If this Front Page post is correct, Congressional Democrats now have the parliamentary tools to force passage of a clean funding bill for the remainder of the fiscal year for DHS. The Democrats must do so, regardless of the politics.
Democrats must do this because we are not yet the party that cares nothing about governing the country responsibly. If the power to commit an act of responsible governance is allowed, by inept Republicans, to slip into our hands, Democrats must not fumble it.
The FP post mentioned above carries a comment thread full of sentiment savoring the specter of Speaker Boehner, stewing in his own juice, as the public perception of Republicans sinks even lower; perhaps the Speaker even falls in disgrace. But the replacement could only be an even righter, wingier, nuttier, Republican extremist, bent on burning the village to save it. I propose that a more responsible citizen should support better governance, when the rare opportunity to do it floats past amongst the intellectual-waste-choked river we call American politics.
It appears that, as soon as Democrats force the Senate to reject the House request for conference on the Senate's clean DHS bill, then House Democrats can make a privileged motion, to force the Senate bill to the House floor for an up or down vote, which Democrats then support. If a shard of the Republican Caucus joins in, it will pass. Problem solved; DHS funded for remainder of year. If not, everyone will know who to blame.
Famed, ruthless conservative pol, Lee Atwater, among others, is credited with the view that when one's opponent is self-destructing, one steps aside and remains out of the way. People like Lee Atwater are wrong about a lot of things. John Boehner needs an intervention and Democrats, for the sake of better governance, must provide it.