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Are congressional Republicans finally caving in?

On Wednesday, conservatives warmed to the idea of a short-term increase in the country’s borrowing limit that will avoid the catastrophic debt-ceiling default and possibly lift the shutdown on the government.

Rep. Paul Ryan (R., Wis.), chairman of the House Budget Committee, outlined a plan Wednesday to fellow conservatives to extend the nation’s borrowing limit for four to six weeks, paired with a framework for broader deficit-reduction talks, according to lawmakers briefed on the proposal. The greater the spending reduction the talks produced, the longer the next extension of the debt ceiling would be under Mr. Ryan’s plan.

Today, top Republicans will head to the White House to discuss the standoff that resulted in the partial government shutdown. But Obama and White House officials still say the meeting isn’t an indication that Republicans will get the ransom they are demanding.

The White House said the session isn’t a negotiation, in keeping with Mr. Obama’s demand that lawmakers raise the debt ceiling and fully reopen the government without conditions before policy talks are held. But the meeting may allow House Republicans to say they had a policy conversation with the president, which they have been saying is a condition of resolving the impasse.

Sadly, solving the debt-ceiling issue (if only temporarily) doesn’t guarantee that government operations resume. According to the Wall Street Journal:

Many of the same conservatives who backed a short-term extension of the country’s borrowing authority said they are willing to keep parts of the government shuttered in order to keep fighting over the health law.

Which confirms…petty political games are still being played.

SOURCE: WSJ | PHOTO CREDIT: Getty