"They chose short-term political expediency over the benefits that could have been included down the road."

When has the Senate done anything else? Democrats have again aimed at their foot, and are about to pull the trigger.

Pathetic. What a bunch of short sighted, narcissistic, greedy, corrupt, idiots. I am soooooo sick of this!

One more point, the Democrats caucus is weak because its leadership is inept.

Crack the whip on the conservo-dems, and then the caucus will be able to get something done.

The most consistent result of cowardice is failure.

And to be successful Obama will also have learn how to run proactively against the opposition, as Clinton ran against Newt Gingrich and forget the eternally pathetic bipartisanship goal, the GOP will never meet him half way.

Face it... Even if the GOP is insane, Corporate Run and Anti-We the People... The DEMOCRATS are Spineless, individually-self serving, Global-Corporate-CONservative-Media-Terrified Jelly Fish who simply cannot and do not act very much in the collective interest of We the People.

They certainly can't govern or lead.

Corporations Run America now, and the Insane Republicans are the Corporate Funded, better united-in-their-jack-booting-ways Party which happily does whatever it takes to seize power and give Corporations what they want under the flag-Pin-Wearing, Foisted Banner of 'Freedom and Liberty' as they can and do daily Hoodwink MILLIONS of Americans through their Global corporate Media Empire to go along with them.

And this all occurs as the 'Democratic' Spineless Jellyfish Party full of Individuals working Individually for themselves looks on with impotent horror and complains about how the Republicans will destroy the Country the Corporate Run, Terrified, Spineless Jelly Fish fail to Govern and Lead.

Me Thinks the Corporate Sponsored Fat Lady has already sung the 'Fall Of The Republic'.... Perhaps she sang it on Fox News (so-called) to the cheering multitudes of the Tea Party Crowd and the many other Corporate CONservative Media Hoodwinkees who may have attended such a tribute to their dedicated and hard-efforted outcome and that's why I missed the Corporate Foisted Event if such actually occurred.

The Lie:

"Congress is literally paralyzed by [the fear of] deficits right now."

They are not.

Remember that they passed the TARP in two weeks when they wanted to.

They passed bushes tax cuts for the wealthy, and will renew them if they can.

They never mentioned deficits when they were funding the military jobs program (the invasions of Iraq and Afghanistan/Pakistan).

They refuse to reform how medical services are paid for, which would save hundreds of billions of dollars.

They're only "terrified" that this spending would not benefit their social class.

This article is mistaken on a number of grounds.

First, it's not the House that blocked a budget resolution this year but the fact that the Senate simply didn't have the votes and wanted to use the floor time for other matters (unemployment extension, etc).

Secondly, failure to pass a budget resolution this year does not "disallow" a reconciliation bill next year. The reconciliation process normally would occur in the same calendar year in which the budget resolution is considered. Under the normal process a budget resolution is passed in the spring with the reconciliation bill being passed prior to the beginning of the fiscal year on October 1. Thus, Congress can pass a budget resolution next year that will provide for reconciliation next year.

Thirdly, due to the Byrd Rule in the Senate, provisions that do not directly impact taxes and spending cannot be included in a reconciliation bill. That's why the health care reform bill was not considered through reconciliation. A smaller set of fixes to the Senate health care bill was done through reconciliation, however.

Finally, even if congress were to pass a budget resolution this year that provides for a reconciliation bill, it cannot determine the content of matters that are part of reconciliation.

one of two things could be true here that y'all missed:

1) perhaps there will be no filibuster next year. Reid has already hinted at this possibility;
and/or 2) we roll the whole thing over to the next year's appropriation--and use reconciliation then if we so choose.

either way, the author jumped to conclusions--without a full understanding of the lay of the land.

we compound obama's problems by freaking out and not being smart enough to see the big picture. in so doing, we do the tea party's evil work for them.

nice going.

All this claptrap about maneuvering around to stop this or prevent that or make one side(no such thing, they are both the same side) look more malicious than the other is just what it is, politics of obfuscation, not anything to do with proper governmental functioning; any of it when looked at closely enough will reveal the protectionism of those involved in the grand larceny, the aristocracy.

All this works in grand fashion when the proceedings in congress especially, become so involved and complex in ways to subvert the seemingly 'other side' that the laws of complexity, as fragile as they are, collapse with the the hopeful appearance that those people we elect have done their job.

Another thing about congress' sweet little club that only caters or includes the democrats and the republicans should be illegal, unconstitutional or traitorous shenanigans that will leave the ability of any 3rd parties to have a real affect on what happens in the hollowed out halls of congress.

THIS congress will pass NO meaningful legislation.
VOTE this year. Kick out your lying pigs.
That will be nearly all republicans and a big pile of democrats too.
Look at your state and what your rep and senator are doing.
VOTE out you lying pigs this year, and don't expect THIC congress to do ANYTHING useful. Focus on next year.