John McCain Understands GOP Has Lost This Battle

     How long will it take for it to sink in for other Republicans? Will it drag us past the Thursday deadline for raising the debt ceiling? 

     With so little time left, chances rose that a resolution would not be approved by Congress and sent to President Obama before Thursday, when the government is left with only its cash on hand to pay the nation’s bills.

     “It’s very, very serious,” warned Senator John McCain, Republican of Arizona. “Republicans have to understand we have lost this battle, as I predicted weeks ago, that we would not be able to win because we were demanding something that was not achievable.”

  http://www.nytimes.com/2013/10/16/us/politics/congress-budget-debate.html?_r=0

     As to where things are now, there's kind of good news and bad news. The good news is Reid and McConnell are back to work after a misspent day waiting for the House GOP to actually pass a bill-two attempts were stillborn. 

    http://diaryofarepublicanhater.blogspot.com/2013/10/reid-and-mcconnell-ironing-out-gop.html

    Even better news, they are actually pretty close on the essentials of the deal. Of course the bad news is that they basically already were last night before the GOP House robbed us of a day with their shennigans. Talk about fiddling while Rome burns. 

   http://diaryofarepublicanhater.blogspot.com/2013/10/reid-and-mcconnell-ironing-out-gop.html

   "Under the plan, a $986 billion government funding bill would reopen federal agencies until Jan. 15, and the debt ceiling would be lifted until Feb. 7. The two parties would be given the opportunity to cut a larger-scale budget agreement to slash future deficits as a bicameral conference committee would have until Dec. 13 to finalize such a deal."

    "Democrats won a major White House priority to ensure that the Treasury Department would still have the ability to use “extraordinary measures” to pay its bills in case Congress does not lift the debt ceiling by Feb. 7. Republicans would win a provision ensuring that recipients of Obamacare subsidies meet the required income levels."

    Read more: http://www.politico.com/story/2013/10/senate-update-debt-ceiling-government-shutdown-98368.html#ixzz2hqkPiPcR

     Still, I think the most profound thought of the day was by Roy Blunt:

     "Top Republicans said Tuesday it was time to end what had emerged as a politically disastrous episode for their party."

    “The only reason why the Democrats don’t look terrible is we look even worse,” said Sen. Roy Blunt (R-Mo.), a member of Senate GOP leadership.

     True and I'd look rich if it weren't for Donald Trump-or Oscar the Grouch. On the other hand, if it weren't for the Democrats the GOP would look like geniuses. Ok, let's not get carried away.