I have reached the age where cynical is my definition of optimism. Any optimism I had when the GOP took both houses lies somewhere between “it could be worse” and “were doomed”. This version of the federal government is basically the gate keepers of bad policy.

With the GOP now playing political volleyball with Obama, it looks like they are going to cave on amnesty. The majority handed to them in the mid-terms seems to have been for naught, establishment Republicans are running for political cover and handing conservatives a worthless vote intended to give themselves an out. In the end a clean DHS funding bill is on its way and there is nothing we can do about it.

Were doomed.

“I’ve indicated to the Democratic leader that I’d be happy to have his cooperation to advance the consideration of a clean DHS bill which would carry us through till September 30th,” McConnell said to press Tuesday.

Then, he would hold a vote Friday to defund President Obama’s executive action on immigration, as a consolation prize for conservatives in the House and Senate who have pushed to tie the two issues together.