Republicans Pretend To Compromise In Newest Debt Ceiling Hostage Situation

Republicans are at it again.  The government is slated to run out of money in a couple days and Republicans are refusing to compromise on anything insisting that they already are dealing with Democrats and that in the end the Democrats will vote for their bill and fund the government for only a couple months.  The big question Republicans are hoping you don't ask is "What happens then?"

Sabrina Siddiqui wrote the following for The Huffington Post in regards to the delusiional stance the GOP has tqaken in regards to their push:

"I have never foreseen a government shutdown and I continue not to see a government shutdown," said Rep. Rob Woodall (R-Ga.), who was a senior Hill staffer before being elected to Congress in 2010. "The Senate has plenty of time to deal with this. This is good, common middle ground that is in this package. I think we're gonna get a big bipartisan vote in the House. I think we're gonna get a big vote in the Senate too."

Voters in survey after survey overwhelmingly say Republicans will be to blame for any shutdown. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) has repeatedly said that all GOP attempts to attach Obamacare changes to a government funding bill will be rejected out of hand. President Barack Obama has consistently promised a veto.

Yet it hasn't penetrated. House Republicans' inability to recognize the same reality as voters and their opponents has made it virtually impossible to come to a deal.

"We just need to stand firm. I think we may get Democrats on this," said Rep. Tom Massie (R-Ky.).

A reporter asked why the president would sign a bill undermining his signature health care law. "He had 22 Democrats vote for a delay of the individual mandate back in July. I think you will get Democrats. I will predict that," Massie said Saturday afternoon. Republicans did get Democrats to support them in the vote that happened later on Saturday -- two of them, the same number of Republicans who switched sides.

Much of the GOP thinking seems to be rooted in the fact that Obama has already delayed some provisions. So why not delay the whole law?

"The president is setting a precedent of delays," said Rep. Michael Grimm (R-N.Y.) "So based on that precedent I think we have a strong argument."

So the party that believed Mitt Romney was going to win in a landslide last year also believes they are going to get broad bipartisan support from the party they lost to on a bill they intend to use to delay the president's signature law for a year while only funding the government for a couple months.  They state that they are compromising because they started out on defunding the Affordable Care Act but are now only seeking to delay the law.  The Republicans are being disingenuous.  Just a couple of weeks ago the Republicans voted to defund ObamaCare for the 42nd time knowing it would never pass the Senate simply because they wanted to give newer members the opportunity to defund the bill so they can go back to constituents and say they voted against the already-signed-into-law bill.  If the Republicans can delay implementation for another year they could prevent benefits from the law from being seen before the midterm elections and claim a victory over what they claim to be a train wreck.  On top of that once they get their delay now, when the debt limit looms in a couple month the Republicans will certainly demand even greater concessions in addition to their delay.  And let us not forget their continued attempts to push completely unrelated measures into a budgetary bill, such as contraception-related riders.

Basically, Republicans are pretending to compromise and paint the Democrats as the unwilling party.  The Republicans - the party that refuses to negotiate - is blaming the other party for not wanting to negotiate on their already non-negotiable position.

Nice try, Republicans.  Most voters are placing the blame on the GOP but their strategists are convinced that they will come out on top.  Those same strategists also saw a Mitt Romney landslide so there leaves little to be said.  There is always the chance that Obama would cave in the final hour as he has done so many other times but to do so now would be stupid.  Especially when taking into consideration the long game.  Democrats have a real chance of making some grounds next year and cannot risk it now because of an ignorant opposition.