Are the Republicans continuing to implode?
By JAY NEWTON-SMALL Wednesday, July 27, 2011
The House on Thursday is expected to vote on its latest iteration of a debt ceiling increase matched with spending cuts. With less than a week left before the government starts suspending services to avoid default, the Senate has yet to act. This is because Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid is patiently waiting for the House to finish its latest round of histrionics– Thursday’s vote will likely be their fourth doomed effort to hike the debt-limit this time around — before he proceeds with his legislation.
There is still a slim chance the House could pass their bill. But with Republican Study Committee Chairman Jim Jordan claiming that 39 of his conservatives already oppose the bill and with Democratic sources saying that House Speaker John Boehner will get less than five Democrats on board, it is not looking likely. The last debt ceiling vote passed 236-190 with the support of Jordan’s group and five Democrats.
By my count, Boehner is at least 21 votes short this time around. But miracles happen. “We expect strong Republican support on the vote tomorrow,” said Erica Elliott, a spokeswoman for Rep. Kevin McCarthy, the Republican Whip. That isn’t exactly a prediction of victory.
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http://swampland.time.com/2011/07/27/harry-reids-canny-waiting-game/#ixzz1TK0WCvAj