Republicans Cave

An unfortunate decision on the part of the Republicans.  Whether it was the "correct" decision, I won't speculate.  The Republicans evidently had an alternative strategy which made much sense. To give Obama his clean spending resolution which would have allowed the increasing negative publicity surrounding the "Affordable Care Act" take center stage and make the headlines.  Instead, Republican intransigence became the headline thereby minimizing the the public's awareness of the negative publicity surrounding the apparent  implementation failure of the "Affordable Care Act".

Nevertheless, the Republicans went ahead, with much internal divisiveness, suggesting only partial government funding.  The Obama administration, through the Senate, just sat back, watched these wild machinations with a smile and loudly proclaimed with faux moral outrage NO to any negotiations. The Republicans, at the last minute, self-imploded. Too bad.

The Republicans, should have simply refused to negotiate too, even if it prolonged the government shut-down and even if the debt limit was reached.  It was Obama's decision to shut-down the government and reject the House's continuing spending resolutions. By caving, the Republicans have essentially abrogated the Constitutional premise that it is the House that originates spending and grants the President a spending "allowance".  Now Obama will simply view the House as a rubber stamp to approve, without question, his unilateral spending/revenue demands.