Short: Pouring cold water on shutdown fever

Mitch McConnell is trying to dampen the sect of the Senate that vows to filibuster any bill that doesn't defund Obamacare. The Tea Party, at the same time, is throwing gasoline on the fire in the form of threats to primary senators who won't support such a filibuster. The GOP leadership of both House and Senate are trying to stomp out this idea, but it's not working.

Folks, a government shutdown is likely to happen sometime. If not at the current drop-dead date of September 30, then after this year's crop of realistic Republicans RINOs get primaried and replaced with Tea Partiers in 2014. I wouldn't have thought this would happen since the GOP backed away, either compromising or capitulating, four times already. But all those losses have made the TP sect that much hungrier for a real battle.

When I read the comments on web, it's surprising how many GOPers want to go the showdown route. If that's a real reflection of the GOP, the party is on the verge of a civil war. I've never been able to discern whether he TP crowd is the majority in the party because indicators have been mixed. (The indicators: polls in the 2011 primary running toward TP candidates, yet the eventual Romney win.) It could well be that the traditional GOP establishment gets replaced. I never would  have thought it possible, but it's definitely a possibility within the next few years.

Image: romeoareateaparty.org

Here's the cartoon that might be too violent for my blog:

Image: seattlepi.com