Republicans took over Congress with claims that they would Take Charge And Get Stuff Done. It's not so easy, they're finding. For one thing, Senate Democrats aren't going to unilaterally disarm and forego the filibuster that Republicans used so aggressively while in the minority. But divisions among Republicans are also turning out to be a major stumbling block.

Case in point: funding the Department of Homeland Security. House Republicans want to use the funding to demand deportation of immigrants. But even if they didn't have to contend with Democrats, Senate Republicans aren't all entirely on board with that. That sets up conflict between House and Senate Republicans. DHS funding needs to be passed by February 27, a date that's coming up fast when you consider that Congress will be in recess the week of February 16. Responsibility is on Republicans, but the extremists of the House don't want to accept that:



Some Republicans acknowledge that the immigration aspects of the Homeland Security bill will have to be stripped out. The question they cannot resolve is how to get conservative lawmakers to realize that. Some have suggested that the repeated Senate votes that all end the same way, in defeat, will help drive that point home. Part of the problem that some Senate Republicans find so frustrating is that their colleagues in the House do not always seem to appreciate that a majority in the Senate does not mean that the party controls every outcome.

“Senator McConnell is trying to win the fight that we won in the House,” Boehner said. “The House fought this fight, we won this fight. Now it’s time for Senate Democrats to work with Senate Republicans to stop the president’s unilateral actions with regards to immigration.”

House leaders are digging in But McConnell can't win that fight and the House of Representatives doesn't automatically get to dictate to the Senate and the president, no matter how much John Boehner pretends that's the case. And the thing about being in control is, when necessary things don't get done or bad things happen, people hold you responsible. Unfortunately for Republicans, responsibility is a concept they've spent the last several years rejecting, so this may be an ugly adjustment.