Won The Battle, Lost The War

I was convinced that Republicans would kill the tax cut deal because they would never give Obama a win.  My problem was I was thinking too small.  They gave Obama the win on that battle and then stabbed the Democrats in the back on the larger war:  the 2011 spending omnibus bill.

After a bumpy ride, and a brief, unexpected revolt by rank and file Democrats, the House passed President Obama's tax plan late Thursday night by a vote of 277 to 148. The vast majority of the 'no' votes were cast by Democrats.

Because the package that passed the House is identical to the version that passed the Senate earlier this week, the bill will head directly to the White House for Obama's signature.

House Democratic leaders had planned to tie a bow around the Obama tax cuts early this afternoon. But a bloc of angry progressives scuttled that plan. In a move that surprised aides and members, they temporarily derailed a key procedural measure required to pass the bill. The tactic was meant to register their disapproval with the legislation, and the terms of the debate, both of which were designed without their input.

Their mini-rebellion threw the process into turmoil for several hours, until Democratic leaders devised a way to restructure the debate in a way that assuaged progressives enough to allow the package to proceed.

In exchange for stepping aside, restless Dems were given a chance to vote separately on an amendment to increase the estate tax. That measure, which once passed the House, failed tonight 194-233. Supportive members -- hesitant to scuttle the tax deal, and eager to head home -- voted "no" against their true preferences. 

So while Obama and the Democrats get some of what they wanted, and the Republicans got some of what they wanted, the GOP then turned around and killed the omnibus spending bill, which will shut the government down this weekend unless they get everything else they want as well.   What they want of course is just enough spending to get through January or February, when they can come up with their own budget, defund Obamacare and anything else they don't agree with over the last two years, and then hold the country hostage with another shutdown until they get it.

And both the House and the Senate Dems proved they're more than ready to give the Republicans whatever they want.  The best part is Senate Dems actually think that after the Republicans lied to them about the omnibus spending bill, that they will vote for anything else.

Ludicrous.  Not going to happen.  No reason for the Republicans to do this.

In the last 3 weeks the Democrats won the tax cut battle only to lose on pretty much everything else.  Way to go, Team Donk.

MJW Stickings thinks at least we'll get DADT repeal out of this.  I disagree.  The Senate GOP will screw us again, and we'll be stupid enough to continue to treat them as good faith negotiators when we should be getting out the pitchforks and torches.

So it goes.  And nobody will call the GOP filthy liars.  It's terribly frustrating.  The GOP Plan to destroy the country is proceeding apace.