I still don't think this will end before October 17.

[caseymoz]

Call me pessimistic, but I doubt the people who did this (Tea Partiers, the Kochs, the GOP) can get themselves together enough to stop this. Yes, their popularity will plunge, but that only means that they'll try to hold on more dearly to the one "bargaining chip" or advantage they have. That is, the fact that they can make or break the world economy. To anybody who's desperate, that's going to seem like a lot of power, and once they give it up, they'll have nothing. They'll have no prospects for staying in office, and the conservative ideology will be as out of fashion as the Hitler mustache.

They're going to try to get something out of this, anything to make it less than the total defeat it has to be. And, yes, I believe they'll take the world economy down trying to do it. It's not like even the Koch Brothers can afford to lose this.

I'm afraid this is going to be the 21st century's version of World War I, where everybody's trapped in their own bad decisions.

[DebJ]

1. I read that the House isn't in session next week.

14th is a holiday, and the rest of the week is time scheduled to visit with constituents.

But do they WANT to go meet with constituents?

[meanit]

2. Obama may be forced to use the 14th amendment

and I'm sure the war chest is being filled up with propaganda cash for the
coming impeachment over it.

[Robbins]

4. I agree

Tea party will call for impeachment.It will get nowhere In the senate.

Hopefully all dems both in washington and among public support obama.

I don't see republicans giving in.There way Is our way or nothing but this time obama and Reid aren't going to give in.

[RedSpartan]

5. I agree 100%.

I absolutely think that is what is going to happen. The Teabaggers will then use it as "proof" that Obama is a tyrant, dictator, etc., and seek to impeach. (Mark Levin - - God help me for listening for a few minutes, I was only flipping through the radio stations, I swear - - has been telegraphing this strategy for a while.)

[Cosmocat]

6. That is very likely where this is headed

the breaking point was letting the shutdown happen.

I had the delusion, apparently, that the older line Rs would not allow it, with them being worried about politics and in their mind thinking the shutdown in the 90s was bad for the politically.

But, once the decision was driven by the far right, it likely will crash and burn by the far right.

Even if the media spins it 50/50, they are going to lose if they bring up articles of impeachment for the President using the 14th amendment to pay our bills ...

They probably have the House to gerrymanders to lose it, but it won't be good for them in the Presidential or senate races ...

[gopiscrap]

3. I am a afraid I agree with you

[MatthewStLouis]

7. I'm starting to think they are so blinded with hatred the real end game is

to force the President to act unilaterally to save the economy: then they can start impeachment proceedings.

[apnu]

8. I won't.

Even if it does, it still won't.

Say a CR is passed this afternoon. Everybody will sigh, take a drink of water and start fighting about the debt ceiling, whose doomsday clock strikes on the 17th. Shutdown or not, that's the main event. All this we're seeing now is just the opening act nobody cares about.

This will continue so long as there's an element in the Republican party that wants both the shutdown and a default and the rest of the party who's too weak willed to stand up to them.

All of this has nothing to do with us liberals and Democrats. Its all about the Republican party and their internal struggle.

The same is true of the South in the 1850s, look where that led us.

[AlinPA]

9. Boehner is committed to the default. He can't back out now. The Kochs own him.

[kairos12]

11. You are right on this. So prepare.

Not one step back.

[kairos12]

10. In the game of chicken it is

time to toss out the steering wheel. If we don't win this game of chicken we will be extorted by the Teabaggers for all time. Not one step back.

[awoke_in_2003]

12. America has a short time memory...

this will all be forgotten come election time.