First,

Before the midterms, conservative leaders were warning that they'd force a showdown over federal spending much earlier than expected: in the lame duck session, before the newly elected Republicans come to Washington. They weren't joking. Republican and Democratic leaders are now engaged in a brinksmanship that could result in a temporary shutdown of the federal government.

snip Democrats will try to use the impending deadline to pass the omnibus. If it fails, they can take up a piece of legislation passed by the House known as a "continuing resolution," which will keep the government funded at current levels through next year. Republican leaders reject both plans. They're demanding that Congress pass a short-term funding measure, which would expire early next year and give the incoming Republicans the power to cut spending significantly.

Government Shutdown Pending?

Second,

The White House accused Senate Republicans of reaching a "new low" in political gamesmanship and undercutting national security in threatening to delay efforts to ratify the U.S.-Russia nuclear arms treaty, President Barack Obama's top foreign policy priority. In a scathing statement, White House press secretary Robert Gibbs on Wednesday assailed Republicans who have vowed to stall the long-awaited debate on the treaty by forcing the pact to be read aloud in the Senate. The treaty, signed in April, would lower the cap on nuclear warheads for both countries and establish a system for monitoring and verification. "This is a new low in putting political stunts ahead of our national security, and it is exactly the kind of Washington game-playing that the American people are sick of," Gibbs said. He singled out Sen. Jim DeMint, R-S.C., for possible delaying tactics.

White House assails GOP for threat to delay treaty

Sometimes a fight seeks you out no matter how hard you try to compromise.

If they cannot fund government, they should not get their tax cuts. In other words, "fund the government or the tax cuts get it."

Speaker Pelosi can play a huge role in this.

"Fund the government or the tax cuts get it." The House has a hostage and it needs to use it.

Update I: One hostage rescued.