Spending Bill Widens GOP Rift

National Journal: “Imagine the ground is splitting open beneath your feet. The rocking plates of earth slowly spread apart, and you’re left straddling both sides to keep from falling in.”

“That is how some of the most publicly visible GOP lawmakers are feeling right now. They must choose whose side they’re on: establishment Republicans or the far-right flank.”

“Ultraconservative groups are furious over the omnibus appropriations package that coasted through the Republican-led House on Wednesday. The bill, which would fund the government for the rest of the year, is expected to pass the Senate later this week, but conservatives are not done pushing back. They have put the Grand Old Party’s most vocal members on the defensive on budget issues, and they’re not mincing their words.”

The Week: Maybe the Tea Party is finished