[BigV]

Originally Posted by Griff

This is always fun to say but not true at all. The Democrats are bending on budget cuts as Republicans are bending on tax increases. Your people, the Tea Partiers are the ones forcing brinkmanship games. You are getting what you are demanding and bitching about it.

I will concede that the absolute modifier "only" makes this statement untrue. Clearly those elected officials who are in a position to make substantive decisions care about many things, including, and perhaps even near the top of the list, what is good for the country. Also very high on the list is an ACUTE awareness that every word and action coming from them (and doubtless many that don't come from them) will be used in the next election. Not just the next election but in all the daily power plays that make up the lively social economy in our federal government. Not only will their words and actions be fodder for hostile opponents, but so will their silences and inactions. Many will justify their choices with the maxim "you cannot govern unless you have been elected".

They all are considering this, that they cannot do anything for the good of the country unless they're in office. First things first.

I agree with you Griff, that Boehner's caucus is being destructively and disingenuously uncooperative. I think most of them have deceived themselves that they're standing on principle and that their position is supported by facts. This is my understanding of how they're able to justify their actions. I think their principle is uselessly oversimple and their facts are pretty much made of hot air. Neither their claims to be supported by the republican voters nor their math about what's to be spent and how.

In the meantime, I think the whole nauseating theater is causing actual harm--a further erosion of the public's faith in our government. We elected them to lead, to act and GODDAMMIT to cooperate. Right now, I see little of any of that, and the Rs are in the lead, but it's not a one horse race.