Shutdown Sequel?

Since today is #ThrowbackThursday, we figured now is a good time to jump back into the Nevada Progressive archives. Today, we're traveling back to October 2013. Remember what was happening then? Or perhaps more appropriately, remember what wasn't functioning back then?

We do. And we remember how and why the great Shutdown Shitfest of 2013 finally came to an end.

Fortunately, House Speaker John Boehner (R-Agent Orange) finally stood down last night after his "Plan Z" went nowhere fast. And Ironically enough, that was largely thanks to mounting 21st Century Know Nothing opposition. But in pushing themselves to complete irrelevancy and Speaker John Boehner to total embarrassment, they only succeeded in giving Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D) and Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Kentucky) the opening they needed to resume talks and seal the deal. [...]

After all, Fitch is now threatening to lower America's credit rating. And world leaders have warned of the economic repercussions of Armageddon. So we finally got to see "Game Over".

Yesterday, Rep. Joe Heck's (R-Why?) staff refused to answer questions regarding the Armageddon deadline. But now, it doesn't matter. House Republican "leaders" are declaring defeat, and a floor vote will soon be scheduled.

For the past three weeks, Congressional Republicans from Nevada and elsewhere have pushed the nation to the brink of disaster. And yes, it's led to some awful consequences. But now, it's all coming to an end. Republicans are being forced to drop their crazy demands... Because it's just plain game over.

After that month from Hell, Congressional Republican "leaders" vowed never to go there again...

Yet now, there's a chance they will actually go there again. But why? Oh, that darned President Obama is planning to clean up the mess they exacerbated by refusing to do any kind of comprehensive immigration reform (CIR).



While he isn't publicly endorsing it, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Kentucky) isn't ruling out a Shutdown Shitfest Sequel, either. And we all remember how he and other Republican "leaders" played coy in the run-up to the first Shutdown Shitfest last fall.

Just like last fall, the G-O-TEA base wants one. But unlike last time, they don't have Obamacare to claim as a bogeyman any more. So now, their fearmongering stand-in will be the President's planned executive action on immigration.

In fact, their fearmongering has already begun. They've gone after #BorderChildren. They've gone after DREAMers. And now, they're going after abused women.



Oh, and of course, they're screaming about "TER'RISS!!!" and "JOBS!!!" while they threaten to hold the federal government and national economy hostage over something they promised to do before refusing to do it. Sure, that makes plenty of sense. #Not

And now, we're left to wonder if G-O-TEA opposition to any kind of positive executive action on immigration will lead them to force us into a sequel we had hoped would never come to fruition

Surrender

Last week, he expressed optimism. He was refusing to give up. And really, it's hard for Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D) to surrender a fight he's sure he can win.



But late last week, he came up one vote short. Even though Senator Dean Heller (R) and a few other Senate Republicans have called on their colleagues to renew the federal extension of unemployment insurance (UI), just enough Senate Republicans stood in line to block UI extension. Why? Apparently, they believe it's
"immoral" to help the 1.6 million Americans who desperately need this lifeline and undo the $1.76 billion worth of economic activity states have lost since the UI extension lapsed.

Instead, G-O-TEA disciples on Capitol Hill have been yearning for yet another manufactured crisis. This time, they wanted to try to skip the bill that they themselves agreed to late last year & again early this year. And since they either didn't remember or weren't bothered by the final result of their last manufactured crisis, they started hunting for the "sweet spot" of painful & unnecessary drama.

But now, that's all changed. Why? Someone must have encountered that pesky thing otherwise known as reality. And all of a sudden, House Republican "leaders" will allow a clean debt ceiling floor vote.

This week, the G-O-TEA has to surrender to reality. Republicans simply didn't have the votes for any ransom demand, and they didn't want to face another Shutdown Sh**fest like backlash. So now, the debt ceiling will be taken care of and the government will remain open. But then what?

That's a good question, yet we probably already know the answer. Since Republican "leaders" will likely face a "TEA" fueled rebellion over this debt ceiling surrender, they will then try to win the 'baggers back by vowing to block any & all other attempts at sane & rational governance. And that may very well mean they'll aim to kill the federal UI extension for good.

Here's why that would be an epic mistake. They already proved that the 'baggers aren't needed to pass legislation. So why not just pass the UI extension already and give our economy the boost it needs?

The federal budget deficit continues to fall, but economic inequality has yet to. And the few Members of Congress who have investigated for themselves know that poverty is still a serious problem in this nation.

So why hold up such a modest effort to curb extreme poverty? What's there to gain from letting millions of Americans needlessly suffer? We now know Congressional Republicans will surrender when they know they're guaranteed to lose another fight over unnecessary & ridiculous drama. So why not surrender this so that these Americans will no longer have to suffer?

The (Not So) "Sweet Spot"

"Not again!" We can already hear the cries across the nation. Hell, we can hear the cries emerging in our own heads!

Why? It's manufactured crisis time again. No really, House Republican "leaders" are once again caving to the Crazy Caucus' demands for more unnecessary drama.

In an interview, Rep. Tom Cole (R-Oklahoma) said [House Speaker John] Boehner [R-Ohio] would spend this week "looking for the sweet spot" as his colleagues mull how to proceed. "After the State Department's report on the pipeline, that becomes an easier pitch," he said. "But the risk corridors item was popular at the retreat and remains popular." [...]

"We're in the process of sorting it out," Cole said. "The number one question is: how do we get to 218 votes? We want to do this in a non-crisis atmosphere, so we have to move soon and work with the administration and see if they want to do anything."

Growing tension, however, is already apparent between the two strategies and their supporters. Some conservatives have said they would urge Boehner to link repeal of the risk corridors to any debt-limit demand, believing the federal health-care law must be part of the negotiations. Other Republicans have said tying the pipeline to the debt limit is a better play in an election year.

"The sweet spot?" Really? What's Tom Cole smoking?

Last time he & Speaker Boehner let their G-O-TEA Culture Warriors proceed with their beloved manufactured crisis, the nation endured a crippling government shutdown & Armageddon death threat that cost the nation's economy dearly. Must we all endure that complete & utter bullshit again? And why on earth do Republican "leaders" think there's a "sweet spot" in any of that complete & utter bullshit?

Why on earth do they think there's a "sweet spot" in holding the nation hostage in order to guarantee completion of a massive fossil fuel pipeline that would only maximize a foreign corporation's profits at the expense of our own well being? And where's the "sweet spot" in holding the nation hostage in order to increase the federal budget deficit while also increasing health insurance costs? Weren't these very same G-O-TEA politicians demanding these ransoms for paying the nation's bills also denouncing "wasteful spending"?

If G-O-TEA politicians really care about cutting "wasteful spending", they can start by cutting the corporate welfare and dropping their insane ransom demands. In the mean time, they need to drop the "sweet spot" nonsense and pay for the spending they already passed.

Manufacture This!

And we're back. No really, we're going back. We're going all the way back to last October. Remember when we were approaching the brink of Armageddon?

Apparently, Congressional Republicans have either forgotten their own manufactured crisis... Or they remember, and they already want a sequel. Oh, yes. That's right. They're going there (again).

The GOP's apparent desire for another debt ceiling fight is confounding after the party forced one last fall and surrendered one day before the deadline without extracting any concessions. President Barack Obama and Democratic leaders insist they won't negotiate or give up anything to raise the debt ceiling, and Republicans raised (or suspended) the borrowing limit twice last year without extracting any policy concessions -- after initially threatening not to both times.

It's also notable because Republicans and Democrats wrapped up a $1.012 trillion spending bill last week, which passed on an overwhelming bipartisan vote. The debt limit has to be raised in order to finance that spending.

The remarks from Boehner's office and other top Republicans suggest that leaders will have a hard time persuading their members not to pick another battle, even if it is futile. The Speaker said last year on Oct. 6 that the House was "not going to pass a clean debt limit increase" because there weren't enough votes to pass one. Ten days later, he brought up a clean debt limit hike and it easily passed the House, with mostly Democratic votes. Democrats don't take GOP threats of default seriously after they've proven they aren't willing to shoot the hostage.

But wait, there's more! Not only are Republican "leaders" caving into G-O-TEA Culture Warriors' demand for another manufactured crisis, but they're also launching yet another attempt to sabotage Obamacare (aka the ACA/Affordable Care Act). This time, they're demanding the repeal of a key provision of the ACA that stabilizes the insurance market and prevents health insurance premiums from skyrocketing. Oh, and this very risk corridor provision that G-O-TEA politicians now (falsely) decry as a "bailout" was actually originated by Republicans when they proposed Medicare Part D 11 years ago!

But wait, there's even more! In case this latest anti-Obamacare political stunt isn't enough hypocrisy for you, there's also this. Remember that Ryan-Murray Budget Deal that attracted plenty of Republican votes? And remember how "Ryan-Murray 2.0" had to include earmarks in order to pass (for real, this time!) earlier this month? So now, those very same Republicans who (twice) passed a budget, then added a little "pork" to make the second passage easier, now don't want to pay for their own spending? They don't even want to pay for their own beloved/hated earmarks?

How does any of this make any sense? Here's a clue: It doesn't. Congress can't pass a new budget and order new federal investment, then deny the very mechanism needed to pay for the investment. This would be like me going to the grocery store, filling my cart with all sorts of yummy goodies, then refusing to provide my credit/debit card at checkout because "I just can't afford all this." That wouldn't make sense, and neither would Congress refusing to pay for its own damned budget.

And that's why this latest & greatest G-O-TEA manufactured crisis is destined to end like the previous ones did. And we all remember those. Why is the G-O-TEA so hell-bent on losing more elections? And is this why House Speaker John Boehner (R-Sautéed to Golden) & Rep. Joe Heck (R-Known for His Constituent Service) refused to take questions from the constituents outside Las Vegas Country Club last Friday?

The Year of Manufactured Crises

After all the huffing and puffing and strutting and screaming, it happened. A deal was struck. The votes were rounded up. And after weeks of mindless speculation, Congress' latest and greatest manufactured crisis finally came to an end.

How many times have we had to talk about it here? Frankly, I lost count some time in March. However, I remember that our very first conversation of 2013 was about "The Fiscal Cliff"... And what the end of that manufactured crisis revealed to us about how Congress would (not) work in 2013.

Even while "The Fiscal Cliff" has been averted, this is still just a temporary solution. G-O-TEA extremists will be demanding whole pounds of "fiscal flesh" when the debt ceiling is taken hostage yet again again up for debate. So there will be another round of insanity to witness in the new Congress this spring.

Yet even with that being said, it may just end up being a bunch of meaningless Sturm und Drang. Why, you ask? Remember that for most of the past decade-plus in Congress (that is, when Republicans have controlled the House), Republicans have operated under the "Hastert Rule" of only bringing legislation to the House floor if it has the support of most of the Republican caucus. However, that did not happen last night. Instead, this bill passed despite most House Republicans opposing it. And in letting this happen, Boehner implicitly admitted that budget solutions can now be reached by actually reaching across the aisle for a change and bringing in Democratic votes (as opposed to simply grinding Congress to a halt just so he can engage in "tea party circle jerks").

This may be the key to unlocking the potential for better productivity in the new Congress. Both President Obama and Harry Reid see it. We'll just have to see how long House Republicans try denying this "new rule"... And how long we will have to endure the next round of meaningless "tea party circle jerks" before something (else) is actually accomplished.

Actually, it is the key... But it's yet to be used to solve anything other than manufactured crises. Instead, we've seen Congress stuck in epic gridlock thanks to endless G-O-TEA intransigence.

Comprehensive immigration reform (CIR)? Oh, no. They can't do that. It's too "big and complicated" for one bill (despite the fact that the Senate passed one in June).

Farm bill? Oh, no. They can't do that. They'd rather let American consumers suffer unnecessary higher food prices than let the working poor eat.

ENDA? Oh, no. They can't do that. They still refuse to accept that LGBTQ Americans exist, let alone contribute to the American Economy. [...]

Time and time again, Republican "leaders" have chosen cheap and crass political games over real governance. It's why major policy goals, such as CIR & ENDA, are about to be left unmet. And it's why we doubt this Congress can even "succeed" at such basic tasks as passing longer term budgets.

After all, some Republican politicians are now bragging about their vision of "government that does less". Why would they want to abandon that vision to allow for a government that actually functions properly?

Never mind that we actually have real crises to solve. Because Congressional Republican "leaders" long ago lost control of their Crazy Caucus, they've manufactured crises, such as "The Fiscal Cliff", the Shutdown Shitfest, and a slew of near default debacles, in a desperate attempt to mollify them. It hasn't worked. Instead, it's revealed just how reckless and feckless the G-O-TEA has become.

We've said it before, but we must say it again today. Sharron Angle likely has more control over the Nevada Republican Party than anyone who's actually supposed to be a "leader" in Carson City or DC. As much as Brian Sandoval would like to deny it and John Boehner would like to hide it, that's the awful and crazy truth that we saw unfold over the course of this year. 

Never mind that Sharron Angle currently holds no elected office and has no official position with the Nevada Republican Party. She and her "TEA Party, Inc." BFFs have provided the ideology that's now the heart and soul of today's Republican Party. And as a result, many Republicans are still defending their crazy actions. [...]

It doesn't matter that this whole Shutdown Shitfest made for absolutely awful economics. And it doesn't matter that it ultimately made for crappy politics. For today's G-O-TEA, all that matters is that crazy is in charge. And that's what caused this whole crazy fiasco in the first place.

Ultimately, this and the other manufactured crises came to an end. Senator Harry Reid (D-The Boss) was able to find just enough not-so-crazy Republicans to force "leadership" to stand down at the 11th hour of each and every manufactured crisis of 2013. Yet with that being said, this string of crises has taken its toll on the nation. America has been forced into an era of austerity, and people are suffering as a result of this series of budget cuts. Even now, even more American families are about to become victims of the next round of austerity madness.

And speaking of austerity madness, the big 2014-15 Ryan-Murray Budget Deal is on track to pass the Senate today. It easily overcame a G-O-TEA led filibuster on a 67-33 vote. For the record, Senator Reid voted for cloture while Senator Dean Heller (R) voted to sustain the filibuster.

Even though this budget deal offers plenty of austerity, a number of Republicans (including Heller & Rep. Joe Heck) still oppose it. Why? It doesn't have enough austerity to please the Crazy Caucus, so expect another round of battles in the ongoing G-O-TEA Civil War as 2013 comes to a close.

And what about the new year? Believe it or not, 2014 may begin with (drumroll, please) yet another manufactured crisis over the debt ceiling thanks to continuing teabagger angst over the Ryan-Murray Sequester Remix. So this shitfest over manufactured crises built upon voodoo economics and political hogwash may not actually be completely over just yet. Happy Holidays!

Season of the Scrooge

It's here! It's here. And it's arrived just in time for the holiday season.

Senator Patty Murray (D-Washington) and Rep. Paul Ryan (R-Wisconsin) reached a budget deal yesterday. And so far, Congressional Republican "leaders" are signaling their approval. So are we free and clear for a 2014 (& 2015!) budget?

Not so fast. Already, G-O-TEA "movement leaders" like Senator Rand Paul (R-Kentucky), Senator Tom Coburn (R-Oklahoma), and the usual "Tea Party, Inc." agitators have been arguing against the nascent budget compromise. Why? It's a compromise! It would ever so slightly raise federal investment in the economy above Sequester levels. They still want more economy-busting austerity, not less.

Oh, and it's not just the radical right railing against the Ryan-Murray deal. Progressives aren't happy with this budget proposal, either. While it would raise 2014 federal investment from a severely austere $967 billion to a somewhat less austere $1.012 trillion (and $1.014 trillion in 2015), it would do so while screwing over public servants and kicking the long-term unemployed where it really hurts. So even as Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D) has signaled his tentative approval, House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-California) might as well have held her nose when she gave her statement on the tentative budget deal. And grassroots outrage is building over the possible end to the last lifeline available to those hit hardest by The Great Recession.

So both the activist right and the activist left are protesting the budget compromise. And while no top Democrats on Capitol Hill have threatened to blow it up, some Republicans are already starting to go there. While it's far from inevitable, a Shutdown S**tfest Sequel also isn't out of the equation just yet.

Unfortunately, what's starting to look probable is that at least some hard working Americans are about to get scrooged. And Congress has the gall to channel the spirit of Scrooge during the holiday season. What makes this even worse is that we're not even shocked any more.

Less Isn't More

This morning, we cut past the BS and looked at the reality behind the "Obamacare SCANDAL!!!" hype. Surprise, surprise, there's really "no there there". And what's making matters even worse is that Congressional Republican "leaders" are using this as an excuse to ditch basic governance in a last ditch effort to score more political points going into the 2014 Election Cycle.

Don't believe us? Believe the Republicans boasting of their own record of failure!

“I ran on a government that did less,” said Representative Reid Ribble, Republican of Wisconsin. “I felt the government was overreaching, and the citizens that sent me didn’t want me to be overaggressive in writing new laws. The Affordable Care Act launch is actually demonstrating the ineptitude of the federal government in handling these big programs.”

The 113th Congress has passed all of 55 laws so far this year, seven fewer at this point than the 112th Congress — the least productive Congress ever. House and Senate negotiators will meet on Wednesday to try to come to terms on a farm bill, but they remain far apart, especially on food-stamp cuts that the House is demanding. The leaders of the House and Senate budget committees will also meet this week, and they appear to be closing in on a modest deal that would set spending levels for the next two years while relieving some of the pain from the across-the-board spending cuts known as sequestration. [...]

“Republicans are using their political attacks on the Affordable Care Act as cover to do nothing else,” said Representative Chris Van Hollen of Maryland, the senior Democrat on the House Budget Committee.

Comprehensive immigration reform (CIR)? Oh, no. They can't do that. It's too "big and complicated" for one bill (despite the fact that the Senate passed one in June).

Farm bill? Oh, no. They can't do that. They'd rather let American consumers suffer unnecessary higher food prices than let the working poor eat.

ENDA? Oh, no. They can't do that. They still refuse to accept that LGBTQ Americans exist, let alone contribute to the American Economy.

Ending the nonsensical austerity regime that's only served as a solution (or more accurately, a problem) looking for a problem? Oh... Maybe?! Capitol Hill is buzzing today over talk of a possible budget deal. While it still wouldn't completely end the austerity madness that's gripped Capitol Hill (and hurt the rest of the nation), it would ease the pain a little. And frankly, even this represents major progress for this Congress.

So is it possible that the 113th Congress can finally pass a longer term budget and drop the austerity laced crack pipe? Perhaps, but let's not get our hopes too high. After all, we're still talking about the 113th Congress, the Congress that's now on track to beat the record of "Least Productive Session of Congress Ever" (set by the 112th Congress last year). And as Salon's Joan Walsh reminds us, Congressional Republican "leaders" will face intense pressure from their 21st Century Know Nothing base to put up a(nother) fight rather than compromise over anything. They'd rather force America into a Shutdown S**tfest Sequel than admit defeat.

So this is what we're facing as 2013 comes to a close. Time and time again, Republican "leaders" have chosen cheap and crass political games over real governance. It's why major policy goals, such as CIR & ENDA, are about to be left unmet. And it's why we doubt this Congress can even "succeed" at such basic tasks as passing longer term budgets.

After all, some Republican politicians are now bragging about their vision of "government that does less". Why would they want to abandon that vision to allow for a government that actually functions properly?

So much for that old saying, "Less is more"...

Grow Up

We have some good news this morning. Believe it or not, the US economy (as measured by GDP) has grown 2.8% so far this year. And the catch? It has only grown 2.8% so far this year.

Gross domestic product rose at a 2.8 percent annualized rate after a 2.5 percent gain the prior three months, a Commerce Department report showed today in Washington. The median forecast of economists surveyed by Bloomberg called for a 2 percent advance. Consumer spending climbed 1.5 percent, the smallest increase since 2011.

The biggest gain in inventories since the first three months of 2012 risks holding back production in the current quarter, which began with a 16-day partial shutdown of the federal government. Jobs data tomorrow are projected to show hiring slowed in October, helping explain why Federal Reserve policy makers are pressing on with stimulus.

“Growth is steady but not that great,” Jonathan Basile, an economist at Credit Suisse in New York, said before the report. “The shutdown will have a temporary effect on this quarter’s growth.”

Wonkblog's Neil Irwin dug into the numbers some more and found that an improving housing market, steady corporate investment, and increased state and local investment boosted GDP. Meanwhile, federal budget cuts and fearful consumers held back growth.

So the economy is growing... But it's growing more slowly than it should because of ongoing austerity. This is why the Federal Reserve has been holding back on "tapering" its bond buyback stimulus program.

And keep in mind that this was just before the Great G-O-TEA Shutdown S**tfest of 2013. We can't help but wonder if this was on Jon Runyan's mind recently. He was a top NFL offensive tackle who played for the Houston Oilers, Tennessee Titans, Philadelphia Eagles, and San Diego Chargers... Before getting elected to Congress in the G-O-TEA Wave in 2010. But all of a sudden and just before his 40th birthday, Rep. Jon Runyan has announced he's retiring from Congress.

Why?

[... O]ne New Jersey Republican said Runyan's frustration began early this year when conservatives blocked a vote on aid for superstorm Sandy – a storm that hammered his district – and continued during the recent government shutdown, which he opposed. Another GOP source said he had become frustrated with Washington's gridlock.

[Democrat Aimee] Belgard pointed to those same incidents in announcing her run.

"We have more political gamesmanship and irresponsible discord than I can ever remember in Washington," Belgard said in her announcement. "We need a change from the ego-driven politics that shutdown the government and brought our nation to the brink of default."

As we discussed yesterday, G-O-TEA Culture Warriors are having way too much fun grinding Congress to a halt and holding back economic recovery. While they play with their austerity fetish and refuse to accept the America of the 21st Century, the rest of us are wondering why we can't already give this economy a chance to heal and put more people back to work. Apparently, this was even becoming too tough for a former star football player to tackle.

As usual, Congressional Republican "leaders" are dismissing Senator Harry Reid's helpful advice. That may turn out to be a big mistake. Their obstruction agenda isn't impressing anyone. It's time for them to grow up.

Crazy Silly Stupid

So they're still not paying attention. They've had multiple warnings. But instead of taking heed, they're just tripling and quadrupling down on the crazy.

Of course, we're talking about Congressional Republican "leaders"... And their sordid relationship with the 21st Century Know Nothings who demand all crazy all the time. And this time, Rep. Pete Sessions (R-Texas) accidentally told a little too much truth about G-O-TEA plans for the next year.

"Everything we do in this body should be about messaging to win back the Senate,” Sessions said. “That’s it. If you don’t want Benghazis to happen or you want an investigation for Benghazi, if you want an investigation on the IRS as opposed to the excuses that [Senate Majority Leader] Harry Reid [D-Nev.] is all about, if you do not like what’s happening at the [National Security Agency], then you gain the Senate.”

While Democrats did praise Sessions in the Roll Call story, the fact that the Republican controlling the flow of legislation into the House is primarily focused on "messaging" and wresting control of the Senate from Democrats suggests that the comatose pace of business in Washington will remain ahead of the 2014 midterm elections.

So Congressional Republican "leaders" are making bold statements about their awe-inspiring plans to accomplish... Absolutely nothing. Wow.

OK, we were perhaps a little too harsh. Congressional Republicans have accomplished something so far. They have succeeded in forcing more austerity on the nation. Never mind that austerity has led to less economic growth and continued weakness in the labor market. They're set to demand more starving families for the holidays!

Seriously, when did Republicans suddenly start following European trends this closely? Inquiring minds want to know.

But in the mean time, we just have to ask why Republican "leaders" think austerity is such a "great accomplishment". It hurts people. Yet all they do is manufacture more crises and create more unnecessary drama to demand more of it.

Why not consider pursuing great accomplishments that actually help people, like comprehensive immigration reform, action on workplace discrimination, climate action, and programs that allow for more job creation (instead of less)? They may not like what Senator Harry Reid has to say, but he is offering them some awfully good advice at exactly the right time.

Again, it's Republicans' choice to keep or ditch "The Stupid Party" label.

Pay Attention.

Here he goes again. In an interview with Chris Geidner, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D) essentially told House Republican "leaders" to stop the epic obstruction and accomplish something. Here's how it went down.

Senate Majority Ldr. Harry Reid: "I think the House is going to have to capitulate" on ENDA, immigration & other bills.

Despite the Senate's action on comprehensive immigration reform (CIR), the House hasn't passed anything (except an amendment to deport DREAMers in June). Despite the Senate's progress on ENDA, House "leadership" won't even admit workplace discrimination is a problem in America. And despite Senate Democrats' repeated requests for budget negotiations throughout this year, it took another G-O-TEA induced manufactured crisis to end 17 days of unnecessary drama and kick-start those long awaited budget negotiations.

See the pattern here? We do, but they don't seem to. But wait, can't they at least see the writing on last night's election results?

Apparently not. Even in the wake of an embarrass defeat in Virginia and a pyrrhic victory in New Jersey, the G-O-TEA seems to be proceeding with business as usual... Which of course, means nothing is accomplished.

Civil rights activists are trying hard to change this dynamic. But can it be changed in time to make something happen in the 113th Congress? Is there enough time left this year?

“In the effort to repeal [the military's ban on out LGBTQ servicemembers], the gay rights movement very effectively humanized the real impact discrimination was having,” prominent gay advocate Richard Socarides tells me. “Some of that can be replicated here. But it will take a long time. Individual Republicans might be convinced, but do you think the House GOP leadership is going to hold a historic vote in favor of gay rights? Very unlikely.”

Indeed, there’s no telling whether the House GOP leadership will ever get around to heeding the RNC autopsy’s call for evolution on gay rights to make the party more attractive to young voters, or whether enough individual GOP lawmakers will ever care sufficiently about the issue to seriously pressure the leadership.

A long time, indeed.

And that's not all. AFL-CIO is going all in for CIR with new TV ads (see above) targeting Republican House Members who've yet to match their pro-reform rhetoric with actual votes. So of course, these ads are airing here in Southern Nevada (cough- Joe Heck- cough).

If Republican "leaders" in DC were smart, they'd pay attention. They'd pay attention to the changing electorate. They'd pay attention to the economic reality on the ground. They'd pay attention to Senator Reid's repeated warnings. And they'd pay attention to those pesky Virginia election results.

So will they pay attention? Or do they truly want the reputation of being "The Stupid Party"?

Not Over Yet

We've been talking about this often lately. And we've been doing so because it's having a profound impact on American politics and policy. Of course, we're talking about the G-O-TEA civil war that's ripping the Republican Party apart.

Last night, we saw the culmination in another round of battles. But this time, the 21st Century Know Nothings suffered some setbacks. Their ideal candidate, Ken Cuccinelli, lost his race for Virginia Governor. Their worst nightmare of a candidate, Bill de Blasio, won his race for New York City Mayor. Their latest cause celebre, Dean Young, lost his primary for a Congressional seat in Alabama.

And to add insult to injury, their most loathed Republican, Chris Christie, was easily reelected as New Jersey Governor. And already, DC pundits are chatting up a storm over Christie's 2016 Presidential Campaign that hasn't even started yet (or has it?). So does this mark the beginning of the end of the G-O-TEA as we've come to know it?

Not so fast. Earlier this morning, Mother Jones' David Corn weighed in with a reminder of the bigger picture. Perhaps last night was indeed a turning point. But even if it is, the G-O-TEA Culture Warriors won't be going down without more fights.

The Republican Party is now as divided as any party has been in modern times. The Democratic Party underwent a painful division during the Vietnam War. The conflict between peaceniks and hawks led to an actual riot in 1968 (with the help of the Chicago police). But that split was over one policy disagreement, though quite a large one, not a question of fundamental purpose. The GOP of today is beset by foundational issues—and more than one fracture.

For decades, GOPers have described the Republican national coalition as a stool of three legs: national security Republicans, business Republicans, and socially conservative Republicans. At the moment, all three legs have serious cracks. The McCain hawks shudder in horror at Rand Paul's neo-isolationism. Corporate Rs cannot believe that tea partiers place a desire to kill the government ahead of economic stability. And religious-right GOPers fret that libertarian and demographics-minded Republican strategists want to throttle back on the cultural warfare that alienates independent, young, moderate, and suburban voters.

Each of the three legs are wobbly. Still, most of the passion in Republican circles these days is with the coalition of disrupters and cultural traditionalists. As Lee learned at Chancellorsville, it's not just the numbers of troops you have; it's how you use them. And no one on the right is making better use of field soldiers than Cruz, Limbaugh, DeMint, and the rest. The elections of New Jersey and Virginia will not alter the overall dynamics of the Republican civil war. And the GOP's Gettysburg has yet to come. That battle may ensue in 2014 or wait until 2016. But for now— certainly not after the skirmishes in New Jersey and Virginia— there's no sign that such a conflagration will be avoided.

So it's not over yet. Even Nevada's own Dean Heller, Joe Heck, and Brian Sandoval have implicitly admitted this with their recent actions. And so has Chuck Muth.

So please stay tuned. The Great G-O-TEA Civil War of 2013 will likely spill into 2014. And we still don't know yet when it will finally be over.

Consequences for Their Inaction

And now, he's (still) speaking. After a hectic, wild month full of manufactured crisis and unnecessary drama, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid sat down with MSNBC's Rachel Maddow for an interview. And let's just say he didn't hold back when he was asked about the current state of "the other side of the aisle".



Long story short: It's a hot mess. But we already know that. The G-O-TEA has embraced its image as "The Party of Bats**t Crazy".

Yet what have G-O-TEA politicians accomplished with their month full of crazy? They pushed the nation to the brink of economic ruin. They set up a "monkey court" to do nothing but derail health care reform. And they have finally succeeded in making the entire federal government massively unpopular.

Are these really things they should be proud of? Why are they boasting about Congress' record low approval? Why have they been so giddy over creating America's government shutdown and near-default experience?

Congressional Republicans have an opportunity to fix this manufactured crises and restore Americans' faith in our system of governance. They can finally agree to finish the job on comprehensive immigration reform. They can finally do something to end wrongful workplace discrimination by passing ENDA. And they can finally match their "#4jobs" rhetoric with real action by ending the austerity regime that's been harming our economy.

So why won't they do any of this? I sense this is why Senator Reid is so frustrated. And this is why so many Americans are furious.

Sooner or later, there will be consequences for their inaction. Are they that unaware of this basic reality?

A (Rather Deep) Hole

It looks like the rude comments continue to flow from G-O-TEA land. At least this means Jim Wheeler doesn't have to be alone.

So what has the pundits aghast now? Oh, it's just another Republican who's ungrateful over Senator Harry Reid (D) offering their party a political life preserver at their time of need. Of course, this was also when Republicans were threatening to drown America to death, so Senator Reid was also able to stop an unnecessary catastrophe just in the nick of time.

So what did Senator Tom Coburn (R-Oklahoma) say? Get a load of this.

For his part, Coburn had some choice words for Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid. [...]

"There's no comity with Harry Reid. I think he's an absolute a--hole," he said.

How pleasant. And it's so fitting considering Senator Coburn is a "strong defender of moral values."

Of course, Senator Coburn tried to cover his @ss equivocate by saying he has "great relationships with other Democrats"... Just not the Senate Democratic Leader who recently reached out to the Senate Republican Leader to end the latest and greatest manufactured crisis that Republicans like Tom Coburn were cheering for. Wow, that makes plenty of sense. (/not)

So Senator Coburn should not have been surprised by Senator Reid's office's response.

"Nothing says 'comity' like childish playground name-calling, especially from a senator who has not sponsored a single piece of successful bipartisan legislation during his entire Senate career," Reid's spokesman Adam Jentleson told the Hill. [...]

Coburn would reportedly like to meet with Reid, but Reid's office has not yet received an invitation, according to the Hill.

"Since this is the second time in the last year or so Senator Coburn has had to apologize to Senator Reid, he knows where to find him," Jentleson told the Hill.

Coburn also called Reid "incompetent" in July 2012.

So what is Senate Coburn's definition of "comity"? Is it this? Might it be this? Or does have no grasp of the actual meaning of the word?

This month, Congressional Republicans dug themselves and their entire party into a rather deep hole by forcing an unnecessary manufactured crisis. Here's some helpful advice for Senator Coburn and the rest of the G-O-TEA: Stop digging!

The Golden Opportunity Presented

Last week, we lamented the failure of this G-O-TEA plagued 113th Congress to accomplish anything other than the usual and unnecessary manufactured crises. But now, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D) is making another effort to break past the gridlock and accomplish something. And here's where it gets really interesting.

Remember ENDA (or the Employment Nondiscrimination Act)? Senator Reid does. This past May, he made a personal revelation when he spoke of the need to finally pass federal legislation to curb workplace discrimination against LGBTQ Americans. And now, Senator Reid is matching his words with action.

Gays and lesbians should not be fired from their jobs just for being themselves. Senate will soon work to #PassENDA.

Earlier today, Senator Reid announced that ENDA will finally get a Senate vote late next month. Congress took on this bill before (in 2007 and 2010), but this time it looks like a solid bipartisan majority has emerged in the Senate. After all, 2 of the current 54 Senate cosponsors are Republicans (Susan Collins [R-Maine] and Mark Kirk [R-Illinois]). And conservative pro-equality groups are promising an aggressive lobbying effort to win over more Republicans, such as Senator Dean Heller (R).

This really shouldn't be a difficult choice. After all, happy and fear free workers make better workers. This is why 16 states (including Nevada) have already passed comprehensive ENDAs, and why nearly all the Top 50 Fortune 500 companies have already banned anti-LGBTQ discrimination in their respective workplaces.

So equal rights at work is the right thing to do as well as good for the bottom line. So why is it so difficult for this to become federal law? Sadly, the G-O-TEA Crazy Caucus cares more about impractical ideology than lucrative & innovative policies. And as we've seen all too often in the (112th &) 113th Congress, Republican "leaders" tend to coddle the crazy rather than curb it.

But now, they have another chance to prove they can drop the "Culture War" nonsense and move into the 21st Century. Will Republicans take this golden opportunity Senator Reid is giving them? Or will they just screw up on both this and comprehensive immigration reform (CIR)?

It's up to Congressional Republicans now. Will they seize golden opportunities like ENDA & CIR? Or are they willing to throw their own party into the demographic dustbin of history just to hurt people for a few more years?

Get to the Root.

It's that time of the year again. Speculation is building for 2014... And 2016. And some Nevada Republicans are already licking their chops for 2016, when Senator Harry Reid (D) will be up for reelection.

But now, word has spread all the way to Washington of Nevada Republicans' many woes. How can they seriously think of putting up another fight against Senator Reid when they can't stop fighting each other?

Nevada Republicans’ greatest impediment to toppling Reid is not their deep bench. It’s the state party’s infrastructure.

The Nevada GOP is one of the most dysfunctional state parties in the country. Supporters of former Texas Rep. Ron Paul have infiltrated much of the party’s infrastructure. Operations got so bad last year that the national GOP was forced to set up a shadow operation to compete in the state.

Democratic insiders said their state party looks to Reid as a bellwether who gives direction and rigidity to the party. But Nevada Republicans don’t have a similarly centralizing figure in the official party structure.

“Harry Reid has built a machine, ... a foundation for technical performance,” a Democratic operative said. “There isn’t an elected [Republican] official who pays much attention to party politics.”

We've talked before about the many problems that plague the Nevada Republican Party as an organization. And we could sense the heart of these problems back in May 2012.

[... W]inning elections doesn't happen by just demanding "purity" and throwing a temper tantrum when that doesn't happen. Believe it or not, temper tantrums don't win elections.

This is something we often have to grapple with on the left, but now we're seeing this unfold on the right at a level that I've never seen before. As much as some grassroots folks on the left and the right love to see epic ideological battles unfold at party conventions and purge all "unsavory moderates" out of their respective parties, the fact of the matter is that doing that gets us no closer to winning elections. (If anything, that HURTS efforts to win elections.) While it's always important to promote the values we believe in and hold fast to them, we can't punish political parties for focus[ing] on party building while perhaps shirking "ideology enforcement" duties. After all, the first responsibility of a political party is to build the infrastructure necessary to win elections.

At times, we on the left have not seen eye to eye with Nevada State Democratic Party leaders. And yes, we sometimes get irritated when they seem to favor moderate candidates over "BOLD PROGRESSIVES!!!" However, most of us also realize that getting 70-90% of what we want is far better than getting nothing, so we leave Fantasy-land behind and return to the real world & return to working the field to win elections.

And this is why Orrin Johnson is panicking. Ron Paul's supporters care deeply for their libertarian beliefs, and they're set to accept nothing less than full fealty to those beliefs. But in pursuing complete ideological purity, they're also set to lose a whole lot of elections because they simply don't care about that stuff. This is why Nevada Republicans are in such dire straits. And it should serve as an important lesson to all the rest of us trying to balance ideological wishes with political reality.

We should add that ideological purity tests and outlandish temper tantrums don't just make bad politics. They also make bad policy. And this is precisely the crazy trouble that Republicans here and nationally fell into this month.

When it comes to campaigning and governing, elected leaders have to exhibit some sort of flexibility in order to accomplish things. The problem Republicans now face is that they're trying so hard to please hardened extremists that they're alienating everyone else. When even Wall Street is backing away from the G-O-TEA, we know Republicans have a serious existential crisis on their hands.

Of course, we've known that the Nevada Republican Party has had serious organizational problems for some time. However, the root of this existential crisis runs much deeper than that. And it's no longer just "a Nevada GOP problem".

If Republicans here in Nevada and nationally want more competitive races in 2014 and 2016, they need to get to the root of their woes. Are they willing to do so?

This Shouldn't Be a Tough Call.

Last week, we tried to warn them. If Republicans in Congress are truly determined to kill comprehensive immigration reform (CIR), they must be prepared to live with the consequences. And now, we have our first sign of the consequences ahead.

Jon Ralston caught wind yesterday of a new Magellan poll showing strong support among voters of Congressional District 3 for CIR... And voters of Congressional District 2. NV-03 voters support the bipartisan Senate CIR bill 68-30, while NV-02 voters support it by a margin of 64-33. And pluralities in both districts say they'll think more highly of their respective Representatives if they pass CIR.

So what do they think of their respective Representatives now? In NV-02, Mark Amodei sports an OK 42-33 favorability rating. But in NV-03, Joe Heck has fallen underwater in NV-03. Here, Heck's favorability rating is 41-45. Ouch.

This actually comes on the heels of a PPP poll released earlier this month that showed Rep. Heck barely ahead of a Democratic challenger as anger was building against the most recent G-O-TEA manufactured crisis. As we've discussed before, most Americans want a government that works. Yet this month, we've seen anything but that.

One would think the G-O-TEA's EPIC FAIL of a Shutdown Sh**fest would light a fire under enough @sses to accomplish something, anything, so Republicans can put this FAIL Whale of a month behind them. However, that's not happening. Instead, many Republicans seem all too happy to kill reform.

And they wonder why their poll numbers suck? This is why. Millions of American families, businesses, and workers demand solutions. Yet instead of providing solutions, the G-O-TEA hardliners just want to create more problems with their seemingly endless manufactured crises. And to make matters even worse, Republican "leaders" are all too willing much too often to indulge in G-O-TEA delusions of grandeur.

Reps. Heck and Amodei may be backbenchers, but they're not completely powerless. If they want CIR, they can step forward and demand it. Other Republicans did so this month in calling for an end to the manufactured crisis, and it worked last week when the federal government finally reopened.

And ultimately, their political future may very well depend on the fate of CIR. Does Rep. Heck want to serve another term? And does Rep. Amodei want to serve in the majority? This shouldn't be a tough call.

Cuts Aren't Smart

No one can say we didn't try to warn everyone. As the latest and greatest G-O-TEA induced manufactured crisis was underway, we were warning of the consequences it would have on an already fragile economic recovery. And now, we have a better sense of just how fragile our economy was going into the manufactured crisis.

Since that very crisis delayed the release of the official US unemployment numbers, we had to wait until this morning to see them. But now, we know that the American labor market added 148,000 jobs (non-farm) last month as the unemployment rate slipped slightly to 7.2%. The good news here is that all those jobs were added. In addition, it looks like the unemployment rate did not drop as a result of dropping workforce participation (as it has occasionally before).

Yet with this being said, these numbers indicate continued slow recovery and meddling jobs improvement. And remember, this is before the latest and greatest manufactured crisis kicked in.

We've talked about this before. Austerity is holding us back. It's difficult for the economy to grow if the federal government keeps cutting investment in the nation. That means fewer sales and fewer jobs.

After all, investment begets growth. So why is the fiscal conversation in Washington revolving around cuts and contraction? Wonkblog's Neil Irwin has been asking the same question this morning.

The sequestration policy of automatic spending cuts that went into effect in March really are having an effect. It hasn't showed up much in the jobs reports in ways that can be easily measured (though federal government employment excluding the Postal Service is down 73,000 jobs over the last year, a 3.4 percent decline).

But the workhorse economic models used in places like the Congressional Budget Office and Federal Reserve and private sector forecasters all show that the spending cuts should ripple through the economy and translate into less economic activity, and the soft job growth of the last few months fits that story to a tee.

Perhaps the best evidence for federal spending cuts as the culprit behind weak growth is this: It's the only culprit left standing when you consider the other possibilities. Financial markets have been on a tear, and business and consumer confidence has been strong this year (at least until the October shutdown). Consumers have made major progress reducing their debt burdens. The housing market has stabilized, and is no longer a drag on the economy. [...]

In other words, there's every reason to think this should have been a good year for the American economy. Yet here we are back in the doldrums, experiencing the same ambling pace of recovery that has been all too common since the technical end of the Great Recession in the summer of 2009. Americans can probably look to Washington to assign blame -- and that's before the tumultuous last few weeks exact whatever toll they will exact on growth.

So why are G-O-TEA politicians demanding even more austerity? And why is anyone in Washington taking their seriously as "smart fiscal policy"? It's not. In fact, this is the stupidi-TEA that's holding us back.

Risky (Unfinished) Business

Ah, so he's at it again. Over the weekend, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D) offered more helpful advice for Republicans. And he didn't stop there. He also had a warning for them.

“I don’t blame the American people for being upset. What we have here in America today is a crisis created for no reason, other than to satisfy the shrill right-wing Tea Party. … And I would hope that this crisis as some Republican members of Congress have said, you can look at Roy Blunt, a Republican of Missouri, Lindsey Graham from South Carolina. I’m paraphrasing, but they said this was a terrible waste of resources,” Reid said of the shutdown that could cost the economy $24 billion.  ”All it did is hurt Republicans. … I hope they’ve learned a lesson. The American people will not put up with that. And if this happens again, I don’t think it will, but if it does, I think the House of Representatives will go Democratic.”

“There was so much pushback against this silly, stupid thing they were trying to do,” Reid said, of the House GOP’s repeated attempts to repeal Obamacare even before the shutdown. [...]

“I believe the polls that show 18 [House] Republicans … if the vote were today they would lose. So they, I hope they’ve learned their lesson. If they haven’t, they really aren’t thinking too well,” the majority leader said. Democrats currently hold 200 seats in the House, and 218 is needed to assume the majority.

So what's Senator Reid talking about. Just look at the polls. Republicans' poll numbers have fallen fast as a result of their latest and greatest manufactured crisis. Who could have guessed this would end so badly for Republicans? (/snark)

But wait, there's more. CNN just released a new poll showing how far Republicans have fallen just this month.

The latest CNN/ORC International poll found that 54 percent of Americans think it's a bad thing that the GOP is the majority party in the House, while only 38 percent think it's a good thing. In December of last year, a CNN/ORC showed that 43 percent thought it was a bad thing that Republicans controlled the lower chamber.

[House Speaker John] Boehner fares even worse in Monday's survey. Sixty-three percent want the Ohio Republican replaced as speaker, compared with 30 percent who would like him to continue holding the post.

It's the latest in a recent run of bleak polls for Republicans, who appear to have been damaged deeply by the recent budget and debt fights. Polls across the board showed that Americans largely blamed the GOP for the government shutdown, giving Democrats newfound hope of taking back the House in next year's midterms.

Americans want to see a government that works. They want a government that's actually open. And they want a government that can actually fix problems and accomplish things.

But now, Congressional Republicans are renewing their threat to block the rest of President Obama's agenda. And here, we're talking about a longer term budget agreement, a farm bill, and comprehensive immigration reform (CIR). These were all supposed to be areas of broad, bipartisan consensus. So what happened?

Their TEA-fueled opposition to both President Obama and sensible tax reform has caused immense gridlock in Congress. Never mind that both CIR and progressive tax reform have broad public support. Because they're so dead-set against one, they plan to torpedo the other... Along with a longer term budget agreement and a farm bill!

And Republicans wonder why they've become so unpopular? They're now saying they don't want to do anything else if President Obama won't just give them Social Security cuts along with extra austerity on top of that. In addition, even the Republicans who were originally pushing for immigration reform are now claiming CIR is "dead on arrival" because President Obama hurt their feelings when he pushed then to do their job and reopen the federal government.

Again, how can any Republicans still be wondering why their party is polling so badly? This is why. If their party continues to guzzle down so much "TEA" and shut down the government over political temper tantrums, more Americans may just conclude that it's just too risky to let the G-O-TEA keep this ability to grind the nation's business to a halt.

Unaffordable Stupidi-TEA

Look who's talking now. Fresh off his big legislative victory, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D) is now spilling some tea on what led to this week's series of surprising events. Who could have guessed that Congressional Republicans were so willing to throw their own staff under the bus?

"They kept trying to legislate from hour to hour," Reid recalled in an interview with The Huffington Post on Thursday. "It wasn't even day to day."

With Democratic senators united behind him, Reid dispatched the patchwork legislative offers being tossed his way, setting the stage for a complete GOP capitulation. But Wednesday night's resolution didn't come without exasperating moments. In particular, Reid said he was incensed that House Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio) targeted health care subsidies given to congressional staffers who are required to buy insurance on the newly created Obamacare exchanges.

Weeks before the government shutdown, Boehner's office had privately worked with Reid's staff and the Obama administration to maintain the employer health care contribution. But as Boehner's negotiating position worsened, he publicly demanded that the contribution be ended.

"All of us who worked with him on this [were saying], 'John, what is the matter with you?'’' Reid said. “Okay. Go after members of Congress. But even doing that. Now, I can handle if I have to buy insurance without employer contribution. But some of my senators can’t. Forget about that. Forget about senators. They can do okay. But staff -- we have staff people of [Sen.] Susan Collins. She has people who work in Maine and make $25,000 a year. One of the reasons you can get somebody like that is that you give them health care. I don't mean to ramble on here, but I just can't imagine the thought process of John Boehner. ... How in good conscience could you do something like that?"

At the very end, some Republicans were threatening Armageddon just so their staff could suffer. How on earth did that make any sense?

Oh, wait. That's right. We're talking about the Crazy Caucus (and its enablers).

How else can we explain why they're still denying their awful poll numbers? And how else can we explain why they're still denying the evidence that Obamacare (aka the ACA, or the Affordable Care Act) is working?

Of course, Congressional Republicans are now zeroing in on the ACA's glitchy web site and the company that built it (while donating to Republican campaigns). And yes, this is a problem that has to be fixed (and that's already in the works). Yet while the web site has had problems, the actual law has already been saving lives.



This is why even Republicans like Clint Murphy, Arizona Governor Jan Brewer (R), and Nevada Governor Brian Sandoval (R) are asking their party to give Obamacare a chance to work. So why are the supposedly "moderate, post-partisan, No Labels" Republicans like Senator Dean Heller (R-What?) and Rep. Joe Heck (R-Why?) still trying to destroy health care reform? Why are they instead following the lead of Sharron Angle and some "schoolyard bully"?

Congressional Republicans shut down the government and threatened default over the ACA. And what did they get as a result? Nothing but higher poll numbers for Obamacare and lower poll numbers for themselves.

So why would they ever try this insani-TEA again? That's a good question. It probably depends on whether they can finally stop pandering to the 21st Century Know Nothings.

In this last attempt to pander to them, Republicans threatened to screw their own staff. And before that, they wanted to take health care away from millions of Americans. And look at where they've landed as a result. Just how affordable is this stupidi-TEA?

The Ultimate No-brainer

So it's over. No really, it's finally over. Republicans had to give up their manufactured crisis, let the nation pay its bills, and reopen the people's government.

Yet because the last three weeks were wasted on "The Great Bucket of Batshit Crazy for 2013", it's hard to see how anything else can be accomplished this year. Yet despite the epic challenges ahead, President Obama is calling for comprehensive immigration reform (CIR). What is he thinking?



After all, several top Republicans have already signaled that CIR is dead.

“For us to go to a negotiation, to the negotiating table with President Obama after what he has done over the last two and a half weeks, I think would be probably a very big mistake,” [Rep. Raul Labrador (R-Idaho)] said, according to the Huffington Post. Even if the House were to pass a piecemeal bill based on GOP demands, Labrador said “it would be crazy” to go to conference with the Senate’s passed version because Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid negotiates in a take-no-prisoners style. [...]

“I think what he has done over the past two and a half weeks — he’s trying to destroy the Republican party. I think that anything we do right now with this president on immigration will be with that same goal in mind, which is to destroy the Republican party and not to get good policies.”

Wait... What?! So because Senator Harry Reid (D) and President Obama were able to save Republicans from themselves, House Republican "leaders" don't want to work with the President and the Senate on CIR? What are they thinking?

Yesterday, the Los Angeles Times reported that a number of House Republicans are indeed so incensed by their (own) manufactured crisis meltdown that they're threatening to kill CIR once and for all. But even before this week, the Republican civil war threatened to tear apart immigration reform. Even though a number of Republicans and nearly the entire business lobby have lined up behind CIR, the 21st Century Know Nothings have been threatening fire and brimstone if Republican "leaders" allow CIR to pass.

So is it game over for reform? Not so fast. Even with all the chaos on the right, immigration reform advocates refuse to give up. In fact, some are even doubling down.



But can anything actually pass? Actually, yes. The votes are likely there. House Republican "leaders" just have to allow a floor vote on CIR like they did for this week's budget deal.

So will they? Right now, that's the trillion dollar question. Will they do what everyone from civil rights activists to business titans to their own political consultants say they must do? Or are they too afraid of the 21st Century Know Nothings to do what's otherwise "the ultimate no-brainer".