As of this moment (which is snowflake-different from any other moment in this "crisis"), it's dueling congressional bills. On the title card we have the Boehner House bill vs. the Reid Senate bill for the right to move to the quarter-finals.
From Brian Beutler at TPMDC:
House Speaker John Boehner (R-OH) told his Republican caucus Thursday morning that he doesn't yet have enough committed support to pass his debt limit bill -- a high stakes vote that will take place just hours from the time of this writing.The usual reconciliation procedure is in conference committee, which (gasp) involves compromise — either good or bad, depending on your point of view and the issue under consideration. Unless you're a Tea Type with integrity ("one-with-self-ness") of course, in which case, "compromise bad."
Most of his members believe he'll get there quickly -- even among the opponents of his bill, it's hard to find anybody who believes with any confidence that Boehner's plan will go down. ...
But if it passes, Republicans will have to grapple with a key question -- one they haven't really considered, and which Boehner hasn't prepared them to answer: What happens when the Senate sends them back a different plan? ... Rep. Allen West (R-FL) -- a conservative supporter of Boehner plan -- says Republicans are looking no farther than Thursday's vote.
I want to say "get the popcorn" but what we're likely to need more is hoses to rinse down the blood. This has ugly written all over it.
Did someone say the new deadline is August 10? Great — overtime. I'm still for a sudden-death ending: no time for anything but a voice vote on a clean bill.
For more on these competing bills, Jed Lewison at Daily Kos has a great rundown of the differences between Boehner's bill and Reid's, including a handy chart.
Pay special attention to the "Super Congress" provisions in each bill — what Lewison calls the "deficit reduction committee." Reid's bill has No deficit target, no minimum entitlement cuts, no required congressional passage. Still lots of danger in that one, but no mandated danger. Kicks the bomb further down the road, so to speak.
And I'll say till I die — none of this could happen without Obama's Bush Tax Cut extensions in December. Eleven-dimensional mistake, or Set-up for this great opportunity? You decide.
GP
