We covered a fair amount of ground over the weekend, though for some reason, I appear to have been preoccupied with one topic in particular. Here’s a quick overview of what you may have missed.
On Sunday, we talked about:
* Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) probably didn’t love the debt deal, but he endorsed it.
* It was a formality, but mid-day, the Reid compromise plan couldn’t overcome a GOP filibuster.
* Congressional Republicans aren’t just radicalized, aren’t just pursuing an extreme agenda, and aren’t just allergic to compromise. The congressional GOP is also changing the very nature of governing in ways with no modern precedent. Welcome to the normalization of extortion politics.
* It’s often overlooked, but the surest way to reduce the deficit is to grow the economy.
* Nancy Pelosi said John Boehner went to the “dark side” last week. When House Republicans booed her, she said it again.
* An early look at the debt deal set the tone for a discouraging day.
And on Saturday, we talked about:
* It was a busy night on the Senate floor on Saturday night.
* Republican Sen. Scott Brown said, “What’s happening in the House is kind of pathetic.” Of course, what was happening with Senate Republicans was nearly as bad.
* Before the emergence of the larger debt-reduction deal, Reid thought his compromise had a legitimate shot.
* Last week, Speaker Boehner not only forgot what he was doing; he forgot why he was doing it.
* In “This Week in God,” we covered, among other things, the “Circle of Protection” Christian coalition, asking members of Congress involved in debt talks to consider, “What would Jesus cut?”
* On Friday, House Republicans threw a tantrum. On Saturday, they threw another one.
