I think it is high time Nancy Pelosi offers a deal to the wavering Republicans that breaks the stalemate.
The only weapon the tea baggers have against their fellow Republicans is the threat to defeat them in the primary. Neutralize this, and they lose their weapon.
Basically, the first 20 or 25 Republicans who break rank with the Tea baggers and vote for a clean CR will get a deal. If they lose the Republican primary the could run as independents and the Democratic party will not run in those seats. Normal elections if they do win the Republican primary.
Some of them would be marginal seats that might come under blue column given a tough fight or in a wave election. But not too many of them. The Republicans really scared of the tea baggers are from seats where Republican primary victory is de-facto election victory.
For the sake of the country Democrats should be willing to this sacrifice.
Another thing the Democrats in gerry mandered districts to do is to vote in Republican primaries. If they have to register as Republicans to do so, they should do it too. Given the level of gerry mandering Republicans have done, it is enough if 20% of the Democratic voters to turn up in Republican primary to defeat the tea bagger. We should not play games and try to win it for the Democrats by making the raving in the mouth lunatic fringe Republicans with the hope we can turn the district blue. Tea baggers are lot more dangerous than the run-of-the-mill Republicans and let us defeat one enemy at a time.
Goal should be plain and simple, make these Republicans lose their fear of tea party
in the primaries and we will have a working coalition to govern the country again.
Nancy could even promise Democratic votes for speakership if this break away caucus decides to challenge Boehner. Let one of them who have lost the fear of tea party and insulated from it become the Republican speaker.
No point in allowing the stalemate to continue. Offer a deal when we are strong. Let us not do the same mistake tea baggers did by overplaying our hand.