Interesting read. The shutdown appears imminent at this hour.

I'm not sure I agree that the GOP will be able to tolerate the shutdown for more than a few days. I can see some Tea Party support, but there are some in the GOP that need to look responsible, and probably a few that are quite unhappy with losing power to the Tea Party over the last few years. Elections are just a year away, and the calculus isn't nearly as uniform for the Republicans as it is for the Dems at this moment.