Messy end game on funding the government for another year

Congress is trying to wrap up work on two big issues: Extension of the payroll tax holiday and a bill to continue funding the government for another year.  The problem?  The Republicans yesterday passed an extension of the payroll tax holiday and unemployment benefits, but as usual threw in lots of GOP pork - not money pork, but "ideological pork" like taking another swipe at government workers and trying to force approval of the controversial Keystone pipeline.

Now, even though the budget for the next year is almost done, Democrats are afraid that if they pass that budget the House will go on recess and leave until after New Years, forcing the Senate to accept the bad House version of the payroll tax holiday or nothing.  So the Democrats are refusing to do anything on the budget until the two bills are linked together and improved, thus forcing the House Republicans to stay in session until at least the budget is done in order to avoid a government-wide shutdown.

It's nice to see the Democrats play some hardball.