makes me want to vomit

Right now, there are Soldiers on the phone with home saying things like, "I don't know. Call mom, maybe she can pay our mortgage this month." or, "Well, we'll cancel our vacation, we can see Florida next time." Why? Because the government can't pass a simple bill that says, even when the politicians can't settle a budget dispute, the people who put their lives on the line daily, the people who have already spent YEARS living in the desert being shot at, the people who come in weekends and at night and on holidays to keep everyone else safe--those people will still not be paid. Why? Here's a brief rundown:

1. Economy goes to crap (lots of reasons, lots of blame)


2. Barack Obama gets elected along with a "veto-proof majority" of Democrats in both Houses of Congress


3. They pass Health Care Reform, which they ran on a platform of passing


4. The Tea Party, a group of "libertarians" worried about the debt and spending forms to fight it. This group is supposedly non-partisan


5. 2010 elections loom and a budget is vetoed by a Republican Majority of 41 out of 100 Senators


6. 2010 elections, Republicans retake the House along with a large wave of incoming Tea-Party affiliated Freshman pledging to cut $100 billion dollars from the budget and fight Obama Care (Health Care Reform from point 3)


7. The first two Bills passed out of the House do the following: Defunds Obama Care and re-defines Rape


8. Speaker of the House Boehner says he will not pass a bill with less than $33 Billion in cuts.


9. The President and Senate Majority Leader agree to a bill cutting $38 Billion from the budget


10. The House says it will not pass the bill unless ALL Republican House Representatives vote for it.


11. The bill does not pass.


12. The Senate passes a bill that would continue to pay Soldiers.


13. The House passes a bill that would continue to pay Soldiers AND defund Planned Parenthood AND change abortion laws in the District of Columbia AND defund the Environmental Protection Agency.


14. Both bills die and Soldiers will now not be paid.

So, why are these additions to a bill to fund Soldiers so important? How about I let a Republican Freshman speak for himself:

As Republicans, we promised in the pledge to America to cut $100 billion off of Obama's plan. If we're going to come back with less than that, we've got to come back with some policy riders to say look, I took less than $100 billion, but I've defunded Planned Parenthood or abortions in the District of Columbia. Or I've ended Obamacare, I've gotta go back home, look people in the eye and say, look, I told you $100 billion, but I went for less, and I've got to have a because... Because I don't want to be perceived as a liar back home."

And there you have it. The supposedly libertarian, supposedly budget minded, supposedly pro-America pro-Soldier Tea Party folds to the pressures of the religious right and the culture wars of the past. It's more important that we wage an ideological war against imagined enemies of the "culture" than it is for us to ensure the first line of defense for this country can pay their bills.

I've not been this disgusted by pure political madness than I am right now. There was some ridiculousness last year, pre elections, but never did it reach a point, especially about anything so ridiculous as this, that Soldiers were effected.

And yes, there is a lot of blame to go around, but if anyone has been following this, then no, it is not "equal" nor is it very hidden what's happening. Bottom line is, the President and the Senate agreed to cuts that were difficult for them in order to pass a budget. Speaker Boehner, to appease his base, changed the goal line at the last minute and now, Soldiers won't get paid.

Disgusting.