A House divided against itself

[ProSense]

A House divided against itself

By Steve Benen

It didn't get much attention last week, but House Majority Leader Eric Cantor (R-Va.) suffered a significant defeat last week. The Virginia Republican, as part of a larger rebranding campaign, crafted something called the "Helping Sick Americans Now Act," which intended to transfer money from the Affordable Care Act to high-risk pools for the uninsured.

Democrats saw through the scheme, but more importantly, House Republicans hated the idea, seeing it as a plan to "fix" Obamacare. Humiliated, Cantor was forced to pull his bill without a vote.

The overlooked fiasco was a problem House GOP leaders saw coming.

Less than two weeks ago, House Majority Whip Kevin McCarthy walked upstairs to Majority Leader Eric Cantor's Capitol office to discuss a sensitive issue: Why did Cantor schedule a vote before McCarthy had the chance to survey Republican support?

The meeting -- described as "tense" by several people familiar with it -- ended with McCarthy abruptly standing up and storming out of the room. Aides downplayed the exchange. But a week later, it turned out that McCarthy's pique was merited: The health care-related bill was suddenly pulled from the floor in what was the most recent stumble for House Republicans.

If this was a rare misstep, and the Republican-led House ran like a well-oiled governing machine, it'd be easy to overlook. But the trouble with Cantor's bill appears to be evidence of a much larger and deeper problem.

We talked a month ago about House Speaker John Boehner's (R-Ohio) "Make the Senate go first" rule that effectively takes the House out of the governing process altogether, but Jake Sherman's report makes it seem as if Boehner doesn't have much of a choice -- this is a House "in chaos." Republican leader are "talking past each other"; the House conference "is split by warring factions"; and influential outside groups are fighting their ostensible allies.

It's ugly, and it's getting worse.

- more -

http://maddowblog.msnbc.com/_news/2013/05/01/18000724-a-house-divided-against-itself

[cheyanne]

1. You can't make a deal with someone in an alternate universe,

whether you're a democrat or republican. When you think that the government is run by some vast conspiracy, then shutting it down is a legitimate strategy.

Actually, I think that this stalemate is a necessary step in the demise of the teapartiers. In the meantime democrats need to pull together. Their agenda is gaining more adherants as people realize that Obamacare works, same-sex marriage works, etc.

I see it getting worse until the 14 elections when the teaparty members will have to face their failure and the Republicans can shake them loose. Extremist groups dwindle as their lack of success drives away members.

[Bake]

2. Rethugs have no idea how to actually GOVERN

All they can do is complain, stonewall, and do nothing. Except tax cuts, of course. They know how to do those.

Bake