Senator Reid on Senate floor: US could be downgraded as soon as tonight

[OhioChick]

Source: AP

Tuesday, 15 Oct 2013 | 11:34 AM ET

Senator Harry Reid lashed out at House Republicans on the Senate floor shortly after a GOP proposal to keep the government open and raise the debt ceiling collapsed.

The House GOP budget plan is a `blatant attack on bipartisanship', Reid said.

At a press conference shortly before, House Speaker John Boehner said Tuesday the GOP was still involved with talks with House Democrats, though no deal was forthcoming.

``There are a lot of opinions about what direction to go. There have been no decisions about what exactly we will do. But we're going to continue to work with our members on both sides of the aisle, to try to make sure that there's no issue of default and to get our government reopened,'' Boehner told a news conference after meeting with House Republicans. ``I have made clear for months and months that the idea of default is wrong and we shouldn't get anywhere close to it.''

Read more: http://www.cnbc.com/id/101087385

[lostincalifornia]

1. It is amazing that the stock market is essentially ignoring that potential, at least it appears so

[Kber]

4. I wonder if there's been a "wink and a nod" to the powers that be

that we will apply the breaks at the last minute, so don't worry about our public statements.

[lostincalifornia]

14. perhaps, but if so I think they will not make.the 17th no matter what. too much

Time wasted by the house

[CreekDog]

15. there wasn't a wink and a nod last time

S and P downgraded us before we actually defaulted.

wishful thinking is really more wishing than thinking.

[PatrynXX]

6. when reality sinks in

the insane will never notice when their nuts are cut off and they are singing rather high. (sorry this isn't meant to be sexist. avid follower of George Carlin ) get with it.

The only thing I can think of as insane as it is .. is that Republicans knowing that this will hurt are gonna default anyway to prove to the insane tea party that they must work together and thats the only way to kill that side. and part of me would like to see this done. But most of me says this is insane. I don't get a knife and slit my wrists the proper way just to prove that it's supposed to be slit that way and not the way every things it is. (as I lie dying on the floor)

[LizW]

10. Is it possible that the market is being "propped"?

Maybe it's not possible, but I wonder if the big financial institutions are artificially propping up the market to keep the pressure off the GOP.

I know relatively small investors like me are watching carefully, but I keep seeing messages to not do anything, don't worry, don't panic. We tend to leave our money in as long as there is no big movement.

Will we suddenly go off a cliff this afternoon or tomorrow morning?

[Kber]

2. "shouldn't get anywhere close to it [default]"??!!

Dude - your'e 1.5 business days away! How much closer do you think we should get?

[PoliticAverse]

5. In 1979 they got so close that there actually was a partial default. n/t

[PatrynXX]

7. I've been told we are already in Default as of monday

the 17th was a guess. nobody thought it would go this far.

[geek tragedy]

3. "work with our members on both sides of the aisle"=kissing Pelosi's feet nt

[grantcart]

8. the "John Boehner Downgrade".

[JDPriestly]

9. The Republicans have not thought of the effect this will have on inflation and the value and

confidence world-wide in the dollar.

And then, from that, the effect a reduction in the confidence in the dollar will have or may likely have on the willingness of foreign companies to have American troops living among them. This may result in base closures in some countries, a cold shoulder to the American military. Republicans love our military so, but they forget that nobody likes someone who borrows things and doesn't give them back.

The Republicans are on an emotional binge and not thinking.

[Yo_Mama_Been_Loggin]

11. You're first five words are enough.

The Republicans have not thought Thinking is anathema to the tea party Republicans. They're only supposed to do what their overlords tell them.

[dixiegrrrrl]

13. Exactly...

Just the idea that there might be a problem of debt ceiling, not to mention default, is enough to put off the serious big buyers of our debt.
The damage has been done, actually.

And Boner saying "we won't get close to a default" as if HE has nothing to do with where we are right now....
what a measly lil man he is.

[Cosmocat]

17. Honestly

I do think some of these jackasses ARE that stupid.

However, I think most of them get the points you made and simply don't care.

Their default position is to blame Obama/Democrats.

If it goes to shit, in their minds it will be President Obama's fault and that is what they will scream.

Works for them any other time.

[JDPriestly]

19. It won't work this time. I spent part of my weekend with students.

For a personal reason, I ended up sitting in a coffee shop on a college campus. The young people around me were talking about the government shutdown and some of them were expressing dismay that certain people they needed to contact in government offices were not working, others were unhappy because they can't do research because government information is not available and one student was talking casually with a friend saying, "The Republicans hate the government and *(#%) science."

The Republicans are not winning votes among the young people who will reliably vote next chance they get -- those who value what the government provides them. These are not the jaundiced kids who watch network TV and spend hours on Facebook. These are young people who will get themselves registered, calendar the election date and get out and vote.

The Republicans need to clean up their philosophy and their act. They are losing the younger generation forever.

The Kochs have no idea what today's young people have on their minds. You won't find out from polls.

[Cosmocat]

21. eh

I would HOPE you are right, and in an idealistic way "common sense" would seem to support the sense that the republican's will pay for it.

That said, common sense has to take history into account.

Young people are not and never will be "reliable" voters.

Look at voting history and you will see the older folks get out nearly every election, the younger folks make the presidential general and MAYBE the Presidential primary and mid term general.

And, again. Things are bad for these jackasses now. But, they were nearly as bad for them 06 and 08, and for no god darned reason at all this country swept the assholes we are talking about now into office in mass in 2010, pretty much all of them talking in a manner that you would conclude that they would do this kind of shit once they got into office.

Common sense, at the end of the day, has to factor in the VERY short memory of our people as well as the general apathy that makes them so able to consistently buy the bullshit the republicans (and the "liberal media&quot pour into their heads.

[JDPriestly]

23. Short memories. That's what Republicans are counting on.

Just wait. When the election comes around in 2014, the media will be stories about how both sides were to blame. That is what we have to prevent.

Just wait. The Republicans will try this same disastrous technique over and over and over. They really think that you can have a society without government.

You can't. You either have democracy, dictatorship (used to by royalty) or oligarchy.

There are no other choices. And you can't have a society without government.

What they want is to secede from the US, but they are afraid to do it. And for good reason. The US is one country. No sections of it would do as well economically as it does now if it weren't a part of the whole.

Not to say there are times (and I have posted about it on DU) that I wish we did not to deal with states like Texas or Alabama and their backward populations.

[Ruby the Liberal]

18. We crashed the economy through deregulation in 2008, then the R's acted like 2 year olds

in 2011 over paying our bills that they authorized (2 unfunded wars and tax cots for the wealthy, anyone?) and now again in 2013 they are back sucking their thumbs and stomping their little feet.

Would YOU invest in us?

Hell, even Eric Cantor was short US debt in 2011.

(not that our "liberal MSM" paid any attention to that little tidbit...)

[SoapBox]

12. And right after a last split-second deal is made,

without any help from the PukeBaggers, they will HOWL that the whole event was Obama's fault.

Of course the limp media will agree.

[Cosmocat]

22. RIGHT

they have to be THIS bad to own their stupidity.

But, they will NEVER accept any responsibility and the "liberal media" will FOREVER push whatever bullshit they are dishing, and worse case scenario will spew the "they are all the same" meme.

[The Stranger]

16. He has to be the most ineffective speaker I have ever seen.

Why in the fuck is he meandering around with "a lot of opinions about what direction to go"? That isn't effective. He sounds lost.

Why can't he do this:

"1. The American People call upon the Republicans and John Boehner -- who are solely and exclusively responsible for this crisis -- to pass the clean resolution (or some similar verbiage) right now.

2. If the Republicans and John Boehner continue holding the American People hostage, they will be held accountable for their actions.

3. The Senate has passed the bill and it is awaiting John Boehner and the Republicans' simple act of bringing it to the floor. The American People demand no less."

[KewlKat]

20. +10

I agree completely with everything you say......GET THE CLEAN CR THAT HAS ALREADY PASSED THE SENATE, BRING TO THE HOUSE FLOOR FOR A VOTE NOW......Speaker Boner!!!