Will congressional Republicans ever compromise on anything in the next 2 years?

[muriel_volestrangler]

Boehner's Plan B was rapidly growing into a conservative wet dream of cuts to basic needs like food stamps. And yet, he still couldn't persuade his side of the House to vote for it, because it put taxes on income above $1 million back to 1990s levels.

It's hard to believe this was sneaky Republican infighting just designed to depose Boehner - it seems to have been because there are scores of lunatic Republicans in Congress who can only accept a total win from a conflict. And so I can't see them agreeing to vote for anything that the rest of the country can find acceptable - they only want their names on something that dismantles government. I'm not even sure they'd vote for a standalone "extend tax cuts for income under $250k" bill now, even though that's part of what they want. They really do want to hold that hostage, to get everything else they want too.

So is this going to come down to the debt limit when that gets hit in 2013? That's when total deadlock stops large parts of government working, if it goes on a long time. Are they going to use that as the way to drown government in the bathtub?

And is that when Obama and Pelosi have to work on peeling off a few sane Republicans to disavow the nutcases?

[Cosmocat]

1. For the life of me, I don't know what people were expecting

People actually think these assholes are going to do any kind of gun legislation?

They MIGHT, MIGHT be able to get immigration reform done, because it is ALL politics with them, and in their hair brained political calculus they might be able to scam enough Hispanic votes to win some more elections if they pass some kind of immigration reform.

Beyond that, all this House is going to do for the next two years is try to fuck with this President as much as it can.

[kimbutgar]

3. Told someone yesterday we will not get an assault weapons ban the NRA will not allow it

and there are too many assholes in the republican party who will not vote for it. Until we get a solid Democratic Senate and House who really want to work for the American people and not the Kochs and their corporate wall street syndicate nothing will change or get done in Washington.

[Cosmocat]

8. The NRA guy was even worse than I thought he would be

Wow, just wow.

I was 100% sure the house would never pass any gun legislation BEFORE that performance.

I'd put my life savings on it now ...

[sakabatou]

2. I doubt it

[apnu]

4. Nope. "Compromise" is more of a dirty word to them than "Liberal"

And that stance is killing them with the voters. Plus their resistance to compromise and deal making also keeps them from evolving on the obviously changing demographics of this country.

They can continue to be stonewalling, party of "no" for all I care. They will continue to diminish in power, which is fine by me.

[SmittynMo]

5. The GOP is toast.

They obviously didn't learn a thing for this past election. They failed miserably with most people, of all different cultures. Women, Hispanics, Blacks,etc. The list goes on and on. It is quite obvious that the GOP is totally out of touch with most Americans. Americans don't want gridlock, as they did before the election. Americans want to move forward. Fewer and fewer people are supporting the GOP's lost cause to protect the few and screw ther rest of us. The GOP is self destructing on a daily basis. Look at Boners Plan B. It failed miserably within their own party. Duh, is it time to buy a vowel?
If the GOP does not get with the times, their party will soon be toast.

[Third Doctor]

6. I doubt it.

They probably hope is they can obstruct the new two years they will have stopped Obama completely. The last two PBO will be pretty much a lame duck.

[sarcasmo]

7. My guess would be another two years of nothing.

[savalez]

9. They need to replace Boner.

He's a terrible house speaker. Then, maybe.

[Jeff In Milwaukee]

10. Are there still 20 sane Republicans?

Or at least 20 who in competitive districts who fear for their jobs? That's the only way things are going to happen in the 113th Congress.