Steve Benen's excellent rundown of pol drama leading up to 257-167 'cliff' passage

[janedrake]

Quote:http://maddowblog.msnbc.com/_news/2013/0...hite-house

....as the dust settles, it's worth considering how the day unfolded in the House. The GOP caucus gathered for a preliminary, midday meeting at which Republicans insisted on "amending" the bipartisan bill -- making it far more favorable to the right -- and then sending it back to the Senate with an ultimatum: pass the House version or else.

But by the time House Republicans gathered for a rare evening meeting, the push behind the effort had fizzled, and the earlier threats started to look like empty bluster. So, what happened? A few things, actually.

First, GOP members realized that amending the Senate package would necessarily unravel the entire process, and there would be no doubt in anyone's mind who would receive -- and deserve -- the blame for higher taxes and sweeping austerity measures that would do real harm to the economy: House Republicans.

Full read:
http://maddowblog.msnbc.com/_news/2013/0...hite-house

[Ikonoklast]

The petulant child-like Teabaggers in the House are being marginalized by the Money now, as their usefulness is no longer a sure thing having long since strayed off the reservation into Crazyland.


Their caucuis lost some of their craziest members, and some just squeaked back in.

Some of the rest understand the message sent...the others will find out in two years what the message is.