The leaders agreement could be passed in both chambers by unanimous consent as early as Friday, but any individual legislator could torpedo the deal and force the full House and Senate to return to Washington and vote on it. The Senate bill upon which the agreement is based passed the upper chamber on Saturday by an 89-10 vote. – GOP freshman: House caved to Dems again, gave gift of uncertainty
by Paul Szep
The two-month payroll tax extension deal is nothing to hail.
It’s not great leadership from anyone of either party.
That Speaker John Boehner got sacked by his own House members should come as no surprise to anyone having watched what’s happened the last year, especially during the debt ceiling debacle.
The Tea Party caucus has been a disaster for Republicans, but especially for Speaker Boehner.
This is exactly what the Progressive Caucus in the House didn’t do under former Speaker Nancy Pelosi. They didn’t revolt, dig in and embarrass her. Imagine if the so-called “Pro-choice Progressive Caucus” would have mutinied over Stupak. They could have handed Pelosi and Obama quite an embarrassing moment, however they didn’t. They are there to serve the leaders of the Party.
The Tea Party caucus is of the Republican Party, but they intend to change it even if they have to bring it down to do it. They don’t want any part of the ridiculous two-month payroll tax extension passed by the Senate.
Just to be clear, neither did Sen. Bernie Sanders.
Rachel Maddow tried to make the case that someone’s going to challenge Speaker Boehner, with the Roll Call reporter on with her disagreeing. The same analysis of Boehner’s position is suggested by Steve Benen. Neither of them prove their case.
Who in the world would want his job with the crew he’s wrangling?
Brian Beutler also used the word “cave” for what happened yesterday. That’s fine, but it’s a description of something far more complex at a time when the Republican Party hierarchy is under siege.
Major Garrett of the National Journal was no better, using the word “crumpled” to describe Republicans move to agree to the Senate deal.
Again, that’s fine, but the internal Republican Party combustion is far more interesting than this sophomoric reporting.
We’re watching catastrophic internal pressures force traditional outcomes out of Speaker Boehner’s control, something with which Mitch McConnell nor Harry Reid have to contend, because the people under their leadership wanted to go home for Christmas, even if they hadn’t finished their work, which they hadn’t by a long shot.
It’s understandable that Republicans are taking the hit, especially when you read and hear the media describe it. It’s easier to do the play by play than the foundational earthquake that began in 2010 and continues to play out, including in the primary season where the base is rejecting Romney.
It’s also as if we are all supposed to be happy about the two-month extension, as our Congress scoots out of town for holiday.
Speaker Boehner is nowhere near my political bent. I think what he advocates for this country is horrendous, which goes double for the Tea Party caucus. But so far no one has sufficiently included the dynamics that the right-wing fire-breathers would have none of the deal even Boehner was ready to accept until they were made to see that the entire Republican Party was taking the hit and it was agree to the extension or take everyone down.
That still could happen.
What the American people got from Congress as 2011 ends is a lot of posturing and puffing on a two-month extension that doesn’t solve anything and simply proves once again that the current political class isn’t up to the job, regardless of party.
It happened because Speaker Boehner is navigating through a political realignment that started in 2010 on the Republican side and it’s not going away because of some stupid two-month extension, which solved absolutely nothing.
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