We’re just not quite sure what it is. Then again, neither are they.

On one hand, the teabagger base doesn’t like anything they imagine President Obama would like to do.

From Representative Vicky Hartzler (r):

Congresswoman Hartzler issues statement following conference call on Syria

Congresswoman Vicky Hartzler (MO-4) has issued the following statement regarding her conference call with citizens of the Fourth District who expressed their views on the situation in Syria:

“I pledged that I would listen to the thoughts and concerns of the citizens of Missouri’s Fourth Congressional District regarding this important issue. I have previously stated that I have concerns about the President’s plan to strike Syria, and have yet to be convinced that military action against the Assad regime is in the interests of the United States. Our conference call has further solidified my deep reservations as 97% of participants expressed opposition to our involvement. I thank all the citizens of our district who called in or who have expressed their feelings through telephone calls, emails, letters, and faxes to our offices in Washington and throughout the district. I value the input and will consider all the comments my office has received as I have the opportunity to cast MO-4’s vote in this critical time.”

[….]

[emphasis in original]

From Ezra Klein:

….There’s no peaceful, productive relationship with Congress for this vote to disrupt. The White House can’t get anything past House Republicans now. Neither a “yes” nor a “no” vote on Syria won’t change that. The downstream consequences of a congressional rebuff are, effectively, zero. It’s a few bad news cycles, and then all Washington will be talking about is the October debt limit….

….Indeed, a lengthy involvement in Syria could harm the White House’s other priorities. As Matt Yglesias at Slate notes, it’s going to be a lot harder for the White House to hold the line against the GOP’s attempts to cancel sequestration’s defense cuts (and only the defense cuts) when the military is actually dropping bombs in a foreign land….

Gee, leverage on defense sequestration. And then there’s the AIPAC voting block in the district.

Decisions, decisions.

Previously:

Rep. Vicky Hartzler (r): Syriously (September 3, 2013)

Rep. Vicky Hartzler (r): What about that Syria thing? (September 1, 2013)

President Obama: calling on Congress to debate and vote on use of military force in Syria (August 31, 2013)

A short announcement:

Sea Chanters Performance Planned for March 10 Cancelled

WARRENSBURG, MO (March 6, 2013)- The performance by the U.S. Navy Sea Chanters planned for 7:30 p.m. Sunday, March 10, in Hendricks Hall has been cancelled.

The UCM Department of Music has been notified all scheduled U.S. military band performances have been cancelled due to the sequestration of federal funding last Friday.

Taxation is the price you pay for civilization.

Yesterday, via Twitter:

Rep. Vicky Hartzler ‏@RepHartzler

The President has instructed agencies to make #sequestration as painful as possible. Is that really what’s best for America? 1:16 PM – Mar 5, 2013

That was the point of sequestration. The consequences were supposed to be so severe that all of the parties, including Congress, would come together in some sort of grand compromise.

To be fair, Representative Hartzler (r) voted against sequestration. To be fair again, that’s because Representative Hartzler (r) doesn’t believe in compromise.

Rep. Vicky Hartzler ‏@RepHartzler

Sad to announce that the White House is suspending public tours as of March 9. The Capitol building will remain open for tours. 1:44 PM – Mar 5, 2013

Oh, the humanity.

It certainly is according to High Broderism.

Via Twitter today:

Claire McCaskill ‏@clairecmc

Just finished Fox Sunday Morning with Chris Wallace. Stressed the need to compromise. 8:30 a.m. – Feb 24, 2013

In what world is Chris Wallace and the Faux News Channel open to “compromise”? Just asking.

A few replies:

Shell ‏@Shella_Bella

@clairecmc u don’t compromise , u blindly follow Obama! R elderly get treated like Crap. ^ taxes, Hc, gas, electric. Country is a mess!8:32 a.m. – Feb 24, 2013

A personal favorite:

Patrick Scott ‏@Dewarsplz

@clairecmc Senator you are no moderate you are as much a communist as Obama! #tcot8:34 a.m. – Feb 24, 2013

Communist? Didn’t that go out with high button shoes? Who would have thought…

Michael Bersin ‏@MBersin

@clairecmc Hoping compromise isn’t defined as “give irrational obstructionists everything” so the rich DC pundits can applaud bipartisanship 10:35 a.m. – Feb 24, 2013

Synchronicity:

Bob Yates Bob Yates ‏@OldDrum

@MBersin @clairecmc I don’t watch Fox News, so I don’t know what compromise is for them. So what is it? 10:47 a.m. – Feb 24, 2013

Maybe compromise has a certain percentage to it:

Michael Bersin ‏@MBersin

@OldDrum @clairecmc Uh, making sure Speaker Boehner (r) doesn’t cry on national TV and giving him “98%” of what he wanted. Oh, wait… 10:57 a.m. – Feb 24, 2013

Not if the recent past is a reliable predictor. Charlie Brown, meet Lucy and her football.

From the Federal Aviation Administration:

FAA Planning for $600 Million in 2013 Spending Cuts

February 22- To prepare for the possibility of a budget sequestration on March 1, 2013, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is making plans to reduce its expenditures by approximately $600 million for the remainder of Fiscal Year 2013.

Among the changes we are considering are furloughing the vast majority of our 47,000 employees for approximately one day per pay period; closing over 100 air traffic control facilities; eliminating the overnight shift at over 60 facilities; and reducing preventive maintenance and support for all air traffic control equipment. All of these changes will be finalized as to scope and details through collaborative discussions with our users and our unions.

We will begin furloughs and start facility shut-downs in April. You can read more about this process in this letter from Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood and FAA Administrator Michael Huerta (PDF).

[….]

The air traffic control facilities in Missouri which could be shut down by sequestration (from the FAA):

Air Traffic Control Facilities That Could be Closed [pdf]

[….]

BBG Branson Branson MO

COU Columbia Regional Columbia MO

JEF Jefferson City Memorial Jefferson City MO

JLN Joplin Regional Joplin MO

STJ Rosecrans Memorial St. Joseph MO

[….]

Let’s see, Joplin and Branson are represented in Congress by Billy Long (r).  St. Joesph is represented in Congress by Sam Graves (r). Columbia is (now) represented in Congress by Vicky Hartzler (r). Jefferson City is (now) represented in Congress by Blaine Luetkemeyer (r).

And how did they vote on the sequester?:

FINAL VOTE RESULTS FOR ROLL CALL 690

S 365      RECORDED VOTE      1-Aug-2011      7:09 PM

     QUESTION:  On Passage

     BILL TITLE: To make a technical amendment to the Education Sciences Reform Act of 2002

—- AYES    269 —

Graves (MO)

Long

Luetkemeyer

—- NOES    161 —

Hartzler

—- NOT VOTING    3 —

Well, yes, Representative Vicky Hartzler (r) voted against sequestration. Probably not particularly because she anticipated air traffic control tower closings.

And in the Senate?:

U.S. Senate Roll Call Votes 112th Congress – 1st Session

[….]

Vote Summary

Question: On the Motion (Motion to Concur in the House Amendment to S. 365 )

Vote Number: 123 Vote Date: August 2, 2011, 12:16 PM

Required For Majority: 3/5 Vote Result: Motion Agreed to

Measure Number: S. 365 (Budget Control Act of 2011 )

Measure Title: An act to provide for budget control.

[….]

Blunt (R-MO), Yea

McCaskill (D-MO), Yea

[….]

Flying those Missouri skies might not be so friendly come March 1st (and April).

Two days ago via Twitter:

Rep. Vicky Hartzler ‏@RepHartzler

#Sequestration would not only put Americans out of their #jobs, but it threatens our #NationalSecurity: [….] 10:48 AM – 13 Feb 13

Apparently, this is now the only authorized form of corporate welfare in the republican economic policy pantheon.

From 2011:

Stutzman and Job Creators Caucus Propose Jobs & Growth Agenda

Washington, D.C. – Congressman Marlin Stutzman (IN-03) and three freshman members of the Job Creators Caucus today participated in the unveiling of the House Republican’s Plan for America’s Job Creators with Speaker Boehner, Leader Cantor and the entire GOP Leadership team.

“Government doesn’t create jobs,” stated Stutzman “Americans create jobs.  I appreciate the philosophy that our leadership has shown here, that we need to get government out of the way.”

[….]

Links to remarks from Speaker Boehner, and caucus members Rep. Ribble, Rep. Rigell, and Rep. Hartzler.

The Congressional Job Creators Caucus is made up entirely of freshman small business owners, and focuses on practical, legislative solutions that promote growth, expand our economy and create jobs. Current members of the caucus include: Rick Berg (R-SD), Diane Black (R-TN), Rick Crawford (R-AR), Robert Dold (R-IL), Stephen Fincher (R-TN), Bill Flores (R-TX), Bob Gibbs (R-OH), Richard Hanna (R-NY), Vicky Hartzler (R-MO), Mike Kelly (R-PA), Billy Long (R-MO), Reid Ribble (R-WI), Scott Rigell (R-VA), Bobby Schilling (R-IL), Steve Southerland (R-FL), and Marlin Stutzman (R-IN).

[….]

[emphasis added]

But, but, government doesn’t create jobs, right? Wait a minute, if government spending doesn’t create jobs, how would government spending cuts lose jobs? Just asking.

Before the last election:

Rep. Vicky Hartzler (r) and Rep. Joe Wilson (r) in Warrensburg on defense sequestration (September 18, 2012)

[…]

Representative Vicky Hartzler (r) (left) and Representative Joe Wilson (r) (right).

[….]

Rep. Vicky Hartzler ‏@RepHartzler

#sequestration slated to raise unemployment by another percent. #MO would lose over 33k jobs. 4:45 PM – 18 Sep 12

Who knew that the defense budget was a stimulus plan for local economies?

[….]

Ah, yes, consistent cognitive dissonance.

A little over a year ago, from the republican Speaker of the House of Representatives:

Boehner: I got ’98 percent’ of what I wanted in debt deal

By Daniel Strauss – 08/02/11 08:27 AM ET

House Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio) said he got “98 percent” of what he wanted in the final deal to raise the debt ceiling.

“When you look at this final agreement that we came to with the White House, I got 98 percent of what I wanted. I’m pretty happy,” Boehner said in an interview with CBS News on Monday evening….

….The measure passed the House Monday 269-161, with 174 Republicans backing the bill. Sixty-six Republicans voted against the plan….

[emphasis added]

This evening Representative Vicky Hartzler (r) was the host of an event in Warrensburg on the subject of sequestration in the defense budget. At least one member of Congress, Randy Forbes (r) from Virginia, who was scheduled to appear could not do so due to a “conflict”. Representative Joe Wilson (r) from South Carolina joined Representative Hartzler on the stage and participated with opening remarks and in answering the submitted questions. Yes, that Joe Wilson.

Representative Vicky Hartzler (r) (left) and Representative Joe Wilson (r) (right).

Today, via Twitter:

Rep. Vicky Hartzler ‏@RepHartzler

“I voted no on #sequestration. I believe its wrong to threaten our national security in that way.” 5:30 PM – 18 Sep 12

Rep. Vicky Hartzler ‏@RepHartzler

Honored to have Rep. Joe Wilson speaking. Community leaders also addressing #defense cuts. 4:53 PM – 18 Sep 12

There were a number of “community leaders” who spoke on stage to the two Congresspersons lamenting the negative economic impact on local economies if sequestration cuts in the defense budget were to proceed.

Rep. Vicky Hartzler ‏@RepHartzler

#sequestration slated to raise unemployment by another percent. #MO would lose over 33k jobs. 4:45 PM – 18 Sep 12

Who knew that the defense budget was a stimulus plan for local economies?

The event was held in Hendricks Hall on the campus of the University of Central Missouri. There were approximately 80 people who attended the event, including an Associated Press reporter, the editors of the Sedalia and Warrensburg papers, and two bloggers. The hall can seat approximately 1100 people.

Previously: Rep. Vicky Hartzler (r): comparing apples to navel oranges (February 16, 2012)

Via twitter:

Rep. Vicky Hartzler ‏@RepHartzler

RT “@RepTomPrice: ICYMI! @politico: Don’t sequester the common defense – w/@RepHartzler. http://politi.co/LHjMeE  #savedefense” 6:33 AM – 23 Jul 12

So we followed the link and found the recurrence of this little gem:

Don’t sequester the common defense

By REP. TOM PRICE and REP. VICKY HARTZLER | 7/22/12 9:16 PM EDT

….the smallest Navy since 1915….

An apt comparison because, as we all know, the world and the role and capabilities of the U.S. Navy hasn’t changed in almost a century.

If we could just build the Navy back up to thirty-nine battleships, seven coastal monitors, and three hundred fifty patrol craft we should be okay.