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" (Optional Musical Accompaniment To This Post) It looks like the Flight Of The Morons in DC is going to complicate matters for the poor folks still clearing the mud off their lives from the flooding in Colorado. But even repairs that can begin immediately are being delayed over the threat of a possible government shutdown. Members of the Utah National Guard will travel to Colorado Thursday to transport equipment to flood-ravaged areas, but work won&amp;#039;t begin until the shutdown threat is averted, or until the government reopens for business. &amp;quot;Because of the uncertainty of budget constraints and a possible government shutdown, the 1457th [Engineer Battalion] will transport vehicles and equipment to work sites and then return to Utah. Once funding issues have been resolved, which is anticipated to be the first week of October, approximately 120 soldiers of the 1457th will return to Colorado to complete their mission,&amp;quot; the Utah National Guard said in a statement released late Tuesday. A government shutdown would furlough hundreds of thousands of non-essential federal employees, including National Guardsmen. A planning document [pdf] the Pentagon drew up in advance of the possible government shutdown in October 2011 said National Guard duties would be terminated unless the Secretary of Defense approves those duties; Udall and Bennet have asked Secretary Chuck Hagel to exempt the Guards involved in Colorado recovery from furloughs. Gee, that sounds bad. Good thing the local pols are on the case. Sens. Mark Udall (D) and Michael Bennet (D) and Rep. Cory Gardner (R) introduced legislation on Wednesday to lift a $100 million cap on emergency highway repair. Gov. John Hickenlooper (D) told the Denver Post about 200 miles of Colorado highways were damaged or destroyed in the flooding, and that at least 50 bridges need to be repaired. Wait. What? Who? Cory Gardner? The Cory Gardner? The guy who only two months ago was such a blithe fellow?  Gardner: I want to do anything and everything I can to stop Obamacare from destroying our health care, from driving up increases in costs. Whether that&amp;#039;s through the continuing resolution, I want to defund everything that we can... Rosen: There&amp;#039;s a political concern that if the Republicans stand their ground on this [repealing Obamacare], they are going to be blamed for shutting down the government. Gardner: Well, I think if the government gets shut down, it&amp;#039;s going to be the President&amp;#039;s decision to do so. I believe that we don&amp;#039;t need to shut down the government because we ought to just lift this health-care bill out of the way and let America work.  The guy who a month before that was happy to crash the debt ceiling if that&amp;#039;s what it took because, you know, freeeedooommmm? Gardner told KFTM&amp;#039;s John Waters Monday that he sees the upcoming extension of the debt ceiling as an &amp;quot;opportunity to reduce the size and scope of government, and how we can require opportunities to look for savings, look for cuts, and what we&amp;#039;re going to do to grow the economy through common sense tax reform. I think there&amp;#039;s great opportunities for us to get back on track.&amp;quot;  But first, gimme the money I need so I can get re-elected. Let the invisible hand clean off your porch, Cory. These are not serious people. Not in any way. "^^<http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#string>
<http://www.esquire.com/news-politics/politics/a24974/colorado-flood-relief-delayed-over-possible-gov-shutdown-092713/>