Speaking of which, the RNC's message of the day seems to be, "Hey, look over there at the WWII Memorial!" Meanwhile, there are things that really affect veterans in very real ways that they'd rather you didn't waste a lot of time worrying about.
It's official: the House has the votes to end the shutdown. All Boehner has to do is bring a clean CR to a vote. It would win.
Of course, if Republicans pass a CR -- and then we get through a debt ceiling fight -- without beating Obamacare, what happens? It's a damned good question, because that's exactly what's going to happen eventually. The GOP -- and the Tea Party especially -- have been running against the Affordable Care Act for so long and so hard that it's become their brand. Without it, they barely have a reason to exist. You think they're crazy now? Just wait until the entire American right is in the throes of an existential crisis. It'll be like trying to babysit a pack of insane infant weasels with boxcutters. This is really gonna suck.
A federal judge puts white nativist Arizona Sheriff Joe Arpaio on a short leash.
Finally, Butch Matthews is a prime example of what the GOP freakout over Obamacare is all about. He bought the Republican line about creeping socialism and opposed the Affordable Care Act -- until he found out it'll save him $13,000 a year as a small business owner. Now he's a fan. People will like Obamacare -- and Democrats will get voters out of it, while Republicans will be remembered as the people who not only opposed it, but lied about it.
[cartoon via McClatchy Newspapers]
