Republicans wave white flag, admit shutdown tactic is hopeless

Regardless of Ted Cruz's posturing, listen closely and it's clear the GOP knows its debt limit strategy is toast

BY BRIAN BEUTLER

To great Republican annoyance, Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, and a posse of conservative activists have hit the road to inflate the right’s expectations that the GOP can win a fight with President Obama over funding the Affordable Care Act. And to do it, they have to convince the right of something laughable: that they can successfully blame President Obama if the government shuts down at the end of September.

Republican National Committee chairman Reince Priebus is officially neutral in the ongoing dispute over whether to shut down the government unless President Obama agrees to sign legislation to essentially destroy his signature accomplishment. But he was happy to give voice earlier this month to the argument the strategy’s supporters use when they defend their idea.

“Even if you take the position of a Ted Cruz or Mike Lee, what they’re saying is we actually are funding 100 percent of the government except for that small percentage of non-discretionary — excuse me, discretionary — funding to Obamacare,” Priebus told CNN’s Candy Crowley. “So Mr. President, if you want to shut the government down because you want to continue to fund this monstrosity that you’ve admitted is half-broken, then go ahead. The fact that it’s on the Republican Party I think is spin from the Democratic Party that you ought to not be adopting.”

Priebus was actually wrong about the right’s substantive demands — Cruz and Lee are demanding a total defunding of the law, not just the small share of the finances it derives in the annual appropriations process.

full article
http://www.salon.com/2013/08/22/listen_closely_republicans_are_admitting_the_debt_limit_fight_is_over/