Here's the latest offer: Republicans will raise the debt ceiling for 6 weeks, leave the government shut down, and negotiate everything in a conference committee before the next deadline runs out.

Oh, that will end well, don't you think?

Rep. Chris Van Hollen points out a couple of key issues with this so-called offer. First, there's been no offer to reopen the government during this six-week hiatus. Second, a six-week debt ceiling raise is just raising the hammer over Social Security and Medicare before bringing it down with the intent to smash into their hearts.

It's a stall, just like everything else they've done for the past month. Van Hollen knows it, but the problem is that if they hand over a clean debt ceiling raise, even if it's only for six weeks, it's unlikely the President would veto it.

All they've done here is open the door and give everyone a peek at the hostage so we can see it's still alive. If they were doing their Constitutional duty, they'd simply release the debt ceiling and government hostages, drop their weapons, and hope they don't get tossed in the clink for their abhorrent behavior.