Reid had better tend to his own knitting: when the House sends over its bill to cut spending and increase the debt limit concurrently, his caucus will have to choose between default or acquiescence in the glare of public indignation.
You think McCaskill, Nelson, Tester, Sherrod Brown, Manchin and other RATS are going to risk cutting off grandma’s SS check? You think these people have confidence in Obama at the top of the ticket next year in their own Red states? Reid cannot hold the dam on this one.
You are on point about Reid’s problem.
However, the GOP has problems in the Congress as well. Michele Bachmann and others in the House are saying they will not under any conditions vote for a hike in the debt ceiling. I believe in the Senate, Rand Paul has said he would try to filibuster any attempt to raise the debt ceiling no matter what was else was in the bill.
This is why I’m not sure where we stand on sending legislation up.