A Bunch Of Block Heads

Ladies and gentlemen, behold the spirit of compromise as displayed by Senate Republicans.

Just hours after Democrats and Republicans agreed to bargain on tax cuts, and fewer hours still after Defense Secretary Robert Gates implored Congress to repeal Don't Ask, Don't Tell this year, word leaked that Republicans aren't really interested in any of it -- a major repudiation of Gates' authority.

According to a letter delivered to Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid this morning, Republicans will block all debate on all legislation until the tax cut impasse is bridged and the federal government has been fully funded -- even if it means days tick by and the Senate misses its opportunity to pass DADT, an extension of unemployment insurance and other Dem items.

"[W]e write to inform you that we will not agree to invoke cloture on the motion to proceed to any legislative item until the Senate has acted to fund the government and we have prevented the tax increase that is currently awaiting all American taxpayers," the letter reads. "With little time left in this Congressional session, legislative scheduling should be focused on these critical priorities. While there are other items that might ultimately be worthy of the Senate's attention, we cannot agree to prioritize any matters above the critical issues of funding the government and preventing a job-killing tax hike."

It was penned by Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, and signed by all 42 Republicans. 

This is what the Republicans are all about.  They will only discuss getting 100% of what they want, and they will refuse to allow anything else to even come to a vote:  no START treaty, no DREAM Act, no repeal of DADT, no unemployment benefit extensions, nothing but extending tax cuts for their rich buddies.

That's all that they will allow.  It's their way or nothing.  Petulant, screaming enfants terrible' pitching a fit on the Senate floor.  No compromise.  No quarter.  No reaching across the aisle.  Only partisan rancor.  That's all they have.

Forget anything getting done in the lame duck.  The brats won't allow it, despite overwhelming support for ending DADT, for ratifying START, for not cutting off 2 million Americans at Christmas, and for strengthening our military through the DREAM Act.

And the best part is the Senate Dems will now completely fall apart as a result on the two things the Republicans will allow to come to a vote, tax cuts and the omnibus spending bill, and give the scary Republicans exactly what they want.

So yeah, why bother, apparently.  Some leadership from the White House might be nice...