Shutdown Showdown:  Day 15 

With just two days left until the October 17th debt limit deadline, a deal acceptable to Senate Democrats, Obama and House Republicans still seems to be out of reach. I am not surprised. In spite of all the talk about the need to compromise, Obama and his allies want bigger government and more spending. House conservatives want smaller government and less spending. 

Senate Democrats are insisting on a plan to fund the government through mid-January and extend the debt ceiling until early February. It would also setup a commission to explore reforms to entitlement spending in exchange for eliminating the sequester cuts, require income verification for Obamacare subsidies and delay for one year a "reinsurance tax," something Obama's Big Labor allies are demanding.

That's interesting. Democrats have repeatedly insisted that any changes to Obamacare were off the table. But Obama has made numerous unilateral changes and now the big unions are getting what they want. 

Needless to say, the Senate's deal is not very popular among House conservatives. The House GOP leadership is working hard to put a counterproposal on the floor for a vote this evening. The House GOP caucus met this morning to discuss their options, and reportedly began the meeting by singing "Amazing Grace." 

The House plan, which is still a work in progress, funds the government until January 15th and lifts the debt ceiling until February 7th. (At least everyone seems to agree on a timeline.) The details are sketchy, but here's where the House bill significantly differs from the Senate's plan: 
 

• It would prohibit the Obama Administration from using "extraordinary measures" to circumvent the debt ceiling during any future showdown. 
   
• The House bill will reportedly call for a two-year delay in Obamacare's tax on medical devices.
   
• It would require Obama, Biden, political appointees and members of Congress to purchase health insurance on the ObamaCare exchanges without additional taxpayer-funded subsidies. 

House conservatives evidently hadn't gotten the memo that they were supposed to accept Harry Reid's conditions for their surrender. When reports of the House legislation broke this morning, Democrats erupted with outrage. Reid warned Boehner that his plan was dead on arrival in the Senate -- just like every other bill the House has already passed to keep the government open. 

Politico reports that negotiations in the Senate have stopped, with Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell waiting to see if Speaker Boehner can pass his bill later tonight. If House Republicans fail to agree on something, Reid's hand will be strengthened as Thursday's debt ceiling deadline approaches. 

What Should Conservative Stand For? 

"Enlightened" Beltway elites and talking heads are warning House leaders that the longer this debate drags on, the more they stand to lose in next year's elections. As we have noted in recent reports, the polls do seem to suggest that Republicans are getting more of the blame for the shutdown than Obama and the left. 

But the 2014 elections are still more than a year away. It is unlikely that independents and swing voters will make up their minds this far in advance and ignore whatever else happens between now and November 2014 -- including the continued disastrous rollout of Obamacare. (See last item.) 

By the way, I know Big Media likes to dwell on divisions among conservatives, but Democrats are divided too. Nearly 60 House Democrats have split with Nancy Pelosi and backed the House GOP appropriations bills to fund the government. 

Here's another point to consider: The year began with Republicans fretting over an autopsy and warning that values issues were killing the party. Now we're hearing that fiscally conservative Tea Partiers, who want to stop deficit spending, are killing the party. 

The establishment talking heads are wrong. What is killing the GOP is their constant bashing of conservatives. They are condemning Ted Cruz and House conservatives with more vitriol and nastiness than they have ever employed against the left. 

The party has a problem with a significant portion of its base that believes the GOP is not fighting hard enough for conservative values. Gallup reports that 52% of Republicans now think a third party may be needed. Is Karl Rove listening? 

There is no guarantee that House conservatives can win this fight against the Senate, the White House and the liberal media establishment. The odds were always long and sometimes in politics you lose. 

But if conservatives hold firm, and if Obamacare continues to be a disaster, the American people will know who fought it and who defended it. 

Limbaugh Agrees: The Left Is Killing America 

Rush Limbaugh teased his audience yesterday by telling listeners that I had taken issue with something he said. Don't worry -- we don't disagree. 

On his show recently, Rush said that he felt we were living in a dying country. During my speech to the Values Voter Summit, I said America isn't dying. Instead it is being killed by the political left. Rush agreed. (He also provided a link to one of my recent speeches.) Click here to listen to Rush's remarks about my address at this year's Values Voter Summit. 

Obamacare Disasters Continue 

Here's an incredible story highlighting Obamacare's disastrous rollout: CNN reporter Elizabeth Cohen has been trying for two weeks to sign up for Obamacare with no success. She's even tried logging in at random times, including 3:00 a.m.! 

Meanwhile, more Americans are discovering the reality of Obamacare's "rate shock." The Chicago Tribune reports that Adam Weldzius, a 33 year-old single father, discovered that under Obamacare his monthly premiums will double. If he opts for a more manageable premium, his deductible increases from $3,500 a year to nearly $13,000!