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GOP Pretends to Admire Civil Disobedience Against Shutdown of Their Own Making

The Republican spin machine touts a photo of a smug American tossing aside traffic cones marking off closed federal park facilities as "civil disobedience."

First, we need to throw the B.S. flag. Republicans, you don't get to hold America hostage, then celebrate your own expressions of "resistance" to that hostage-taking. That's not civil disobedience; that's theater, just like the GOP shutdown.

But suppose one could make a case that some arrogant vacationer, whose leisure to roadtrip and whose body type suggest he has no concerns about the cost of his next meal, tossing aside road markers is today's Gandhi or King.

So if WIC didn't have special funding to keep nutrition assistance flowing to low-income women with children through October, would we celebrate the "civil disobedience" of less well-fed women who broke down the local WIC office door and grabbed their own food vouchers?

If the National Guard didn't have funds or authority to help dig out Sturgis and the Black Hills, would we celebrate the "civil disobedience" of regular citizens who broke into the Guard armory and drove off with National Guard equipment?

Would we celebrate the "civil disobedience" of constituents who busted open the door of Rep. Kristi Noem's shuttered Rapid City office and started using the phones to make calls to handle their business with the federal government?

Would we celebrate the "civil disobedience" of Indians who stormed a federal office or a bank to seize the cash they have coming from logging, mining, and grazing contracts that are now on hold due to the federal shutdown?

We shouldn't have to ask these questions. We should be able to turn to Rep. Noem and her GOP colleagues, tell them to "put down the gun"—in other words, pass a clean budget resolution—and return to rational conversation about our political differences on other issues while we let the federal government get back to serving all of America... not just the smug vacationers who forget their neighbors who need real assistance.

32 Comments

  1. jerry 2013.10.07

    As this coup descends into its second week, we have to ask ourselves, how long will we sit on the sidelines and watch the train wreck that has come to harm our most needy. How long will we sit and watch this coup destroy our most precious comfort, that of a safety net in troubled waters. There is no question that NOem made her preparations to not have her staff available so as not to be questioned by her constituents by closing up shop. How convenient. A higher power has intervened in this and we can see much devastation in our lands. We can look out the window and see that devastation and now we know of the terrible losses that have been suffered by our largest industry here in South Dakota. The call to Washington to make this a disaster area for the immediate help of the Federal government is like a shout in the wind as the government has been shuttered thanks to NOem and supported by the three amigos running for Tim Johnson's seat. Make no mistake, this is a coup as defined by whatever explanation you wish to check on. NOem needs to be called out on this so she is clear that we know what they are trying to pull.

  2. Michael B 2013.10.07

    If the Democrats and Republicans in Washington DC would do their job and pass a budget on time, we would not be dealing with a shutdown right now, but that's what they want to do. If they can force the country into default, they then might have a better chance to be re-elected in 2014 by blaming the other party.

  3. jerry 2013.10.07

    Just a reminder Michael B, this is not the Democrats making. The republicans own this coup, lock stock and barrel. Make no mistake about that, they are proud of it too, just listen to them and listen to them compare this to the Confederacy.

  4. Bill Dithmer 2013.10.07

    "If they can force the country into default, they then might have a better chance to be re-elected in 2014 by blaming the other party."

    Michael I have a different take on what's going to happen and why.

    The people that are in office now are being controlled by others that are way way more powerful then the election process. Those people are the money lenders, both big and small that run not only this country but the world.

    If the country defaults, even for a day. It would mean that our barrowing power both as a nation and as individuals would be tied to an interest rate substantially higher then it has been for the last five or six years. More interest in the money handlers pockets means more wealth to the upper one percent.

    It's now just as always about the richest people receiving the most for their investments. A one percent bump in a hundred thousand dollar loan while it seems like a lot will be nothing compared to three, four, five, maybe even ten percent that is being looked at in the near future if this debt celling isn't raised.

    While one percent on a hundred thousand dollar loan would be one thousand dollars, just think what ten percent would return on their investment? Now multi;y that by a million loans and see what you would get. The up side would be that CDs would return more on their investment then they do now but not many people can buy a CD anymore.

    Of course I understand that there aren't any one percent loans right now but you get the idea of what the one per centers want to happen.

    The Blindman

  5. joseph g thompwon 2013.10.07

    So if they are going to pay government workers that are not working why doesn't the President send them back to work? Seems to me it is unfair that those who must work get paid while those who are not working get paid too.

  6. Bill Dithmer 2013.10.07

    "Seems to me it is unfair that those who must work get paid while those who are not working get paid too."

    Yes but those that are not working didnt have a choice did they? I'm sure if you were to ask those that cant work because of the shutdown would rather be working then not working.

    The Blindman

  7. jerry 2013.10.07

    Wow, even the republican's have lost Charlie Munger from Berkshire Hathaway. I think that they will start loosing more and more until eventually, they only have themselves unless they wake up from their hangover and start to distance themselves from the Koch brothers (kind of like the Beagle Boys).

    Joseph g, you should ask that question to NOem. Oh, you cannot because she is to chicken to answer any questions. What a profile of courage. There are always the staunch supporters of this coup, Nelson, Rounds and Rhoden, the three amigos. I am sure they have all the answers for you on their opinions of crazy.

  8. joseph g thompson 2013.10.07

    Begs the question. If we are going to pay them why aren't they working?Those that are working didn't have a choice either, its work or lose your job and they are not being paid anything extra for working.

  9. jerry 2013.10.07

    Ask your tea party leaders that question on why they shut it down in the first place if they were going to pay the wages. When you start a coup, there are many unanswered questions.

  10. caheidelberger Post author | 2013.10.07

    Hang on, hang on: which federal workers are getting paid while not working (other than Noem et al.)?

  11. Rorschach 2013.10.07

    The public knows this shutdown is all about and only about the GOP's (43rd? 44th?) attempt to repeal Obamacare. The quote by Abraham Lincoln in an earlier post seems it could have been written today about his own party.

    That said, I think it's ridiculous that the federal government is putting cones up to prevent people from even stopping on the shoulder of a road to admire national monuments and parks. Blocking the shoulder of a road has nothing at all to do with lack of funds to operate the park. It seems to me if there are no funds for the park there should be no funds to put unnecessary cones on public roads. If I had planned a vacation to one of those sites I darn sure would throw those cones out of the way too, park, and take as many pictures as I want to take.

    Rise above the fat jokes, Cory.

  12. caheidelberger Post author | 2013.10.07

    It's not a joke, R. That guy looks like he has all the leisure and food he needs. He offers a valid contrast to people with no money and no food who can use the help of their government.

  13. Deb Geelsdottir 2013.10.07

    Dr. David Schultz is a highly respected professor of Political Science at Hamline University in St. Paul, MN. His expertise is in law and politics, and his opinion is frequently sought. He's recently written a post about the legality, or not, of the Republican shut down of our government. I found it very helpful. You will find his blog here: schultzstake.blogspot.com. Search for "Members of Congress. . ."

    Schultz examines Congressional Republicans behavior based on their oath of office, and contrasted with the rights of common citizens. Check it out.

  14. caheidelberger Post author | 2013.10.07

    Boy, Deb! Professor Schultz really takes the civil disobedience bull by the horns, doesn't he? Legislators have less right, perhaps no right, to civil disobedience, because they have taken an explicit oath to uphold the Constitution and the laws they have passed. They have a power to change laws that no regular citizen has, a special power entrusted in them on the condition that they take and observe that oath. Schultz makes an interesting argument—is he right?

  15. Deb Geelsdottir 2013.10.07

    Schultz bases his argument on black-letter law. Can't get much sounder than that.

  16. Jana 2013.10.07

    Hello Kristi Noem and John Thune. I heard on public radio that the people working for the National Weather Service in Rapid slept in their offices to keep us informed, all while being unpaid.

    Just a quick question for the two of you. How is your fundraising going now?

    End it now!

  17. rollin potter 2013.10.07

    hey people, smarten up!!!! They are all going to get there check,only a few days late work or not!!!!!!! They might considered it a paid vacation!!!!!!!

  18. Becky Froehlich 2013.10.07

    Even though WIC has funds through October, I doubt SNAP is going to get rescued/recovered in light of the shutdown. The 2009 Recovery act expires November 1st of this year. Without a chance of bills being passed to cover that during the shutdown, now SNAP benefits will be average less than $1.40 per person per meal. You can see the full breakdown of how bad that actually is here: http://www.cbpp.org/cms/?fa=view&id=3899

    On the bright side, the shutdown will delay that $39 billion dollar cut to SNAP that the House passed. There probably really wasn't a chance of a rescue bill anyways considering that happened, but it's still worth worry.

    The idea about WIC disobedience just got me thinking. I can't really wrap my head around the fact that politicians are drama-queening it up with these theatrics when we can't even feed our own people properly. It's not civil disobedience, it's abuse of power.

  19. grudznick 2013.10.07

    ALL federal workers will be getting paid without working. Even Mr. H's hated House of Republicans, ruled by Noem, voted to pass that law unamimously. anonimously. you know what I mean.

    I saw this on TV. And I think they said the libby agencies like welfare and such will get paid first! But they all will get paid.

    I say, heave those cones far off the road people because the libby feds are already paying people to go collect them and set them back up again. Wasting double the money.

    Eliminate those agencies. That is the answer.

  20. caheidelberger Post author | 2013.10.07

    drama-queening—phrase well turned, Becky!

  21. grudznick 2013.10.07

    As temporarily ugly as all this may be, the longer Obama drags out the pain and the longer people realize they can survive it the smaller gubbermint needs will become.

    This occurs to me, and I'm a Republican with Common Sense. Imaging the glee going through the minds of the insaner tea party types, eh? My hairs stand on end and I wake screaming at night, only to then think of this hell called Obamacare.

  22. caheidelberger Post author | 2013.10.07

    Wrong, Grudz. Drag it out longer, and we'll have to shut down more government services. More people will run into more situations where they realize, "Holy cow, we do depend on government!" But I don't support dragging things out to make that point. I support passing the budget resolution now, to get things done that need to be done.

  23. John 2013.10.07

    Yeah Grudz, terminate 'em - then there will be no more drilling, mining, forestry, or pine beetle control on federal lands or mineral estate. Brilliant. Was it a turnip truck you fell from, or is it you, as do apparently the tea partiers, don't believe in the US Constitution?

  24. Jana 2013.10.08

    Grud. Describe that hell that is Obamacare. You know the one that was "shoved down our throats" after 14 months of debate, passing through both houses after considerable compromise, validated by a conservative Supreme Court and resoundingly validated again by the American people in the 2012 Presidential election.

    Is it the no preconditions? Maybe it's the crazy profits the insurance companies are making? Or is it kids being able to get a decent start in life without subsidizing insurance companies? Could it be the tax breaks that small business gets to level the playing field with their larger competitors?

    Or is it that the millions and millions who are looking to pay for insurance weren't able to access the site in the first hours of the site launching.

    Maybe it's a deep hatred for the The Heritage Foundation, Bob Dole and the others in the GOP who originally came up with the idea. An idea that a black President would finally have the courage to pass...yep I went there.

    I'm sure you're fine right now Grud, but there are a lot of people hurting from the shutdown, whether it's a paycheck, dead livestock from the blizzard, a governor seeking disaster funding or watching petty politics trash their 401K...but the shutdown matters and the cliff they are driving us to is not pretty.

  25. Jana 2013.10.09

    Back to the topic of the government shutdown that is hurting Americans and the debt crisis that the GOP will soon inflict on the world.

    I can't help but think what the GOP candidates, our elected officials, the 'DWC' faithful and our candidates think of a Canadian born Senator dictating the actions of the US House of Representatives.

    Wow, remember when being born in our 50th state and a different complexion were grounds for impeachment?

    Carry on GOP, Justin Bieber is thrilled to have a Canadian governing the USA.

  26. Jana 2013.10.09

    Over at 'DWC' Dusty Johnson is worried about the orange cones that came about from his GOP friends in Washington.

    Meanwhile, in the real world, thousands of head of cattle lay frozen in the wake of the blizzard. Thanks to Kristi and John...there is no help.

    Way to stay focused on the people you serve South Dakota GOP.

  27. Jana 2013.10.09

    Over at 'DWC' Dusty Johnson is worried about the orange cones that came about from his GOP friends in Washington.

    Meanwhile, in the real world, thousands of head of cattle lay frozen in the wake of the blizzard. Thanks to Kristi and John...there is no help.

    Way to stay focused on the people you serve in South Dakota GOP.

  28. Jana 2013.10.09

    Someone need to ask Dusty, and the rest of the GOP for that matter, if this is all just a game for him.

  29. Charlie Johnson 2013.10.09

    Did Kristi Noem vote for aid to the victims of Hurricane Sandy?

  30. caheidelberger Post author | 2013.10.09

    That's a big No, Charlie! Are we to conclude that Rep. NOem believes New Jersey residents and businesses are tougher than South Dakotans when it comes to withstanding bad weather?

  31. Charlie Johnson 2013.10.09

    Then how does Kristi Noem expect congress persons from New Jersey and New York to vote for the farm bill or more specifically indemnity aid for livestock losses back here in South Dakota?

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