Democrats Taunt Republicans Ahead of Debt-Ceiling Votes

Neither the House nor the Senate has passed a bill to reopen the government and increase the debt ceiling, but Democrats are already spiking the football.

Polling shows Americans are primarily blaming Republicans for the government shutdown, and general support for the Republican Party has fallen sharply in recent weeks. Democrats are eager—and early—to celebrate a perceived political victory.

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The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee took to Twitter just before 2 p.m. on Wednesday, asking followers which song Speaker John Boehner, R-Ohio, would play at a Republican caucus meeting. Since then, the DCCC has tweeted dozens of song titles, including: 

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The idea was inspired by reports that Republicans played “Amazing Grace” before a meeting on Tuesday.

Any deal that reopens the government and increases the debt ceiling will rely heavily on Republican votes, and Democrats are betting that their early celebration won't lead the GOP to back out. They're also betting that the American public won't be turned off by the sight of publicly gleeful partisans celebrating while the country is still locked in a wildly unpopular shutdown.

But thus is the life of these groups: In days during the shutdown, both the Democratic National Committee and the Republican National Committee have sent out emails to reporters criticizing the other side's positions and actions.

Politics don't stop in Washington—not before a deal, not during it, and certainly not after.

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