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Stormy Monday, 10/14/13

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StormyMondayCan Wall Street talk sense to Congressional Republicans? It’s a trick question, of course; nobody can talk sense to Congressional Republicans. Still, all eyes will be on the financial markets Monday as sluggish negotiations to reopen the government and avert a default continue.

After a weekend marked – make that marred by contrived freak show events, Debtpocalypse, a mere three days away, begins to seem almost appealing, like Snake Plissken triggering a global EMP at the end of Escape from LA. From the grubby spectacle at the World War II Memorial, featuring a joint appearance by Sarah Palin and Ted Cruz (picture two egos the size of Macy’s parade balloons vying for attention) to the farcical Truckers Ride for the Constitution protest (which caused less traffic disruption than the recent surprise lunchtime stroll to Taylor Gourmet by the President and Vice President) to the supremely offensive display of a Confederate flag outside the First Family’s residence, Republicans have spent most of the weekend scribbling new chapters in the history of American public service. Poorly.

If you’re curious about White House doings this week, a visit to whitehouse.gov won’t provide much information, but you will see this message:

Due to Congress’s failure to pass legislation to fund the government, the information on this web site may not be up to date. Some submissions may not be processed, and we may not be able to respond to your inquiries.

Undersecretary of State Wendy Sherman will head the US delegation as representatives of the US, France, Britain, Russia, China, Germany and Iran meet Tuesday and Wednesday in Geneva to discuss curtailment of Iran’s nuclear program as a quid pro quo for a limited reversal of sanctions. On Sunday, Iran refused to comply with a demand that it ship its uranium stockpiles abroad, a demand Deputy Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi called “a red line.” While President Obama’s late September phone call with Hassan Rouhani, his Iranian counterpart, might not have signaled the new morning in relations between the two nations many had hoped, there’s still reason to remain hopeful. After all, House Republicans – as far as anyone knows – are not advising Iran’s leadership.

Wednesday, Cory Booker will replace the late Senator Frank Lautenberg after New Jersey voters render their verdict in the state’s special election. Booker’s opponent, Steve Lonegan, will then crawl back under the rock he crawled out from under, a rock officially known as “state director of the New Jersey chapter of Americans for Prosperity,” the notorious organization dedicated to destroying the nation’s economy with a surfeit of calamitously bad policy ideas.

Category 5 “supercyclone” Phailin made landfall in India over the weekend, but it will take days before the extent of its devastation can be measured. 600,000 people were evacuated from coastal areas in advance of the landfall.

Primary elections will be held Tuesday in the Massachusetts 5th District (to replace former Congressman and now Senator Ed Markey) and Saturday in the Louisiana 5th District (to replace former Congressman Rodney Alexander, who will head the Department of Veteran Affairs in Governor Bobby Jindal’s cabinet). Neither seat is ultimately expected to change party hands.


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