While I was otherwise distracted with gathering my wits for the legal battle I had yesterday……there was a story blowing in the wind…….

Sounds like a heavy sigh to me…….after many months of speculation on the approaching debt limit….there were all too many opinions on how it would play out……and Tuesday it played out in a way that few could have foreseen…….

House Republicans backed away from a battle over the government’s debt cap today and permitted Democrats to drive quick passage of a measure to increase the government’s borrowing cap without any concessions from the White House. The 221-201 vote came hours after Speaker John Boehner announced that his fractured party would relent and not seek to add other items to the must-pass legislation. Twenty-eight Republicans voted yes. The bill would permit Treasury to borrow normally for another 13 months; the Senate is expected to pass it tomorrow.

Here’s a look at how it’s being played:

• New York Times: “It effectively ended a three-year, Tea Party-fueled era when a series of budget showdowns raised the threat of debt defaults and government shutdowns, rattled economic confidence and brought serious scrutiny from an international community questioning Washington’s ability to govern.”
• Wall Street Journal: It’s “a tactical retreat by Republicans stymied by their internal divisions.”
• The Hill: “Boehner’s decision drew heavy criticism from conservative groups, many of whom said Boehner needs to be replaced. Many noted that the so-called ‘Boehner rule’ now appears dead—that was the informal name for Boehner’s effort to extract spending cuts in exchange for debt ceiling hikes.”
• Politico: “It’s also a clear sign of the House Republican Conference’s inability to move beyond fiscal fights and lays in plain view the leadership’s inability—or unwillingness—to corral votes for their priorities.”

Step back and think about what happened Tuesday……could this be a dawn of a new day in DC?  Or was this just a momentary lull…..time to decide on the next fight to pursue?

John Boehner ended the debt ceiling wars, but his fellow Republicans didn’t exactly throw him a parade. The Washington Post today has an excruciatingly awkward account of how Boehner broke the news to his caucus at a private breakfast yesterday morning. “Listen—we’re going to move forward,” he said, standing before a room of drowsy Republicans. “We’re going to get this done.” He said he wouldn’t even consider floating another proposal—he had made up his mind to go with a clean bill. The Republicans sat up, stunned, and silently stared at him. No one booed. No one cheered. Boehner stood waiting for any reaction at all, then finally shook his head and walked to his seat. “I’m getting this monkey off your back, and you’re not going to even clap?” he said as he went, after which one House veteran says there was “how do I say it, a polite golf clap.” Meanwhile, at a private lunch yesterday, Senate Republican leaders were urging their members to drop any filibuster attempts and let a vote take place today, Politico reports. One GOP senator said that most at the lunch were more concerned about “getting the hell out of town” before the coming snowstorm arrived. The response from the right has mostly been muted. The Wall Street Journal today ran an editorial urging Republicans to repeal the debt ceiling entirely and “finally end this periodic self-torture.”

Thoughts?