I know what they're doing. They
think they need to keep their heads down and take the easy path on everything possible to minimize any ammo or talking points against the GOP, thinking this will keep the failures of Obamacare on the forefront and maximize gains in Fall 2014 and see if they can't grab the Senate, and pad the majority in the House further.
Still a failed premise though, as it presumes the MSM will keep quiet about them, or
ever give them a fair shake.
At least immigration "reform" seems to be DOA for now. They finally wised up to the realization that the Obama/Holder admin would just ignore any "border first" portions of whatever they passed, assuming it even made it through the Senate anyway. Took long enough.
Shchumer trying to offer a bill compromise that has GOP border security wishes in it,
but with implementation deferred till 2017 when Obama is gone is laughable, and an absolute sign of weakness on their part. Combined with all the retirements, the DNC is clearly telegraphing they expect a bloodbath this fall as well. Unless there's a really big cause celebre, the FSA doesn't "do" midterms generally, and barring vote fraud, the GOP should do well this fall. If Obama wasn't making extra-constitutional orders delaying parts of Obamacare, or the average American knowing what a BIG DEAL that is, impeachable, arguably, they'd do even better.
Leave it to the GOP to still try and mess it up at every step.
I blame it on the Beltway Effect. They all have cocktail hour together, the same functions, kids go to school together, and with the near unanimous pounding 24/7 of the MSM, the costal and big-city Left, and the unelected bureaucrat class, it gets to them and they rationalize it away by believing they're engaging in realpolitik. Only a very few like Paul or Cruz understand the more they're hated by all those people, the better they're doing.