From Hostage Takers to Buffoons, House Republican Ineptitude Heads for Default

Read the biggest developments from Michael Cohen's testimony.

Even a short term debt ceiling agreement is up in the air now. Not the actual debt ceiling limit, but a short term agreement. We can’t even do that now, if Robert Costa’s readings are accurate.

Costa tweeted, “One of my best House R sources thinks Boehner may, just may, be able to get votes for short-term DL ext, but even that is up in air”

One of my best House R sources thinks Boehner may, just may, be able to get votes for short-term DL ext, but even that is up in air

— Robert Costa (@robertcostaNRO) October 7, 2013

Robert Costa just published a detailed breakdown at the National Review, in which he writes that many House conservatives are unlikely to support any debt ceiling “deal”.

“They may try to throw the kitchen sink at the debt limit, but I don’t think our conference will be amenable for settling for a collection of things after we’ve fought so hard,” Representative Scott Garrett (R-NJ) told Costa. “If it doesn’t have a full delay or defund of Obamacare, I know I and many others will not be able to support whatever the leadership proposes. If it’s just a repeal of the medical-device tax, or chained CPI, that won’t be enough.”

They must get something more than everything they want, in order to stop destroying America. Got it?

We had an indication this was coming. “You’re seeing the tremor before the tsunami here,” Ted Yoho (R-FL) said a few days ago, swearing, “I’m not going to raise the debt ceiling.” So there. Neener neener, economy!

It is indeed the House of Indecision, as Costa quoted a Republican aide saying in a separate article.

“It’s the House of indecision,” says a weary Republican aide familiar with the talks. “We don’t have the votes for a big deal, small deal, or short-term deal.”

Of course, that’s not true. Boehner does have the votes, unless he’s still pretending that the Hastert Rule is a real thing, and it’s not. It’s only real as far as his career goes, so while we can understand that Boehner is choosing to let the country implode in order to save his own skin, it’s becoming harder and harder to justify.

Unless, of course, they’re not dealing with reality. To wit, Senator Richard Burr (R-NC) is pretending that not raising the debt ceiling is no biggie:

Burr: “I’m not as concerned as the president about the debt ceiling bc the Fed are the only people buying our bonds.”

— daveweigel (@daveweigel) October 7, 2013

This opinion places Burr in opposition to actual experts on the economy, but hey. Whatevs.

As the Maddow Blog pointed out in late September, Burr wasn’t always this extreme. He once called the idea of shutting down the government over ObamaCare “dumbest idea” he’d ever heard.

“I think it’s the dumbest idea I’ve ever heard of,” Burr said at the time. “Listen, as long as Barack Obama is president, the Affordable Care Act is going to be law.”

And who can forget Republican Representative Dennis Ross of Florida admitting that this entire debacle is all about wounded GOP pride. Seriously.

If you’re wondering how Republicans can be so out of it when the polls keep instructing them otherwise (as if the ONLY issue here is their own political survival, forget the people or this country), perhaps this level of utter cluelessness will be informative. When asked if the Republicans have their next move mapped out and if Boehner has any legislation drawn up regarding the debt ceiling, “Negatory,” Representative Pete Sessions replies. You see, it’s all about “messaging”. “We’re going to keep with our great, positive attitude and tell the president, ‘you’ve got to sit down and negotiate.'”

So, their great positive attitude involves tanking the economy and shutting down the government because they lost an election. Huh. Also: Only in Republican world is holding a gun to the country’s head before being willing to “talk” an act of good faith.

Republicans don’t understand this president very well at all, but then, we tend to project our own values onto others so this is understandable. They never should have threatened the country. They could have threatened anything but the American people and the democratic process, and this President wouldn’t have felt compelled to take a stand.

But they don’t know who Barack Obama is, and they don’t even know what they want. They certainly don’t know how to get what they want, unless losing 2014 has been their secret goal.

Republicans shutdown the government and they can’t sort out how to pass the CR that was funded at levels they requested. Now they can’t figure out how to pass a short term agreement to raise the debt ceiling in order to pay for the bills they themselves approved.

Republicans are obviously incapable of governing.

Sarah Jones

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