Overheard at Table 3: conspiracy, or just good planning?

And Phil was saying, "maybe it's a little of both and he was saying that he heard on the radio the other day, Pacifica radio, yesterday, that there was some guys who used to be the head of some union who was saying that this latest government fiasco where the Repiblicans are blocking the appointment of a third person to the National Labor Relations Board is a plot, or at least a crafty distraction, because, you see, theNLRB has to have a quorum of three in order to exist, if not a third person, which at the moment the are only two, then it cannot actually function, and then there is no method by which Labor Unions can redress grievances with the government, so what that means is that after january first, since there won't be a third member, there will be no protection for labor."

And Gerry asked, "so why can't the president just nominate some guy during the recess. Thos erecess appointments are the way to get around that crap."

And Phil said, "that's what's so freaking crafty about the whole deal. The senate had an appropriations bill that would extend unemployment benefits another onto. The repubs in the house won't allow it to come to a vote. They have made some maneuver to deny going into recess until they've hammmered out a different agreement. SO - what that apparently means is that they have effectively closed off every method by which the NLRB can get an appointee and thus, save what little protection the american worker had against Big Business."

And Gerry said, "dang, sounds like the Republicans have done their homework. Those're some crafty ashbowls, I'll tellya."

And Phil said, "you know, all my life I swore to myself that I'd never become one of those conspiracy theorists, but good god every time I read the paper or hear the news it's just like another little factoid that adds up to pointing toward the fact that these conservatives are caressing our faces with one hand while driving knives into our backs with the other."

And Gerry said, "well, always remember what John says . . ."

"The complete lack of evidence is the surest sign that the conspiracy is working."