Rep. Doug Lamborn (R).
Curiouser and curiouser, as Bloomberg reports:
The first cracks are appearing in the Tea Party’s push to dismantle the nation’s health law as three House lawmakers with ties to the movement said they’d back a U.S. spending bill that doesn’t center on Obamacare.
Republican Representatives Blake Farenthold of Texas, Doug Lamborn of Colorado and Dennis Ross of Florida, all of whom identify with the Tea Party, said they’d back an agreement to end the government shutdown and lift the debt ceiling if it included major revisions to U.S. tax law, significant changes to Medicare and Social Security and other policy shifts…
“We’ve tried a lot of things and used just about every arrow in our quiver against Obamacare,” Lamborn, 59, said yesterday. “It has not been successful, so I think we do have to move on to the larger issues of the debt ceiling and the overall budget.” [Pols emphasis]
Lamborn said he would back a debt-limit increase if the agreement included an equal amount of spending cuts. He said he’s also seeking a deal that includes instructions for major tax-code revisions.
“I recognize the writing on the wall,” he said. [Pols emphasis]
It certainly is refreshing to hear one of our state's most obstinate conservatives "recognizing the writing on the wall," which we take to mean the growing anger directed at more vulnerable Republicans over the ongoing shutdown of the federal government. We can't say that "moving on" to gutting Social Security and Medicare is a better option for Republicans to continue either the shutdown or to fight the next battle over raising the so-called debt ceiling. But a willingness to give up what the same Rep. Doug Lamborn previously described as the "holy grail" of defunding the Affordable Care Act, to the extent that is a representative opinion on the hard right most responsible for the mess to begin with, could signal the terminal phase of this battle.
The only caveat we can add at this point is that Lamborn is, well, not smart. So maybe he's just off the reservation.
With all the people getting their paychecks (directly or indirectly) from the federal government in CD-5, I imagine he's been getting an earful from his constituents.
Yeah. Lamborn's doing this because he doesn't have much of a choice.
That said, this still requires some quantity of courage that we've not seen from Gardner, Tipton, or Coffman.
Depends on how much grief he's getting from constituents. C Springs, the epicenter of Colorado small government, Norquist loving and every rightie wedge issue supporting wackorightiedom is also a very government dependent town. Less courage more grief, I'd imagine.
But… they unfurloughed the DD civilian staff.
Unfurloughed some, not all. Still lots of furloughed civilian staff here in CD5.
Coloradopols I have a question?
Is there any information about what Rep. Lamborn means when he said he is willing to increase the debt ceiling for an equal amount of budget cuts?
That could just be another way (through the back door) of defunding the Affordable Healthcare Act.
Because "significant changes to Medicare and Social Security" will go over so well with the majority of the populace.
I know there are many polls about Obamacare, but how do people feel about Social Security? Don't respond, it was a rhetorical question.
He's just changing the ransom demand. It doesn't remove hostage taking as an tactic of coercion. There should be no negotiations with political terrorists. Let them take us over the cliff and be done with it. The repercussions will be felt for years politically and economically but it will establish once and for all whether the minority party gets to dictate how our government functions.
Yeah but changing the demand is slippage. Reduces their strength for the next round.
I have no doubt that each of the tea-publicans is getting their ears blistered by their constituents, but I wonder when it will dawn on the rest of the Rs that they're setting their entire brand on fire? These once-safe Republican districts will become less safe and perhaps poachable by a moderate Dem or at least a moderate Republican in '14. That people are even getting disgusted with the tantrum shutdown in CD-5, possibly the most "big G" government dependent district in the US, is a very bad sign for the GOP.
Colorado Springs Republican. "We hate our government until it's our paycheck".
"Top 100 metro areas with government and military workers – As a percentage of total employment, 2012"
#1 – Colorado Springs – federal workers are 18.8 percent of all workers.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/special/business/diversify-economy/?tid=sm_fb
"With 446,000 employees in the D.C. metro area, that makes sense.
But guess which city among the nation's top 100 metro areas is, by percentage, the most dependent on its federal workforce, according to The Washington Post?
Military installations such as Fort Carson, the Air Force Academy, Peterson Air Force Base and Schriever Air Force Base help make Colorado Springs No. 1.
1, Colorado Springs, 55,000 federal workers, or 18.8% of the workforce."
http://gazette.com/were-no.-1-colorado-springs-the-most-affected-city-in-the-us-by-shutdown/article/1507111
When state, local, school and special district employment are factored in, what is the percentage of all Colorado Springs paychecks coming from governmental entities?
As an aside, I have always found it interesting that some Colorado Springs Republicans believe that public pensions are in "crisis" at a 70 percent funded ratio (fiscally sound per Morningstar), but have nothing to say about the fact that military pensions are ZERO percent funded (benefits come right out of DOD operating budgets.) Too many military retirees in El paso County for them to raise the issue?
General Irv Halter will respectfully replace disgraceful Doug Lamborn. Lamborn voted against his constituents. Lamborn has disgraced his Commander-in-Chief, and he hides behind Tea Party lies. Please support honorable veteran Halter.
We will see how our general does. I support him. Will continue to.