The partisan charade by Republicans this past two weeks has left no question who is really in charge of the House GOP.
Dan Balz with the Washington Post – Debt-ceiling debate shows a Republican Party at war with itself:
The stunning events that played out Thursday night, as Boehner was forced to pull from the floor and rework the debt-ceiling legislation he had put up for a vote, was both a failure of leadership and a failure by those who wouldn’t follow. But it was perhaps inevitable…
… House Republicans have spent the past two weeks debating debt-ceiling proposals that have no possibility of becoming law at this time. [7/29]
Associated Press – GOP finding there’s a price to pay for ‘tea party’ power:
House Republicans rode the “tea party” tiger to power last fall. Now, it’s turning on them, forcing party leaders to endure embarrassing delays and unwanted revisions to crucial debt-ceiling legislation…
Boehner’s original bill to raise the debt ceiling by Tuesday’s deadline was already doomed in the Democratic-controlled Senate, where talks of a possible final-hour bipartisan deal were under way.
But the House’s tea-party holdouts forced Boehner to push his bill even further to the right, prompting taunts that it wasn’t serious, let alone viable.[7/30]
Wall Street Journal Editorial – The Debt-Limit Hobbits:
…the debt-limit absolutists have weakened Speaker John Boehner’s hand in negotiating a final bill with Senate Democrats…
Republicans are not looking like adults to whom voters can entrust the government. [7/30]
The American people and our nation’s economy deserve better than to be held captive by political, partisan games being played by House Republicans. Speaker Boehner and the GOP leaders should show the country they are ready to lead and return to the table to negotiate a balanced, bipartisan agreement so we can focus on Americans’ top priority: jobs and economic growth.