The Law of Unintended Consequences

There are bound to be unintended – and unpleasant – consequences when a political party's congressional strategy is predicated on gridlock.

So it is with the Republicans, who are forcing procedural votes even on inconsequential legislation and are filibustering a Democratic-sponsored war funding bill.

Got that? The Republicans are using a starve-the-troops tactic that they accused those unpatriotic Democrats of employing.

Well, a number of Republicans are now saying that they are "willing to talk about some things," as Senator John Kyl of Arizona puts it. Those things include finding a middle ground on domestic spending.

The Democrats, of course, are cool to the notion. It would seem that gridlock is just fine with them, too.