Operation Rescue John Boehner

[ProSense]

15. The problem with an evolving ransom note

The problem with an evolving ransom note

By Steve Benen

The government has been shut down for two weeks, and at the earliest, the nation is facing a potentially catastrophic debt-ceiling deadline in three days. We know congressional Republicans expect Democrats to pay a ransom before they agree to complete these basic tasks, but can anyone, anywhere, state with confidence exactly what GOP officials are demanding? Indeed, isn't it inherently problematic that the Republicans' ransom note keeps evolving?

Yesterday, House Republicans started working on a new, short-term debt ceiling extension. It's ... creative.



It's worth emphasizing that the House really isn't trying to work towards a solution anymore and all of the action is in the Senate. That said, if the Senate process collapses, Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio) doesn't actually want a sovereign debt crisis, so his caucus is prepping a temporary bill to prevent default. Politico added, "The House GOP increase of the borrowing limit will not be 'clean.'"

Well, no, apparently not. The above image is based on reporting from National Review's Robert Costa, who first learned of the new laundry list. Let's take the bullets one at a time.

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And yet, despite all of this, the House Republicans' latest ransom note -- demanding Democratic concessions in exchange for nothing -- is actually more modest than their last one. With the House GOP, I suppose this is what passes for progress.

http://maddowblog.msnbc.com/_news/2013/10/14/20960363-the-problem-with-an-evolving-ransom-note