This is proof to me that yes, we can blame them both, the Republicans in office for obstructing the work for the people of this nation and our fourth estate, the media, for failing to honestly report the news -- especially when the news is about their tendency to say both sides are to blame. The media loves a circus, and the GOP is more than happy to provide it. Republicans are not the same as Democrats, in spite of what some people will tell you. For all the railing against the mainstream media, it appears that the most radical among us (left and right <<< see what I did there?) have fallen for this meme that they are the same. I would say it's more than fair to declare that nothing is getting done in Washington-- at least not as much as could be done, but the reasons why have far more complicit participants. It's really a sad joke on those (myself included many times) that claim to be part of voice representing either side of the aisle. The media - which we need to have to inform us all - is failing us at the very root level: It refuses to take reflection on itself.

It remains to be seen whether major commentators and news orgs will clearly and forthrightly reckon with — and convey to readers — how insane the GOP position here really is. I laid out the reasons for this yesterday, but the short version is that Democrats are not asking Republicans to give up anything in requesting that they support a debt limit hike. They are not asking Republicans to agree to more spending. They are not asking for new taxes. They are simply asking Republicans to join them in making it possible for Congress to pay obligations it has already incurred, and in so doing, avert economic catastrophe for the whole country. There is no rationale for giving Republicans anything in return for this.

In return for a one-year suspension of the debt ceiling, House Republicans are demanding a yearlong delay of Obamacare, Rep. Paul Ryan’s tax reform plan, the Keystone XL pipeline, more offshore oil drilling, more drilling on federally protected lands, rewriting of ash coal regulations, a suspension of the Environmental Protection Agency’s efforts to regulate carbon emissions, more power over the regulatory process in general, reform of the federal employee retirement program, an overhaul of the Dodd-Frank financial regulations, more power over the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau’s budget, repeal of the Social Services Block Grant, more means-testing in Medicare, repeal of the Public Health trust fund, and more.

"What I always love is people say, 'Well, it's you folks' fault in the media.' No! It's the President of the United States' fault for not selling it."

A top White House aide said Thursday that the White House refuses to negotiate with Republicans over the debt ceiling, likening the GOP to someone with "a bomb strapped to their chest."

"What we're not for is negotiating with people with a bomb strapped to their chest," senior White House adviser Dan Pfeiffer said on CNN. "We're not going to do that."

Pfeiffer then took the metaphor a step further, saying the GOP is asking for a "ransom."