Both Parties Will Lose in Fiscal Showdown

Charlie Cook: “In the upcoming fiscal showdowns over the continuing resolution and the debt ceiling, Republicans are greatly exposed and could come out of this badly damaged. But as we saw in 2011, in a fight like this one, everyone can end up looking bad. In fact, the way it is shaping up, that’s a pretty decent bet.”

Rick Klein: “These are dangerous political times for all involved. Republicans are currently convincing themselves that they may be better suited to fight things out over the debt ceiling instead of a government shutdown. (Raising the stakes after drawing a bad hand?) The White House is currently convincing itself that the only thing to be sure of is that Republicans will fold, not once but twice. (Won’t there be blame enough to go around if either of the bad things on the horizon happen?) This crisis has been marked by a surprising lack of leadership – of caution, half-steps, missteps, and sometimes no steps at all. It’s a leadership moment for somebody, maybe from an unexpected corner, to navigate these next few months without everybody going bust.”