Government Shutdown Republicans: Same Cast, Same Script

Bloomberg's Sahil Kapur reminds us that the same nihilist Republican cranks and opportunists who shut down the federal government in 2013 over Obamacare are now using the same discredited script to try to block funding for Planned Parenthood:

Republicans who want to shut the down the federal government rather than provide $500 million in funding to Planned Parenthood insist that their party won't be punished for having the courage of its anti-abortion convictions.

They say the millions of Americans inconvenienced by the closing of national parks and delays of services (not to mentioned missed paychecks for federal workers) won't blame Republicans for refusing to pass a federal funding bill that contains money for the women's health care services provider. Instead, the theory goes, voters will blame the Democratic president, who plans to veto the bill if it doesn't include money for Planned Parenthood.

And, once again, how did that genius theory work for them in 2013?

In the end, Republican lost the fight. Not just because they had to cave and pass a bill that continued funding for Obamacare, but because they took the political hit for it: 81 percent of Americans disapproved of the shutdown, and the public blamed Republicans by a 53 percent to 39 percent margin, according to a Washington Post/ABC poll taken at the time. Nine days into the shutdown, Gallup found that the GOP's approval rating had sunk to an all-time low. Democrats' approval dipped more modestly.

The cast of crackpots characters remains the same:  the grandstanding uber-cynic Sen. "Tailgunner Ted" Cruz, "establishment" flavor of the week Sen. Marco "Glug Glug" Rubio, Sen. "Ayn" Rand Paul (hovering around 4 percent in the polls), and unteachable House crazies like Rep. Jim "Air Head" Jordan (R-OH).  Of course, Cruz, Rubio and Paul are simply in this doomed fight to score points with the base voters who are itching for another confrontation with Obummer and the Demoncrats, to hell with gummint!  This is pure posturing and, to an extent, whistling past the graveyard, since all were around to see how this blame-the-President strategy has blown up on them with the general public over and over again.  But now, they're in a "Lord of the Flies" primary, and the votes up for grabs are those cast by the most low-information, angry yahoos -- and they want their share of those votes.  But, unlike 2013, which led up to an off-year election, shenanigans pulled this year are leading up to a presidential election, with greater attention and turnout implications.

If they follow the script and succeed in shutting down government over Planned Parenthood funding (something a whopping 71 percent of the American people don't want), the reviews are going to be harsh... again.

Rethugs Scrambling With Shutdown Threating

It's September, and right-wing demagogues are anxious to create a drama over a Government shutdown.  This time, instead of "Obamacare," Rethuglicans Congressional leaders are dealing with a rebellion in their caucus over the funding of Planned Parenthood, which has been the target of a smear campaign much like the one that forced community action group ACORN to fold years ago.  Demagogue opportunist Sen. Ted "Tailgunner Ted" Cruz is once again threatening procedural action to block a continuing resolution that would keep the Government funded after September 30 unless Planned Parenthood is defunded.  Despite the smear campaign, there is still broad public support for the organization which provides a range of women's health services, and the Rethug leadership knows that defunding them would create a significant backlash among the millions of women that have used or are using Planned Parenthood's services.  It's a well-deserved dilemma that years of Republican-fueled demagoguery over women's reproductive issues has produced.

The Republican War On Women - Planned Parenthood Edition

As Congress moves toward its summer recess, plans are afoot among the knuckle-draggers to deal a crippling blow to Planned Parenthood:

With conservatives hungry for a confrontation over Planned Parenthood, and Democrats moving to protect the organization, the battle is brewing over a must-pass spending bill that Congress has to deliver to the president’s desk by Sept. 30 to avoid a repeat of the 2013 shutdown

Conservatives figure using the power of the purse is the best way to force the action, while Democrats say that strategy plays into their hands and will tar Republicans with another shutdown.

House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) is promising to block any effort to strip Planned Parenthood’s federal money, and though the White House hasn’t weighed in officially yet, Democratic aides insist President Barack Obama would not sign any spending bill that eliminates the funding.

This is, of course, fallout from the continuing release of debunked, highly edited video and audio tapes produced by the extremist, ironically named "Center for Medical Progress," and is part and parcel of the far-right's long-term strategy to destroy pro-choice organizations and associated women's health services in general. (Planned Parenthood annually serves approximately 3 million women in America, providing cancer-  and HIV-screening and contraception through roughly 700 clinics.)  This latest gambit has been clearly coordinated between the knuckle-draggers and their co- crackpot, craven Republican politicians fundraisers.  Far-right Republicans, however, have a long history of not being willing or able to learn from their mistakes ( "Fool me once, shame on ... shame on you. Fool me... You can't get fooled again!'"), and will doubtless try to pass this spending bill with the poison pill Planned Parenthood defunding included, shutdown be damned!

When all is said and done, we heartily endorse Sen. Harry Reid's (D-NV) response to Republican threats to shut down government over Planned Parenthood funding:

To Republicans who are trying to defund Planned Parenthood: Good luck with that.

— Senator Harry Reid (@SenatorReid) July 28, 2015