End Game?

As all the bargaining parties declare victory with only 1 day left on ABC's Armageddon countdown clock, the rank and file, who actually have to vote for the deal and live with the results in their districts, are being coddled and heard from. One is even calling for civil protests.

But what can they do now? They've been given one day to express their outrage. If this package is voted down we either default or Boehner and company will have to rush through a clean short-term extension--and make no mistake it WILL be short term deal if it has no extensions and Obama will have no choice but to sign it because it will be a bi-partisan epic fail he can't demagogue. Then we get to do this all again next year. Will the Senate and House leaders be able to get enough votes to prevent chaos, or are we already doomed, doomed?

Meanwhile, the government runs out of spending authority on October 1 without a passed budget for the fiscal year 2012. So barring a miracle we get to do it all over again anyway.