
MorningBell: Senator Ted Cruz (R-TX) stood on the Senate floor yesterday to speak against Obamacare. He kept speaking all night and well into the morning.
Why? Because Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) wants to use procedural tricks to strip the House-passed bill of the provision that would defund Obamacare.
Reid wants to cut off debate and strong-arm funding for Obamacare, just as he strong-armed passage of this unfair, unworkable, and unaffordable bill three years ago. But if all the Senators who say they oppose Obamacare stand up to him—and stand together—they can stop him from funding Obamacare.
Related links: Cruz Eviscerates Obamacare, over and over and over...
Ted Cruz calls out the media for ignoring substance in Obamacare fight
Ted Cruz trounces Dick Durbin in colloquy on Obamacare
Back to Morrissey's piece...although there's much skepticism about any principled action taken by the current GOP leadership, Morrissey writes that according to Politico (of which there's equal skepticism), Boehner has the delay option ready to go once a bill is passed back to the House.
The House Republican leadership is seriously considering attaching a one-year delay of Obamacare’s individual mandate to the Senate bill to avert a government shutdown, according to senior GOP aides.
If House Republicans decide to go this route, it would all but provoke a government shutdown, since Senate Democrats might not even schedule a vote on a bill that includes that provision, Senate leadership staffers say. Even if the Senate schedules a vote, there might not be time to move the legislation through the slow-moving chamber.
We are talking about Boehner's resolve here, so, there's that. However, such a move would display a reasonable approach towards Obamacare's implementation. Morrissey adds:
A shutdown for a couple of days isn’t going to create a headache, but it might get the Senate to act with a little more alacrity to Boehner’s next submission. Republicans need to push the inequitable delays imposed by the White House against the consumers’ interest to demand an explanation why the whole train wreck shouldn’t be delayed to their benefit.
Related link: A brief history of government shutdowns (or 'scaled-back budgeting')
Bravo! We're standing with you!
Sen. Ted Cruz has taken to the Senate floor, denouncing Obamacare, and has vowed not to stop talking until he can’t stand anymore. The second Statesman in 2013 to defy the Democratic statists, while attempting to show a crippled, enabling Republican Party how to once again FIGHT for PRINCIPLE! And if ever there was an effort to fight for, defunding Obamacare is it...
Live C-SPAN coverage here.
Related links: Cruz Begins “Talking Filibuster” On Senate Floor, Vows To Speak “Until I Am No Longer Able To Stand” – Update: Harry Reid Whines: His Filibuster Isn’t Real
Sarah Palin talks Ted Cruz, Obamacare defunding with Cavuto
Last night, Mark Levin explained some further troubling insight. If a CR that included Obamacare defunding managed to find its way onto Obama's desk, he'd not only veto it, 'but he will do more than that.'
"Obama will unilaterally increase the debt ceiling in clear violation of the Constitution, commit an impeachable offense, and he's convinced that Congress will do nothing to defend its authority under Article I, nothing whatsoever. And he'd be right."
"I suspect Obama has back-channeled this and let Boehner & McConnell know that when push comes to shove, he will unilaterally raise the debt limit. And Boehner and McConnell wish to avoid such a threat, because they do not want to bring articles of impeachment against a president, if he did that, would certainly deserve to be removed from office. So instead, ladies and gentlemen, they're prepared to fund Obamacare, because they fear Obama more than they fear you."
They also don't have a big problem with Obamacare, as they dream of what that control might mean under their rule one day.
A 'glitch' you see. Afraid not. Like everything about it, this was by design...
USAToday: A “family glitch” in the 2010 health care law threatens to cost some families thousands of dollars in health insurance costs and leave up to 500,000 children without coverage, insurance and health care analysts say.
That's unless Congress fixes the problem, which seems unlikely given the House's latest move Friday to strip funding from the Affordable Care Act.
Congress defined “affordable” as 9.5% or less of an employee’s household income, mostly to make sure people did not leave their workplace plans for subsidized coverage through the exchanges. But the “error” was that it only applies to the employee — and not his or her family. So, if an employer offers a woman affordable insurance, but doesn’t provide it for her family, they cannot get subsidized help through the state health exchanges.
That can make a huge difference; the Kaiser Family Foundation said an average plan for an individual is about $5,600, but it goes up to $15,700 for families. Most employers help out with those costs, but not all.
“We saw this two-and-a-half years ago and thought, ‘Has anyone else noticed this?’” said Kosali Simon, a professor of public affairs at Indiana University who specializes in health economics. “Everyone said, ‘No, no. You must be wrong.’ But we weren’t, and that’s going to leave a lot of people out.”
Besides Twitchy pointing out the piece's flagrant blame Republicans aim, theRightScoop adds:
Obamacare was designed this way and Democrats and the president lied about the bill to the American people to pass it. On top of that Democrats who passed the bill refused to even read it and made excuses for why they weren’t going to read it. And now USA Today has the audacity to call this portion of a poorly designed law a ‘glitch’? Are you kidding me?
Just remember, whenever the Washington elite say it's for the children, know that something's about to be implemented towards the detriment of your children, not to their benefit.
It's now crystal clear where these GOP so-called leaders in the Senate stand. They refuse to support Cruz and Lee in any meaningful effort to prevent Reid and Democrats from restoring funds to Obamacare, which were stripped out of the House bill passed last week...
Here's McConnell and Cornyn's treachery...
Breitbart: A source in Congress tells Breitbart News that Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell and Senate Minority Whip John Cornyn are using their leadership positions to pressure other Republicans to oppose Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) in his campaign to defund Obamacare.
"Right now in the Senate, Mitch McConnell and John Cornyn are actively whipping Senators to shut down debate on the House continuing resolution so that Harry Reid can gut it with just 51 votes,” a senior congressional staffer with intimate knowledge of the situation said in an email to Breitbart News.
McConnell and Cornyn stated earlier Monday that they oppose a possible filibuster from Cruz to keep Reid from adding language funding the Affordable Care Act to the continuing resolution passed by the House of Representatives.
Instead of helping Cruz with their power as Senate GOP leaders, McConnell and Cornyn are working against him, this senior staffer said. But in the end, they will try to make it appear as though they do not support funding Obamacare by voting against Reid’s amendment after allowing Reid to implement it. “Once it's a 51-vote threshold, both McConnell and Cornyn will hide behind a 'no' vote on Reid's amendment—so they will have yet another show vote,” the staffer said.
Related link: Oh my: McConnell, Cornyn won’t join Cruz and Lee in filibustering House’s CR to defund ObamaCare
Shortly following their announcements, McCain joined in...
TheBlaze: Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., took the same position in comments to reporters. “How can I vote against a bill that I support?” he asked rhetorically.
McCain surely knows Cruz is not asking his fellow senators to vote “no” on a bill that defunds Obamacare. Rather, Cruz is asking Republicans to essentially filibuster the bill to prevent Democrats from rewriting the bill and restoring funding to Obama’s health care overhaul, which they intend to do. The move seeks to force Democrats to vote for the bill as passed by the House, which funds the government other than Obamacare.
Related link: John McCain hates Ted Cruz
Win, lose or draw, don't miss the point. Cruz's strategy is two-fold: 1.) force Senate Democrats, particularly those facing reelection next year, to cast an up-or-down vote on the House's CR with Obamacare defunding intact, and 2.) provide an opportunity for Senate Republicans to unite together on principle and produce a meaningful vote towards the defund effort.
However, with the actions of GOP leaders in the Senate, they've enabled a two-fold strategy of their own: thwart conservatives, while aiding their Democratic counterparts. Can you really call them counterparts, though, when the results of their actions, or rather inactions, only secure Big Government statist control? These Republicans, and too many like them, are fellow statists of Washington's ruling class with their own grand visions for government control when or if they regain power. They care little for limited government...and thus, less for liberty.
Kentucky...Texas...next year, you have a real opportunity to return McConnell and Cornyn to private life, replacing them with Senators who will abide by and respect some semblance of principle. Sorry Arizona...you're stuck with McCain until Obama's out (said it before and I'll say it again, should have gone with Hayworth when you had the chance).
Once upon a time...there existed an alternative news network that appealed to principle, as well as a fair and balanced approach. Now, it just appeals to another political party...a misguided one at that...
Mediaite: Levin said that he doesn’t really see Fox as “conservative media” anymore but rather as “Republican media.”
The host began by remarking on just how much one can find Karl Rove on Fox’s air, saying he’s “like a bad rash, the guy never goes away.” Later, he gave his listeners a lesson about “entrenched Republicans who actually like big government, they just want to run it.”
He referred to “conservatives” as the “outsiders” who push the party in the right direction. Levin said that now, the Republican Party is actually using Fox News to try to “defeat” conservatives, “and it’s really quite remarkable.”
“I don’t see a big conservative media other than a handful of us on talk radio,” Levin said, “and a handful of columnists and a handful of websites on the internet.”
“I see a Republican media,” he said, referring to bigger establishment sources like Fox News that are “preaching accommodation, and surrender and moderation as conservatism.”
As much as I despise what the Democratic statists are doing to this magnificent country, the neo-statists are perhaps more revolting in their nonstop effort to go along by constantly attacking and silencing the very conservatives that make up their core base (or at least, once upon a time, not so long ago did). And if Mark and a handful of others don't call out the avenues that seem to promote the wrong side of this internecine fight, then who will?
Related link: Mark Levin Rants Against Fox’s Gutfeld, Perino, Rove for Doubting ‘Defund Obamacare’ Movement
Should've known better...
Leave it to Boehner, McConnell and the RINO consultant class to turn on Cruz & Lee's effort to defund Obamacare. Treachery in just a weekend. Only a feckless GOP can pull that off...
RedState: Don’t be fooled by this political theater going on in Washington, DC. The fix is in and both sides are trying to fund ObamaCare while saving face.
The whole of House Republican Leadership thinks you are stupid. They have passed a bill that they know will be changed by Harry Reid before it goes back to the House in a few days. The smoking gun will happen when Boehner allows a Senate passed government funding measure to come up in the House minus the provision defunding ObamaCare. You wait and see.
Also, know that Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell is in on this too. He is going to stand with Senators Ted Cruz (R-Texas) and Mike Lee (R-Utah) to save his Senate seat, but he knows that he has the power to stop this scheme.
And McConnell has fallen right in suit...
WashingtonExaminer: Minutes ago, Sen. Mitch McConnell's spokesman Don Stewart sent a statement saying the Senate Minority Leader will not join an effort led by Republican Sens. Ted Cruz and Mike Lee to filibuster a House-passed continuing resolution that also defunds Obamacare.
McConnell's decision is another major blow to the Cruz-Lee strategy. Earlier Monday, Sen. John Cornyn, the second-ranking Republican in the Senate, said that he, too, would not support the filibuster scheme.
Now back to that RedState piece...
Senator Ted Cruz (R-TX) and Mike Lee (R-Utah) have been fighting to defund ObamaCare. They have a plan. Fight Reid’s motion to strike the provision to defund ObamaCare and force 60 Senators to shut down debate on that proposition. Republicans win that fight then Reid has a take it or leave it proposition with the House Continuing Resolution that defunds ObamaCare.
The problem is that Cruz and Lee are being sabotaged by his own leadership. The House and Senate Republican leadership are to fearful of being blamed for a government shut down to fight this issue. They are running the white flag of surrender up the flag pole before a shot has even been fired.
Squishy House Republicans and House Leadership want to embarrass Cruz and Lee when they fail to get the defunding of ObamaCare across the finish line. Boehner set our guys up for failure — that is a fact.
Levin joined Cavuto today to talk about the battle against Obamacare and the battle against the 'French Republicans' who have no visible strategy to fight Obamacare (or really any of Obama's Big Government policies). He makes the case for why we must fight and counter Republicans' efforts to kneecap Cruz and Lee.
Related links: Fighting Democrats With One Arm Tied and a Knife in Our Backs
Mark Levin: Mitch McConnell just STABBED Ted Cruz and Mike Lee IN THE BACK
Palin: Light up Capitol Hill switchboards to defund Obamacare
Stage One complete! On to the Senate...
TheHill: The House on Friday passed legislation that defunds ObamaCare but would keep the government running through mid-December.
The legislation was approved on a party line 230-189 vote, with Rep. Scott Rigel (Va.) the only GOP no vote. Two Democrats voted for the measure, Reps. Jim Matheson (Utah) and Mike McIntyre (N.C.).
Passage of the bill sets up a showdown with the Senate, and moves the two sides closer to a possible government shutdown on Oct. 1.
The ObamaCare language is expected to be stripped from the bill in the Senate, setting up a critical week of negotiations next week. House Republicans have cancelled a planned recess to return to Washington Wednesday, and their leaders have warned the House could be in next weekend.
Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio) bowed to conservatives in deciding to include the healthcare language in the continuing resolution. Republicans in the House had rejected an earlier proposal from their leaders that would have funded the government without defunding ObamaCare.
And in anticipation of Dingy Harry stripping out the defund portion to hurriedly hand it back to the House, Sen. Ted Cruz has vowed to filibuster if need be...
CBSNews: Conservative Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, said Thursday he'll do "everything necessary and anything possible to defund Obamacare," including attempting to filibuster any government funding bill that does not defund the health care law.
In a press conference with conservative House and Senate members, Cruz promised to filibuster such a bill and use "anything else, any procedural means necessary" to stop it.
Cruz, Lee and other conservatives in the Senate are going to need House Republicans to stay strong when this resolution returns to them. So, keep up the calls, faxes, emails and even visits to keep the pressure on your congressional members! Tell them, 'fund the government, but DEFUND OBAMACARE!'
Related link: EXCLUSIVE: PALIN -- BOMBS AWAY ON OBAMACARE; CRUZ IS OVER THE TARGET
ADDENDUM I: Just to note...all these MSM sources go on to say something about fears of the GOP losing next year's midterms in this risky move. Let me tell you, the GOP will ABSOLUTELY lose their own constituency if they don't try! There's also talk of Democrats having the upper hand in a government shutdown...only if the GOP allows the Democrats to be the only ones in front of a camera & a mic...so don't let 'em! Every Republican within this effort to fund the government, while defunding Obamacare, should be out there more vigorously than their blowhard opposition to dissect the lies and articulate the truth!
ADDENDUM II: Seriously guys, how hard is it to counter this...or this...or even this, when the healthcare law's clearly more unpopular than ever?! Defund it, while funding the rest of government. Much simpler to explain than to get through to these knuckleheads on the Hill.
Even though it has, to use the President's words, 'over a hundred times.'
Come on...the press can't even swallow this one...
CNSNews: Raising the debt ceiling doesn't increase the nation's debt, Pres. Obama declared in a speech [yesterday].
In a speech at the Business Roundtable headquarters in Washington, D.C., Obama dismissed concerns about raising the debt ceiling by noting that it'd been done so many times in the past:
"Now, this debt ceiling -- I just want to remind people in case you haven't been keeping up -- raising the debt ceiling, which has been done over a hundred times, does not increase our debt; it does not somehow promote profligacy. All it does is it says you got to pay the bills that you've already racked up, Congress. It's a basic function of making sure that the full faith and credit of the United States is preserved."
Obama went on to suggest that "the average person" mistakenly thinks that raising the debt ceiling means the U.S. is racking up more debt:
"It's always a tough vote because the average person thinks raising the debt ceiling must mean that we're running up our debt, so people don't like to vote on it, and, typically, there's some gamesmanship in terms of making the President's party shoulder the burden of raising the -- taking the vote."
But, isn't the fact that the U.S. has hit its debt ceiling "over a hundred times" - and, thus, has had to keep raising it - proof that raising the limit does, in fact, lead to increased debt?
However, I'm perplexed...why is Obama even talking debt limit, when the battle we find ourselves currently embroiled within involves a continuing resolution to fund our budgetless government tied together with the effort to defund Obamacare? He's trying to talk you into believing some fallacy about debt before the government prepares to pass more spending. And then he tops that off by insulting 'the average person' for not falling for the lie!
This man's a piece of work...and he's a two-term President. Sheesh, America.
Related links: BO: People Think Higher Debt Limit = Higher Debt
Even the Press Doesn't Believe Obama Debt Spin
