Even if Congress and the White House find some way to compromise over their current impasse over the debt limit and budget resolutions, the next fight is merely weeks away, according to Kiplinger.com’s Kenneth R. Bazinet. “You’ll see this movie again, several times at least, as lawmakers careen from one crisis to the next, only to circle back and wage new wars over the same ground. The bottom line: Uncertainty is certain to last.

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“Why is there no end in sight, no hope that cooler heads will suddenly prevail? Part of the answer lies in the outsize influence the tea party has in the House. There are about four dozen tea partyers in the chamber, all Republicans. That’s a large enough bloc to threaten rebellion against House Speaker John Boehner (R-OH) and his hand-picked committee chairmen, so the House leadership team is willing to listen to them rather than push through bills with votes from other Republicans and many Democrats. For now, Republicans favor ideological purity over winning national elections. Playing to the base helps in primaries and in strongly Republican House districts. So look for the House to stay in Republican control in 2014, perhaps beyond. But it will be tougher for the GOP to win back the Senate and the White House. Voters are more polarized than at any time since 1932, and maybe even since the Civil War. Plus, Democrats have a sizable registration advantage nationally and in most states that have the biggest number of electoral votes. The GOP needs general election help from independents to win the presidency. That help is hard to count on for a party so focused on the base.”

Full Story: “Why Washington’s Fiscal Follies Will Continue” (Kiplinger.com)

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