Showdown Over? Or Just Begun?

It wasn't very long ago that I was bemoaning the likelihood of a debt ceiling crisis and replay of the handwringing and handwringing and speculation (Boehner's last stand as Speaker? trillion-dollar coin, anyone?) that comes with it, so I am pleasantly surprised that Boehner brought up a clean debt limit raise and it passed. Like, in a day. Would that the kindly spirits that look after the sanity of grouchy polibloggers always gave such speedy service!

But of course, that can't be all there is to it. For one thing, the reason the clean bill was put on the floor is because, after some spit balling about what addenda might make passing it worthwhile to his legion--Boehner determined that he could not guarantee 217 votes from his side and went for the option where he only needed about 18. He got 28.  Think about those numbers a minute. The time he's been having of it, he was glad to get 28, you think?

Which is why the Tea Party folks who now want Boehner's head on a platter puzzle me. It's similar to the "Green Lantern" theory of the presidency, where some on the left think Obama can make things work by magic.   Let's call it the "Orange Lantern" (why orange? oh, no reason) theory of the Speakership, where it might be thought that more can be accomplished by Boehner if he just--believed more? (Some of these people have a tenuous grip on How Things Are Done.)

Anyway, now it's off to the Senate, where the poor debt ceiling raise is at the mercy of Sen. Ted Cruz, who hints at a filibuster.  (Might I recommend Where the Wild Things Are if he means to talk at us again? That is a nice read.)

You know, if John Boehner considered stepping down from the House Speakership, given that the speaker need not be a member of the House of Representatives, perhaps he should nominate his former lawyer Ted Cruz. I think several of the Tea Party caucus could get behind that idea. Then it could be his fat in fryer when the time came to make a necessary, if unpopular, vote.