Open Thread

Boehner caves already, admitting that the House Republicans' threat not to raise the nation's debt ceiling in budget negotiations with President Obama is an empty one.

The Sunday Yack Shows yesterday were full of discussions of Government Shutdown if the GOP doesn't get what it wants to raise the debt ceiling. From here, it looks like they want the Democrats to propose a bunch of budget cuts that the GOP can run against in 2014. Have I got that wrong? As you think about the stupidity of this demand, you might want to read this piece from The Atlantic, which asks, Are People Being Unfair to the House Republicans? Steve LaTourette is interviewed and asked to defend the 112th GOP caucus.

Who knew there would be snow and ice this AM? The traffic reports were full of issues, so I stayed home instead of going to Philly today. This is what I've been reading:

If you are still recovering from all of the revelry and working on getting back to it on Monday, maybe you'll have some time to sit down with a cup of hot something and read some of these longish pieces from recent publications.

Ezra Klein: "What's the record of the 112th Congress? Well, it almost shut down the government and almost breached the debt ceiling. It almost went over the fiscal cliff (which it had designed in the first place). It cut a trillion dollars of discretionary spending in the Budget Control Act and scheduled another trillion in spending cuts through an automatic sequester, which everyone agrees is terrible policy. It achieved nothing of note on housing, energy, stimulus, immigration, guns, tax reform, infrastructure, climate change or, really, anything. It's hard to identify a single significant problem that existed prior to the 112th Congress that was in any way improved by its two years of rule."

Breitbart News (with is a contradiction in terms) claims at least 20 House Republicans have banded together in an effort to unseat House Speaker John Boehner from his position when it comes up for a vote tomorrow. Now, there are 233 Republicans taking their oaths of office tomorrow. If there are really 20 Republicans who will not vote for Boehner for Speaker, that means Boehner will be denied a majority, as 233 minus 20 is 213. Since there will be two vacancies at the start of the new Congress, only 217 votes is needed for a majority. So Boehner needs to peel off either 4 of those Republicans or 4 conservative Democrats to remain Speaker. Are there 4 conservative Democrats in the House anymore? Perhaps that is why John Boehner had a short temper with Harry Reid outside the Oval Office last Friday.

Looks like we need one of these! We're still in light blogging mode as we all still busy celebrating holidays and friends and family. Personally, this is my favorite time of the year. How are your holidays going?

Fox anchor Gregg Jarrett tries his best to spew RNC talking points, but Democratic Congressman Chris Van Hollen is just too smart for it, and proceeds to destroy Jarrett and the Republican Party. Of course, as whenever the Republican Party Talking Points are successfully revealed to be lies on their own air, the interview was ended quickly.

Well, I am finally getting back into the swing of things here. I was wiped out yesterday, recovering from Christmas, and cleaning up from hosting Christmas dinner for my large and loud Irish Catholic family. I am still kinda zoned out, and I am not sure what day it is. I am told it is Thursday. It does not feel like a Thursday. It feels like a Tuesday, and you just awoke from a 20 year coma. Yeah, that's how it feels like today. So, reconnecting to the political world.... We are going over the cliff. Whoops, I am sorry Nemski. I mean the street curb, or gentle ski slope.

Nearly all the major players in the fiscal cliff negotiations are starting to agree on one thing: A deal is virtually impossible before the New Year. Unlike the bank bailout in 2008, the tax deal in 2010 and the debt ceiling in 2011, the Senate almost certainly won’t swoop in and help sidestep a potential economic calamity, senior officials in both parties predicted on Wednesday.

ABC News' Sam Donaldson got arrested for DUI in Lewes. Once again, Washington's elite play too hard at our beaches. The man is 78 years old in our human years. What is he doing driving? Do you want to check out the cool Christmas light displays around Delaware? The News Journal and DelawareOnline have a nifty map for you to look at.