It's Finally Over.

Now, it's final. After all the weeks of worrying, it finally happened.

So why aren't Nevada Republicans happy? After all, they got their austerity. What happened to their "fiscal conservatism"?

Earlier tonight, Senator Dean Heller (R-What?) voted against the bipartisan budget deal brokered by Senators Harry Reid (D) and Mitch McConnell (R-Kentucky) to pay the nation's bills and reopen the federal government. Why? He said he "wanted to support a deal". So why couldn't he? Why couldn't he do what even Republican Governor Brian Sandoval and other prominent Republicans have begged him to do?

Simple: He fears the wrath of the teabaggers. Apparently, Senator Heller cares more about pleasing the 21st Century Know Nothings than doing what's needed for the nation and state. And apparently, Rep. Mark Amodei (R-Why?) feel the same way. They all dragged this pointless fight over nothing far longer than needed and only succeeded in causing economic harm.

But now, it doesn't matter. The House finally passed this budget deal with a margin of 285 to 144. Rep. Amodei voted against reopening the government, while Rep. Joe Heck (R-Huh?) finally voted to reopen the government.

So in the end, Rep. Heck realized he had to stop punishing his own constituents for reelecting Senator Reid and President Obama. We'll give him credit for that. We'll also give him credit for noticing the recent poll numbers showing him vulnerable in the wake of all this unnecessary economic pain.

But again, why did Heller, Heck, and Amodei string this out for this long? Did they really fight this long for extended austerity and something that's already in Obamacare? What was the point of this?

And in the end, they all held out for nothing. They got none of what they claimed they wanted. And except for the final vote from Rep. Heck tonight, they failed to deliver what even Nevada's Republican Governor admitted we needed.

So what was this about again? Oh, what the hell. It's finally over.

Dean Heller Voted AGAINST Reopening the Government.

The Senate just voted on cloture for the Reid-McConnell deal to reopen the federal government and pay the nation's bills. It's now clear that the bill has broad, bipartisan support. Yet despite this and despite the need to avoid a disastrous debt default, Senator Dean Heller (R) voted to filibuster the bill to end the manufactured crisis.

Funny enough, it's about to pass anyway. And Senator Heller must have known it was going to pass. And he voted against it anyway? Whatever happened to his "fiscal responsibility"?

5:00 PM UPDATE:

The first procedural vote (for cloture) on the bill to reopen the federal government passed 83 to 16. Obviously, Senator Harry Reid (D) voted for his own bill. So did all the other Democrats. Even most of the Republicans joined him and Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Kentucky) to end the filibuster so this bill can pass (and the government can reopen).

However, Senator Heller joined a handful of hard-core G-O-TEA Senators against paying the nation's bills and reopening the government. What point was he trying to make?

Whatever the case, it doesn't matter. The bill is easily passing without him. Is Senator Heller trying to look irrelevant?

5:10 PM UPDATE:

Senator Heller also voted against final passage of his home state colleague's hugely bipartisan bill to reopen the federal government and pay the nation's bills. It doesn't matter in terms of the whip count, as it has more than enough support to pass. Senator Heller is just using this as an opportunity to pledge allegiance to the 21st Century Know Nothings.

Sad...

(And by the way, it passed 81-18 and is now heading to the House.)

Are They Happy Now?

We told you so. It's over. No really, it's game over.

As expected, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D) and Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Kentucky) finally reached a deal. And here's what's in it.

Many concessions that tea partiers attempted to extract from the Obama administration in exchange for reopening the government and raising the debt ceiling are not expected to be included in the bill. Conservative Republicans had, over the course of the budget fight, demanded a one-year delay to Obamacare, a delay or repeal of the act's tax on medical-device manufacturers, and a "conscience clause," which would have allowed employers to block their employees from buying health insurance that covers birth control. None of those measures are expected to appear in the Senate's bill. The only concession Republicans seem to have won is a slightly stricter set of rules for verifying the incomes of Americans who are receiving subsidized health insurance under Obamacare.

According to the Wall Street Journal, the final bill won't include a GOP proposal that would stop the Treasury Department from using extraordinary measures to raise the debt ceiling. But it will include back pay for federal employees who missed paychecks during the shutdown and establish a committee taskedwith working out a longer deal ahead of the new January 15 and February 7 deadlines. The bill also reportedly includes a provision that could make it harder to use the debt ceiling as a bargaining chip: At the next deadline, Congress would be required to pass a bill if it wants to block the ceiling from increasing. Otherwise, the ceiling would go up automatically.

The House is expected to vote on the proposed bill first, which would allow the Senate to skip some of its cumbersome procedures and quickly move to a final vote. Politico calls this "an extraordinarily risky play" because the majority of House Republicans are expected to oppose the bill. However, Robert Costa of the National Review reported that Boehner has agreed to pass the bill with mainly Democratic votes. There's still a chance that Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) could go rogue and filibuster the bill in the Senate, dragging out the debate past the October 17 deadline, but his office has not said whether or not he will do so, according to the Wall Street Journal.

So Congressional Republicans nearly forced America into Armageddon... To slightly tighten income verification rules that were already in the Affordable Care Act? Are they happy now? Their antics likely cost this nation far more than whatever we'll save under the new ACA subsidy rules.

Oh yes, and they get us more austerity. Never mind that it's led to less growth and more job losses. Republicans embraced austerity and declared it their "victory". And as a result, we're stuck with another three months of it.

So Republicans essentially shut down the federal government and threatened to turn America into a deadbeat nation over a nearly inconsequential tweak to the Affordable Care Act and continued government funding at austerity levels? They could have accomplished the same thing three weeks ago without a government shutdown and credit default scare!

Are they happy now? Are they happy about the lost jobs, lost economic growth, and lost credibility they forced upon this nation? Oh, and are they happy about their own mounting political losses?

We just have to wonder...

Game. Over.

On Monday, we looked close to a deal. And early Tuesday morning, an end seemed to be very near. But when House Republican "leaders" interrupted Senate negotiations with another dose of their crazy drama, they pushed America to the brink of Armageddon.

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.

Never mind that Senator Dean Heller (R) is dismissing the likely deal as a "nothing sandwich". As long as he declines to filibuster (and so far, he is), that "nothing sandwich" that only saves the nation from ruin can pass. With so many House and Senate Republicans signaling surrender, it's finally "game over" time.



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.

Talk About "Constituent Service"

(Also at Daily Kos)

This week, the entire world is on edge. Will we all witness an unprecedented economic catastrophe? Will the G-O-TEA's flirtation with Armageddon lead America to just that?

There were plenty of anxious Nevadans gathering outside Rep. Joe Heck's (R-What?) Las Vegas area office to demand an end to the G-O-TEA manufactured crisis. Yet when they arrived, Heck's staff called police on them. And that was just the start of their "constituent service".







While the peaceful demonstration outside Heck's office was underway, four police cars arrived. Yet upon witnessing the nonviolent protesters from Nevada AFL-CIO, OFA Nevada, and local progressive grassroots, Las Vegas Metro police officers just asked them not to block traffic (they didn't), then told them to proceed in exercising their First Amendment rights.

Just before police arrived, several local workers spoke to the crowd about what they've endured so far this month. Two federal workers are furloughed, one federal worker is being forced to work without pay, and one contractor is looking for work. Needless to say, people here in Southern Nevada are feeling the pain. What makes this even more painful is that it's absolutely unnecessary, and that's why they and the protesters were calling on Rep. Heck to stop playing Russian Roulette on the American people and let them get back to work.





This manufactured crisis has already caused plenty of economic damage. But if this continues and Republicans like Joe Heck force the nation into Armageddon, we'll only see even more unnecessary pain and suffering. That's why even Brian Sandoval, Nevada's Republican Governor, has been begging Congress to end the G-O-TEA Shutdown already.





A few protesters were allowed upstairs to talk with Rep. Heck's staff at first. It didn't take long before they were sent back down. The rest, however, were not even given a chance to be heard. Not even constituents from Nevada's 3rd Congressional District were allowed in the office.

Above is a photo of the constituents who wanted to speak with Heck's staff. And below is a video showing what happened when they tried...



Until the staffer said he didn't want any of it on the record. And just as I had to shut off the recording, he slammed the door on his boss' constituents. Talk about "constituent service"!

Rep. Heck's office had no answer to the question we're all asking: When will the insani-TEA end? People here in Southern Nevada are hurting. And all Rep. Joe Heck and his staff are doing about it... Is calling the police and slamming doors on Heck's own constituents.

Countdown to Armageddon?

While a deal may be near, anxiety is still widespread across the nation. One can especially find the anxiety here in Nevada. Last weekend, Rep. Steven Horsford (D-North Las Vegas) returned to the district he represents to listen to his constituents about their concerns.



As we've explained all this month, Nevada has had to endure a heavy load of pain as the Shutdown Sh*tfest has been racing toward Armageddon. Real people have suffered. Real jobs have been lost. And real economic output has fallen.

Even Governor Brian Sandoval (R) has begged his fellow Republicans in Washington to stop the insani-TEA. Yet despite his plea, Reps. Joe Heck (R-What?) and Mark Amodei (R-Why?) have refused to stand down and let the government reopen. And of course, Senator Dean Heller (R-Really?) Has just used this manufactured crisis to remind everyone that he's still a US Senator (elected with 46% of the vote last year).

Can that all change today? After all, a Senate deal is now on the table. And at one point or another, they've all agreed to these types of big, bipartisan, last-minute budget deals.



So can they all finally come together and reopen the people's government? Not so fast. Even as Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D) and Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R) have agreed on a deal, House Speaker John Boehner (R-Tang) has already been threatening to blow it up. Even as equity markets are nervously awaiting some sort of final solution to this insane manufactured crisis, House Republican "leaders" are still pandering to the very 21st Century Know Nothings who manufactured this crisis in the first place.

So as we count down to Armageddon, we simultaneously seem to be so close to economic catastrophe and so close to a last-minute reprieve from ruin. And now, we can only hope enough House and Senate Republicans can come to their senses before the deadline hits.

Ball's Still in Their Court

So it's Monday afternoon... And Capitol Hill is buzzing over talks of a budget deal. See, we weren't being overly optimistic. Rather, we were being realistic.

Just like previous manufactured crises, Congressional Republicans are taking their latest and greatest manufactured crisis to the brink. And by brink, we mean the brink of Armageddon. But now with Senate negotiations on the brink of success, folks on Pennsylvania Avenue and Wall Street are breathing a bit more easily...

But is the rest of America? Not only do recent polls show bad news for Republicans, but they also show renewed fears of bad economic news to come.

Beyond its politics and dizzying array of Washington terms ("clean CR," "sequestration levels"), the current government shutdown has had real-life consequences for thousands upon thousands of Americans.

Workers have been furloughed. Paychecks have stopped or been cut in half. Small businesses catering to government workers have lost money. Children have been removed from Head Start programs. Scientistsaren't getting government grants. [...]

“We’ve both been laid off, not being paid," said one respondent from Virginia. "I’m a federal employee, my husband is a contractor for the federal government."

"My son owns a camp park, and because you’ve shut down all the forest lands ... [customers] have cancelled their reservations," said another from Utah.

"I work for a university and some of the funding for the university comes from federal grants, and so the normal route for funding to apply for grants is no longer possible as long as National Institutes of Health is shut down," said a third from California. "I was about to submit a grant but that grant can’t be submitted."

Already, the one-two-punch of austerity and shutdown has caused immense economic pain. And if the Shutdown Sh*tfest continues, we can only expect more unnecessary suffering. Why does anyone think this benefits the nation at all?

There's a reason why Governor Brian Sandoval (R) has begged Nevada's Members of Congress to end the Shutdown Sh*tfest already. And of course, Senator Harry Reid is working overtime to ensure this happens. But of course, he can't do it on his own. (Enough) Republicans must finally come to their senses and stop the hostage taking.

Ultimately, the ball is still in their court. It's time for them to make their move... So that the nation can get moving again.

Ryan's War

Perhaps the end is finally near. Yes, yes, I know you've been seeing that here since last week. But now, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D) is signaling that an end to the Armageddon death threat is in sight.

Yet even with the encouraging signs from the Senate, President Obama is still warning the nation of the consequences of allowing Armageddon to commence. Perhaps he just wants to drive home the point in case the House G-O-TEA Crazy Caucus tries to force Republican "leaders" to derail any last-minute budget deal.

Of course, it doesn't help that the G-O-TEA Crazy Caucus is getting a boost from Rep. Paul Ryan (R-"TEA" Curious). Over the weekend, he threatened to blow up any budget deal if it doesn't deny women access to contraception. Oh, yes. That's right. He went there.

Salon's Joan Walsh noticed this... And she noted what we had discussed earlier on how this melee must be resolved.

Ryan, who was savaged by some on the right last week for seeming to trade the goal of repealing Obamacare in exchange for Obama embracing most of the infamous Ryan budget, is now back to Obamacare. In fact, he’s insisting the House GOP shouldn’t back any deal that opens the government or extends the debt ceiling deadline without major changes to the Affordable Care Act, including letting employers withhold birth-control coverage from insurance plans for religious reasons.

Get it? They’re back to their crusade against birth control access. If that doesn’t define delusional, I’m not sure what does. [...]

Now Ryan is really, really angry at Senate Republicans,according to NRO’s Jonathan Strong, and he’s going to take his ball and go home. “They’re trying to cut the House out, and trying to jam us with the Senate. We’re not going to roll over and take that,” Ryan told reporters on Saturday.

The only way this ends is the only way it ever was going to end: with House Speaker John Boehner, having let extremist GOP babies cry themselves out, finally passing a deal with the support of Democrats. And he shouldn’t count on them being the Democrats who approved the debt-ceiling “deal” that ultimately imposed sequester cuts, or the fiscal-cliff deal that compromised on tax rates and kicked those cuts down the road. On both the Senate and House side – where Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi openly frets that Democrats have “been enablers” of the “irresponsible” GOP – there’s a new tone of toughness. Let’s hope it holds.

They just couldn't help themselves. They had to go there. They just had an urge to slip another Culture War battle into the Shutdown Shitfest that they started.

Did they really think they could get away with this? Does Paul Ryan truly believe he has some special license to subject his extremist agenda on the nation, an extremist agenda that most Americans rejected last year?

We've said it before, but we'll have to say it again today: Contraception saves lives. And if Paul Ryan was serious about pursuing "pro-life" policies, he'd admit this.

While the G-O-TEA culture warriors may be thrilled about the prospect of another battle in their War on Women, everyone else just wants an end to both the Armageddon death threats and the nonsensical attacks on women's health care.

Guess what Americans now consider to be the nation's biggest problem? Hint: It's not contraception. It's also not abortion. And it isn't even women making their own health care decisions. Nope, it's actually government dysfunction (according to Gallup). So instead of threatening to force Armageddon upon America if we don't force more women into unwanted pregnancies, why can't Paul Ryan and his fellow Republicans agree to solve America's actual biggest problem?

End in Sight?

It's now Day 14. And to make matters even worse, Senate Republicans filibustered a clean debt ceiling extension yesterday. So the G-O-TEA Shutdown Sh*tfest continues with...

An actual end in sight? How can this be? Fortunately for us, Brian Beutler is here to explain.

“I have had a productive conversation with the Republican leader this afternoon,” [Senate Majority Leader Harry] Reid [D] said on the floor Sunday evening. “Our discussions were substantive and we’ll continue those discussions. I’m optimistic about the prospects for a positive conclusion to the issues before this country today.”

Democrats want a large debt limit increase, and a brief stopgap funding bill. Republicans want a small debt limit increase and a funding bill that reopens the government for several months. Democrats would accept the latter, but not at the low annualized spending level ($986 billion) they agreed to for the six-week bill [House Speaker John] Boehner [R-Ohio] is refusing to put on the House floor for a vote. They want an opportunity to negotiate over sequestration, and won’t be able to do so effectively if its cuts have been locked in for half of the fiscal year with their consent.

After everything Republicans put themselves and the country through, these are the final points of contention. No Obamacare delay. No Medicare cuts. No real hostages. It would be amusing if it weren’t so dangerous. We’ve almost reached the point at which a determined senator could use the chamber’s arcane procedural rules to push a deal past October 17.

So this is what it's come to? Republicans are just squabbling over how much more austerity to subject the nation to once they allow government to reopen? And they're pushing us to the brink of Armageddon over this?

What has become increasingly obvious is that Senator Reid is taking the lead in ending the manufactured crisis because House Republicans are still a train wreck.

But if the Senate is truly so close to a final deal, then why is the world panicking? See above. House Republicans are still a train wreck, and their extortion demands are fueling fear around the world.

So what can be done? Now, it's actually more a matter of what must be done. As we had discussed two weeks ago, and as Greg Sargent explained yesterday, the insani-TEA must end... NOW.

There is no compromise that would prove acceptable to both Tea Party Republicans on one side and Obama and Senate Democrats on the other. The entire Tea Party crusade has been premised on the idea that the Dem refusal to unwind Obamacare could be broken if Republicans held firm on the government shutdown long enough, because it was only a matter of time until the American people, under duress and gripped with a feverish hatred of the health care law, rise up and force Dems to capitulate. Neither of those has happened. The American people have reached the opposite conclusion — theyblame Republicans for the government shutdown, and don’t want such tactics wielded as a weapon against Obamacare — and Obama and Dems have demonstrated they will not capitulate.

Tea Party Republicans faced with these twin realities are not giving ground, either. As Ron Brownstein details, they can’t, because in their view, this has become nothing less than an apocalyptic demographic and ideological struggle to prevent a national alliance of “takers” and their Democratic enablers from transforming the country into something no longer recognizably American. “Obama’s health care looms to them as the tipping point towards a permanent Democratic advantage built on dependency and demographic change,” Brownstein observes.

It now seems plainly obvious that neither Tea Party Republicans on one side, nor Obama and Senate Dems on the other, will give any ground on what they view as non-negotiable. No deal that is even marginally acceptable to both of those groups is feasible. Democrats are not capitulating to Tea Party demands; it just isn’t happening. By definition, then, there is only one way out of the crisis: Through an alliance of non-Tea Party Republicans (who have already shown a willingness to reopen the government) and Democrats. This would require House GOP leaders to allow a vote on something that is unacceptable to Tea Party conservatives, which will make them really, really angry, and to suffer the consequences.

Yet as the above anecdote indicates, even “responsible” leaders such as [Rep.] Paul Ryan [R-Wisconsin] continue to refuse to acknowledge this increasingly obvious reality, and refuse to level with the rank and file about it, no matter the consequences for the country.

At some point, Republican "leaders" must show some actual leadership. And if they just can't, then they need to step out of the way. This Shutdown Sh*tfest has already gone on for far too long, and we simply can't afford the consequences of allowing Armageddon to begin this Thursday.

There truly is an end in sight... If Republicans can finally drop all the irrational demands, stop the hostage taking, and allow a bipartisan vote to reopen the government & ensure the nation's bills are paid.

The Beginning of the End

Here we are. It's Day 11. And still, we're stuck in this G-O-TEA Shutdown Sh*tfest. When will it ever end?

Perhaps soon. Last night, a few Republicans finally signaled willingness to prevent Armageddon. And today, a handful of Republicans have even begun to take responsibility for their misguided actions. Hey, at least it's a start.



And of course, Republicans are now starting to sound somewhat realistic because they're seeing their atrocious poll numbers. They were flabbergasted by the record low they hit in yesterday's NBC-Wall Street Journal poll, and they're shell-shocked by today's batch of Democratic and Republican polls showing similarly awful numbers.

As we've been saying here all week, Republicans have set themselves up to pay the ultimate price for their destructive behavior. That's why they're now scrambling as President Obama and Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D) continue offering them a way out.

"Cooler heads have prevailed, and Republicans have admitted a clean bill to avoid default should be the standard," Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) said Friday. "However ... they're talking about extending the debt ceiling for two months or six weeks -- please. We do not believe a six-week delay of a catastrophic default is enough time to give the economy the confidence it needs."

The two parties are subtly moving closer to agreement. GOP leaders have all but abandoned their Obamacare demands and now simply want Obama to negotiate -- over something, although it's not clear what. The White House meetings, which took place Thursday with House Republicans and are scheduled to take place Friday afternoon with Senate Republicans, provide face-saving mechanisms to both the GOP (who can say Obama negotiated) and for Obama (who can say he didn't concede anything).

Right now, House Republican "leaders" are trying to "save face". Yet while they're worrying about the political optics, many Americans are worrying about how they're supposed to pay the bills and buy groceries. This is why so many Americans are now so furious with the G-O-TEA faction in Congress.

So surprise, surprise, a number of Senate Republicans are suddenly interested in preventing Armageddon.

Though some senators said that any plan they put forth would also need to pass muster in the Republican-controlled House, Senator Jeff Flake, Republican of Arizona, was eager for the Senate to take the lead in negotiating with Mr. Obama on reopening the government.

“House Republicans so far don’t want to get rid of the shutdown, and I don’t know in what world we’re faring well in the shutdown in terms of policy or politics, so in that sense, yeah, I’d rather have the Senate,” he said.

Well, at least some Senate Republicans are starting to see the light. Senator Dean Heller (R-Why?), on the other hand, is still pushing ridiculous gimmicks. I guess someone's still partying like it's 2012!

Yet while Senator Heller celebrates another chance to remind everyone that he's indeed a US Senator (who won with 46% of the vote last year), his Senate colleagues seem to be preparing to end this pointless Shutdown Sh*tfest once and for all. We don't really know what it accomplished (other than unnecessary economic pain and increased Democratic fortunes for 2014), but we can at least feel a little better about it coming to an end some time in the foreseeable future.

Escape from Armageddon

Yesterday, we encountered some encouraging news. In light of their rapidly worsening political dilemma, Congressional Republicans finally began to signal the end of their manufactured crisis. Yet while they are trying to figure out a way to save face, people across America and around the world are just demanding an end to the disgusting stupidi-TEA.

Once again, the world's financial leaders were begging Congress to stop the insani-TEA ASAP. IMF (International Monetary Fund) Managing Director Christine Lagarde and OECD (Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development) Secretary General Angel Gurría again made their case for economic sanity yesterday when they urged Congress to stop playing Russian Roulette with America's government and credit rating.

"When it affects the largest economy in the world, we are bound not only to look at the immediate domestic consequences but at what happens elsewhere, so that we can have a dialogue with our members to help them prepare. I hope we will be able to look back in a few weeks and say what a waste of time that was. But we have to look at the risks no matter how unlikely they are to materialise."

Lagarde said there were two channels through which a debt default in the US would spread to the rest of the world. "One would be the trade channel, caused by a reduction in economic activity in the US from the third quarter onwards. The second would be the financial channel – the result of uncertainty and material issues. We are likely to see volatility, uncertainty and consequences for the rest of the world."

Lagarde said that some of the warning signs of stress in financial markets – such as the VIX index of volatility and the price of insuring financial instruments – were flashing. "It's not helping the US to have this uncertainty and protracted way of dealing with fiscal and debt issues."

Gurría said: "The current political deadlock in the US is needlessly putting at risk the stability and growth not only of the US but also the world economy."

He added there was a risk that the west could be plunged back into recession by a default. "If the debt ceiling is not raised – or, better still, abolished – our calculations suggest that the OECD region as a whole will be pushed back into recession next year, and emerging economies will experience a sharp slowdown. The magnitude of further possible negative feedback effects can only be guessed at." The ongoing political impasse in Washington has sparked fears the US could default on repayments of its bonds, sparking banks and clearing houses to take preventative measures against such an unprecedented event.

At least someone seemed to be paying attention to their dire warnings. Senator Harry Reid (D-Reality) filed cloture last night for his bill to lift the debt ceiling for a year and diffuse the ticking Armageddon time bomb.

And that's not all. Senator Reid has also continued to urge Republicans to accept the compromise they had previously sought and reopen the people's government already. After all, Nevada's economy depends on a functioning federal government.

And of course, let's not forget the human cost of this unbridled and incredibly cruel insani-TEA. Rep. Dina Titus (D-Paradise) took to the House floor last week to let her colleagues know about the children who are suffering because of stupidi-TEA.



And this week, Rep. Steven Horsford (D-North Las Vegas) took to the House floor to share with his colleagues why Brian Sandoval, Nevada's Republican Governor, is begging them to reopen the federal government ASAP.



And then, we have Nobel Prize winning economist Paul Krugman. In his latest New York Times column, he warned America of the consequences of letting Armageddon happen. And yes, we are looking at Armageddon if Congress can't reopen the government and re-commit to paying the nation's bills next week.

We’d be looking at an immediate spending cutroughly comparable to the plunge in housing investment after the bubble burst, a plunge that was the most important cause of the Great Recession of 2007-9. That by itself would surely be enough to push us into recession.

And it wouldn’t end there. As the U.S. economy went into recession, tax receipts would fall sharply, and the government, unable to borrow, would be forced into a second round of spending cuts, worsening the economic downturn, reducing receipts even more, and so on. So even if we avoid a Lehman Brothers-style financial meltdown, we could still be looking at a slump worse than the Great Recession.

From Las Vegas to Carson City to New York to London and Bali, people at home and around the world fear the dire economic consequences of any further escalation of this unprecedented insani-TEA. Perhaps this is why a few House Republicans started floating the idea of reopening the government soon.

Visit NBCNews.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

Just these past two weeks of threatening Armageddon have caused immense economic harm, financial panic, and burgeoning anger. Do Republicans really want to test their luck and extend it for six more weeks?

This has been a great catastrophe of their own doing. But just as easily as they started it, they can end it. Just as easily as they threatened Armageddon, they can let us escape. They just have to accept the compromise they were offered long ago and release the hostages before anyone else is hurt.

Long Past Time

It may not be over yet. But with America only a week away until the Armageddon Deadline, the end of the G-O-TEA Shutdown Sh*tfest may finally be near.

Sure, House Republican "leaders" are pushing their farcical "split the baby" strategy now. But behind the scenes, these latest attempts at political maneuvering are really just tearing apart the Republican Party. And the longer Republicans continue their manufactured crisis, the steeper the political price Republicans will pay in upcoming elections.

According to the brand new NBC-Wall Street Journal poll, the Republican Party's favorable rating among Americans has dropped to a record low 24%. And to make matters even worse for them, only 39% support a Republican controlled Congress while 47% want a Democratic controlled Congress. Add this to the other recent polls, and Republicans now have plenty of reasons to worry about 2014 (and 2016).



So long story short, Republicans are choking on their own bile. Yet while Republicans are suffering politically, millions of Americans are suffering for real. And keep in mind that this suffering is on top of the pain the nation was already feeling due to austerity.

Fortunately, Salon's Joan Walsh did her part to make sure we don't forget the real human casualties of these G-O-TEA manufactured crises.

Remember that the shutdown comes on top of the ugly sequester cuts imposed earlier this year, and mostly to the exact same discretionary domestic spending programs. To the cold hearts and closed minds on the right, neither matters. In fact, Sen. Ron Johnson, a member of the growing Default Denier Caucus within his own party (it overlaps quite a lot with the Stupid Caucus), told MSNBC Thursday that just as President Obama is fear-mongering on the danger of a debt default – he called it a “cash management” problem), he had also exaggerated the impact of sequester cuts.

Also keep in mind that the sequester cuts are currently baked into the “clean” continuing resolution that the Senate has passed repeatedly. That’s a compromise on the Democrats’ part that is mostly ignored by the media. [...]

On top of the 800,000 federal workers furloughed, who will miss three paychecks if the House GOP deal is accepted, food banks are now reporting shortages, since the Emergency Food Assistance program is closed. North Carolina has entirely suspended its Women, Infants and Children nutrition program because it relied so heavily on federal funding, and other states are likely to follow. Ironically red states are feeling the shutdown most because they get so much federal funding, but since the impact is mainly on poor people, they don’t care.

The G-O-TEA Shutdown Sh*tfest has already cost America $2 billion in economic output. And with each additional day of this unnecessary drama, we lose another $160 million in economic output. If this extreme austerity experiment continues, what's already an economic gut punch will soon become economic strangulation.

Earlier today, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Searchlight Strong) and other Senate Democrats reminded Republicans of the simple task they need to complete to let the people's government reopen for business. So did President Obama. And now, a critical mass of Americans are crying for them to do the right thing. It's long past time for Republicans to free this nation from the manufactured crisis they forced us into.

If they don't end this Shutdown Sh*tfest soon, they'll lose more than just this political fight.

What's Behind the Chaos

Earlier this morning, we caught some actual glimmers of hope and wondered if perhaps the light at the end of the tunnel isn't a fast approaching train. The G-O-TEA gang behind the latest and greatest manufactured crisis finally began to crack under pressure. Multiple media reports suggest House Republican "leaders" are preparing at least some sort of short term resolution.

However, these Republican "leaders" are still trying to please the 21st Century Know Nothings with some sort of "split the baby solution" where the government shutdown continues while the debt ceiling is lifted. So even now, the stupidi-TEA continues.

However, it can't continue indefinitely. Our economy just can't take any more. Oh, and neither can the Republicans' own financial backers. This morning, The New York Times published an eye-popping article full of Wall Street insiders going on record to criticize the Republican Party they used to know... But don't any more.

Joe Echevarria, the chief executive of Deloitte, the accounting and consulting firm, said, “I’m a Republican by definition and by registration, but the party seems to have split into two factions.”

While both parties have extreme elements, he suggested, only in the G.O.P. did the extreme element exercise real power. “The extreme right has 90 seats in the House,” Mr. Echevarria said. “Occupy Wall Street has no seats.” [...]

Michael J. Driscoll, a former managing director of Bear, Stearns & Co. and lifelong Republican from New York, said he would not be surprised if Wall Street executives began to shift some of the giving away from House lawmakers.

“One thing about Wall Street, it is very aware of who is working in their best interest,” he said.

Even the once traditional GOP base is feeling threatened by Republican "leaders" flailing around in desperate attempts to placate their new 21st Century Know Nothing G-O-TEA base. But if Republicans try to redefine their Shutdown Sh*tfest in a way that better pleases their traditional Wall Street allies, their 21st Century Know Nothing base will then revolt.

In their latest desperate attempt to destroy President Obama and his legacy, Republicans may be succeeding... In splintering their own party. While the likes of Nevada Governor Brian Sandoval (R) and Arizona Governor Jan Brewer (R) are begging House Republicans to stop the insani-TEA, some new 21st Century Know Nothing outfit is advocating armed rebellion. And guess who House Republican "leaders" are paying more attention to?

The time for the insani-TEA to end was last week. But even now, Republican "leaders" are threatening to impose even more chaos on this nation until the bitter end. And it's all because they fear their own base(s).

Wall Street won't mind some austerity shifting as long as the manufactured crisis ends ASAP. The 21st Century Know Nothings won't mind the manufactured crisis culminating in a worldwide economic collapse so long as they can claim victory in their Culture War. Republicans can't do both, so they're caught in a dilemma... And they're holding us all hostage until they find a way to save face.

The Bitter End?

Whoops. Someone's in the hot seat... For speaking a little too much truth.

Shortly after Governor Brian Sandoval (R) sounded the alarms on the trouble that lies ahead if the G-O-TEA Shutdown continues, other Republicans sounded the alarms on Sandoval deserting their sinking ship. So of course, Sandoval's political team tried to spin it away. Yet even then, the Governor begged all of Nevada's Members of Congress to end the Shutdown Sh*tfest ASAP.

At least Governor Sandoval doesn't have to feel alone in begging his own party to stop the insani-TEA without looking too rational "liberal". Late yesterday, 2008 Republican Presidential Nominee and current US Senator John McCain (R-Arizona) begged House Republican "leaders" to allow a floor vote on the very budget agreement that Republicans themselves considered a "victory" just a month ago. And even the Koch Brothers are publicly backing away from the monster they created.



This week, the once great Republican Party descended into pure chaos. The House G-O-TEA Caucus finally fell into diaspora yesterday after some realized their previous ransom demands gained their party nothing but disdain and ridicule. This likely led to House Republican "leaders" (not so) privately admitting defeat and begging Democrats for some sort of mercy.

The irony of this whole debacle is that the supposed "party of personal responsibility" refused to take any. Some of them truly believed they could get away with destroying the global economy. And others have denied the severe consequences of their crazed actions.



The insani-TEA can't last forever. We just can't afford it. What we've already endured has caused enough harm. How much more must we suffer?

In addition to the economic harm Congressional Republicans have caused the nation, they've also harmed themselves politically. Thanks to their insani-TEA, Democrats now have a chance of winning the House next year. Republicans' poll numbers have fallen into the toilet as they've become the obvious villains in this lurid American horror story. How much more of this do they really want to endure?

This is why the end game may finally be in sight. Even though the G-O-TEA faithful demand an epic fight to the bitter end, Republican "leaders" may finally be recognizing that the bitter end is simply too close for comfort. With only a week left until the Armageddon deadline, they don't have much time left to waste. And as they go to meet President Obama this afternoon, Americans are demanding that they finally call it quits.

Oh, & About That Other Real Crisis...

Late last month, the world encountered some very troubling news. And of course, many on Capitol Hill simply ignored it. After all, they had a manufactured crisis to masturbate tend to.

Yet while the rest of the world has been incredibly disturbed by our manufactured crisis, people have also been worried about the very real crisis threatening us all. The verdict is in (yet again). And yes, we've been found guilty of responding too slowly to the growing threat of climate change.

The world's leading climate scientists, who have been meeting in all-night sessions this week in the Swedish capital, said there was no longer room for doubt that climate change was occurring, and the dominant cause has been human actions in pouring greenhouse gases into the atmosphere.

In their starkest warning yet, following nearly seven years of new research on the climate, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) said it was "unequivocal" and that even if the world begins to moderate greenhouse gas emissions, warming is likely to cross the critical threshold of 2C by the end of this century. That would have serious consequences, including sea level rises, heatwaves and changes to rainfall meaning dry regions get less and already wet areas receive more.

In response to the report, the US secretary of state, John Kerry, said in a statement: "This is yet another wakeup call: those who deny the science or choose excuses over action are playing with fire."

"Once again, the science grows clearer, the case grows more compelling, and the costs of inaction grow beyond anything that anyone with conscience or commonsense should be willing to even contemplate," he said.

He said that livelihoods around the world would be impacted. "With those stakes, the response must be all hands on deck. It's not about one country making a demand of another. It's the science itself, demanding action from all of us. The United States is deeply committed to leading on climate change."

Fortunately for everyone, President Obama has committed to executive action to reduce carbon emissions. Unfortunately for everyone, neither he nor anyone else can count on Congress to cooperate and pledge further action on the greatest global security threat of our time. Rather, the 21st Century Know Nothings in Congress are committed to denying reality and guaranteeing climate catastrophe.

What the 21st Century Know Nothings fail to realize is that a climate catastrophe is also an economic catastrophe. And it's not just the usual "dirty f*cking hippies" saying this. Even the former World Bank Chief Economist and (Republican) Former US Treasury Secretary are sounding the alarms.



The science is increasingly undeniable. So is the danger that lies ahead if we fail to act. But what about the opportunities of taking action?

Here in Nevada, we're already seeing the benefits of investment in renewable energy. And next door in California, they're reaping the rewards of vigorous investment in renewable energy. So why can't the entire nation turn this dangerous crisis into a momentous carpe diem moment?

Instead of being counterproductive and forcing manufactured crises upon the world, we should focus on solving the real crisis heading our way. We can't afford to allow stupidi-TEA get in the way of building a brighter economic future while also solving the climate crisis.