House Republicans unveiled a plan to avert a potentially perilous game of political brinksmanship over raising the debt ceiling and to force Democrats to pass a budget for the first time in nearly four years.

◼ The plan: pass a three-month temporary debt limit increase in exchange for an agreement to pass a budget or face no pay for members of Congress. - Wynton Hall/Breitbart

“The principle is simple,” said House Speaker John Boehner (R-OH) on Friday. “No budget, no pay.”

During a House Republican retreat on Friday, Boehner said passing a budget is critical to putting the breaks on Washington’s out of control spending:

“Before there is any long-term debt limit increase, a budget should be passed that cuts spending. The Democratic-controlled Senate has failed to pass a budget for four years. That is a shameful run that needs to end, this year.

We are going to pursue strategies that will obligate the Senate to finally join the House in confronting the government’s spending problem. The principle is simple: no budget, no pay....

A long-term increase in the debt limit that is not preceded by meaningful and responsible reductions in government spending might avert a default, but it would also invite a downgrade of our nation’s credit that damages our economy, hurts families and small businesses, and destroys jobs.”

◼ House GOP Will Pass Three Month Debt-Ceiling Hike; Further Extension Requires Senate Democrats to Finally Pass a Budget - Ace of Spades

Uhhh... I guess I like the attempt at forcing the issue but we know the Democrats will not comply. Reid doesn't want a budget; Obama doesn't want a budget. They don't want to make it official how many trillions they've increased spending by. Not having a budget helps them hide this.

So the whole gadget-play is really an effort to drum up media interest -- the media absolutely refuses to cover why a law demanding a budget has been ignored four years running.

And we also know how that's going to work -- the media will ignore it, because they are no longer hiding the fact that they're Democrats and working for Reid, Pelosi, and Obama. (Well, they hide it in the sense that they'll lie and deny it if accused of it; but otherwise they make little pretense.)

So... it results in nothing. Cute idea, but it makes false assumptions about the Democratic Party and the media (but I repeat myself).

But our thought-leaders seem to be giving up on the prospect of actually winning anything. Charles Krauthammer stated:

“Don’t force the issue if you don’t have the power....” - More, at Ace

◼ House GOP: We’ll raise the debt ceiling for three months — so that Harry Reid and Democrats can pass a budget; Update: Pelosi rips GOP “gimmick”

As Krauthammer said... ◼ “Don’t force the issue if you don’t have the power.” His suggestion: Try to win the messaging war now by making Democrats pass a budget and then, when you’re on firmer ground politically, force the issue later. - National Review