Republicans are becoming ever more emboldened that they are going to get some good takeaways from the Shutdown and Debt Ceiling crises, and they are looking forward to the next opportunity to take hostages and demand concessions from the President and Senate Democrats.
And who can blame them. News reports make it obvious that negotiations ARE taking place with these terrorists, in spite of all the brave talk about "no negotiations" until the government is re-opened and the debt ceiling is raised.
What's worse, Democrats are negotiating on the Republicans agenda. It is a given that Sequestration spending levels are permanent. The wait now is to see how much the Democrats will give in on Obamacare PLUS MORE SPENDING CURBS.
More austerity. More non-Defense spending cuts. More chained CPI to systemically reduce Social Security. And in return? A couple of months of funding for the federal government and guarantees of further cuts to social programs.
What makes it impossible for the President and Senate Democrats to just stick to their principles? Particularly when the Tea Party Republicans are tearing each other apart and plummeting in the polls.
House Democrats are signing the Discharge Petition. Not a single Republican has come forward to join them (particularly none of the GOPer's who are now successfully posing as "moderates" in their home districts by saying that would vote in favor of the clean CRs). Yet there is no mention made of the obvious solution to the twin crises, which is to make Speaker Boehner schedule up or down votes in the House.
So, the Tea Party thugs in the House still hold sway, backed by 100% of Senate Republicans (many of whom are now enjoying good publicity and being described as "moderate"). In Red States and Congressional Districts, the Tea Party terrorists are hailed as "fighters", potential strong Democratic challengers slink away, and government by extortion is fully legitimized as just one more political tactic.
As to the Republican Civil-War, it will be over and done with. Just a little family spat. No damage to the Republican coalition nor constriction of their campaign funds.
If, heaven help us, we must negotiate about entitlement programs like Social Security, why can't we listen to Senator Bernie Sanders? He has a good idea about how to address the alleged Social Security funding gap:
"The answer is, to my mind, you end the absurdity that somebody who is making $100 million a year pays into the system the same as someone making $113,000,"