I think the air traffic controllers should get the day off, everybody else works.
I for one will be glad when all this crap is over. Throw a flower on his coffin, and get the fuck off my TV already.
[QUOTE=calm kiwi]
(anyone remember Maggie Thatcher?)
Why can’t US presidents do more then two terms? QUOTE]
Because the Republicans got pissed at always losing to FDR. If they hadn’t Clinton would still be Pres of course (if only).
I’m all in favour of limited terms for UK PM’s and cite Thatcher as a good reason, with a secondary cite for Blair. That much power, responsibility and stress must damage your perceptions and judgement in the long term.
It was traditional ever since the first president for a president to step down after two terms. Franklin Roosevelt shattered that tradition. In short, while Truman (Roosevelt’s succesor) was president, a constitutional amendment was passed to limit the president to two terms. It’s just the way we are.
Let’s see, I think I saw it here somewhere. Oh yeah, there it is:
and
and
Somehow, I think there may be slightly more to it than your characterization.
Vermont isn’t taking the day off, either. I’m not too worried about it one way or another. I would have just spent the day plaing Final Fantasy XI, anyway.
The governor’s spokesman, Jason Gibbs said
“The governor’s inclination, in keeping with his commitment to fiscal conservatism, is to not stop all of state government at extraordinary expense,” Gibbs said.
“One of the greatest tributes to President Reagan would be to continue to do our part to serve the people of Vermont and the people of this nation.”
[QUOTE=tagos]
Hey! I was not a Maggie admirer!!
It just seems a lot of British peoplem were. Why should being popular be a crime?
I know it is “just the way you are”. It just seems a tad anti democracy 
Well, you’re not going to get any argument out of me. There was a strong term limits movement for lower offices in the 90s which in some places succeeded amazingly. For instance, here in Colorado, almost every elected office is limited to 8 years. My feeling has always been: “We’ve always had term limits; they’re called elections!”
Wilmington, Delaware is shutting down. Friend just rubbed it in.
I work for a nonprofit that is just skating on the brink of financial viability, so it makes no sense for us to take a paid holiday on Friday, yet because we, like most DC-area companies that do business with the gov’t, are tied to the federal leave schedule, we’re getting the day off. Mind you, I’m not complaining because I’m going to be working on my resume at home.
It sounds to me like the one day shut down will cause so much additional work for everyone, employees and the public, that it will be hard to enjoy their day off.
AND… Just because Tenar is receiving money and a day off doesn’t mean he/she can’t see that it is unfair for the taxpayer to have to pay for the extra vacation pay and be inconvenienced.
I don’t know, but it would be fun to find out, wouldn’t it?
Because not enough people read Miss Manners:
Uhhhhh…that makes no sense, Miss Manners. Only one person can be Governor of a state at one time, too. Calling someone “Governor” implies that he/she is governor of a specific state, and there is obviously somebody else in that position presently.
I’m assuming it’s friday because that’s when he’s being interred.
It’s pretty standard to have a National Day of Mourning or somesuch whenever an ex-president dies, along with the state funeral. At least since I’ve been a federal employee it has.
I shall be working as usual (hospitals can’t close) but will get paid a little extra for it. But don’t worry, you’ll get your money’s worth from me.
That’s nothing. Here in Delaware this past winter we had an “almost snow emergency”. A true snow emergency would have shut down all businesses and schools and gov’t offices. Instead this genius shuts down just the gov’t (the largest employer in the state) so that they wouldn’t be on the road and the rest of us could get to work.
Her two terms are up soon. Thank god.
In Nevada, federal offices and the post office will be closed on Friday. All state agencies will be open. No state shutdown here.
Tagos: Why can’t US presidents do more then two terms? Because the Republicans got pissed at always losing to FDR. If they hadn’t Clinton would still be Pres of course (if only).
Au contraire, my little garbanzo bean. Were it not for the 22nd amendment, President Ronald Reagan ® would have won by a freaking landslide in '88 against Governor Dukakis (D) and he very well may have won in 1992, even with his declining health. Remember that Bush’s victory in '88 was largely based on Reagan’s immense popularity. It certainly wasn’t Bush’s sparkling personality and charm. (Of course, having an opponent such as Dukakis didn’t hurt either. Hell, I think I would have won vs. Dukakis.)
Would Clinton’s star still have risen under the glare of such a forceful presence as Reagan? Would he have dared to enter the race against a foe that had virtually the same credentials (governor, eloquency, charm) PLUS the benefit of incumbency? Assuming Reagan’s health held up (which I grant is a big assumption given hindsight) I would have paid large American dollars to see a debate between those two colorful characters.
Yup, a Clinton v. Reagan election would have been very, very interesting.
Damn the 22nd amendment.