* Steve Kornacki on why Republicans may cave in the end:
Much attention is paid to the way-out-there true-believers who have gained to power to define what conservatism means in the Obama-era. But there are still many Republicans in Congress – and in influential positions outside of Congress – who recognize the catastrophe that would be unleashed by a default. And in the wake of the November election, they may be more assertive in reining in the crazies now than they were during the debt ceiling showdown in 2011.The flavor of this deja vu might be classed as optimistic preview. The sentiment: Obama has the leverage: when he stares the GOP down, they'll be forced to... [add consummation to be wished]. As, for example, when Reid and McConnell were negotiating on December 28, three days before the fiscal cliff's edge, and Sargent eagerly anticipated the failure of those talks:
