[bigdaddy45]

If they had “held the line” as you put it, the Democrats would have engineered some defacto-default, stopped Granny’s checks, blamed the Tea Party with the help of the media, and would have severely damaged the Republicans in 2012. I saw this script before... it happened during the gov’t shutdown in the mid 90’s.

This isn’t a battle... its a war. And the next big skirmish, perhaps the biggest of all, is in 2012. We’re in a great position to take the Senate, hold the House, and take the White House. We’re changed the narrative, taken a first step (albeit a small one), and stopped the rubber stamping of increases to the debt limit.

A “victory” as you describe it now would have been very very short-lived. Long term is the only way we fix this.

[ctdonath2]

“We’re in a great position to take the Senate, hold the House, and take the White House.”

We had that position. For years. Did nothing with it but increase spending.

Shut it down.

[annieokie]

Glad you see some hope in all that. I've lived long enough to know ALL Politicians are LIARS.

I was so excited, years back, when we took the whole ball of wax, we had the Senate and the House. Remember what happened?????? We had it all and lost big time, because the Rep's do not know how to have Control of anything, whimps all. More profitable to just let the Dem's take over and the R's don't get the blame. I worked hard in those campaigns, and tried hard to convince people to just once let's get the Rep's in charge and see it improve. Boy, was I wrong

There is no longer any differance between R's and D's., but if your young you still have hope and that's a good thing.

The only ones to be proud of are the S.C. congressmen, WHO HELD THEIR principles as promised to the voters.

But hey, dream on.

[Jim Robinson]

Uh, this was a rubber stamp of an increase to the debt limit. We had them on the ropes and our leadership caved.

[FreeReign]

And the next big skirmish, perhaps the biggest of all, is in 2012. We’re in a great position to take the Senate, hold the House, and take the White House.

The Republicans will have difficulty taking the Senate and holding the House because they are angering the Tea Party and they are not communication to the mushy middle that the Democrats are bad.

[MontaniSemperLiberi]

“We’re in a great position to take the Senate”

We still have to take the House.

[CharacterCounts]

We’re in a great position to take the Senate, hold the House, and take the White House.

If you are referring to Republicans - perhaps.

If you are referring to conservatives, no way.

And as history has repeatedly shown Republicans never win these contests.