Follow The Money

One of the more interesting things to watch as the GOP Civil War unfolds is how Big Business will react to it.  If the Baggers press for another government shutdown and once again threaten to bring down our economy on purpose, then it looks like the Democrats are ready to take advantage:

Rep. Steve Israel (D-N.Y.), chairman of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, is keeping awfully busy. In addition to serving his constituents, raising money, and recruiting candidate, the New York Democrat has begun reaching out to over 1,000 business leaders, urging them to reconsider their relationships with the Republican Party.

The Wall Street Journal reports this morning that the DCCC sees an opportunity to exploit divisions within the Republican coalition. With Wall Street and corporate leaders apparently annoyed by their lack of influence in Republican circles, coupled with the rise of Tea Party dominance among GOP lawmakers, Democratic leaders are reminding the business community that it was Dems who were doing what’s right for the economy, while it’s Republicans who shut down the government and threatened a sovereign debt crisis.

I'm also interested in whether the Baggers are going to get much funding from here on out. Indeed, as reported by BuzzFeed, the tea party group FreedomWorks "has fallen into dire financial straits, and was forced to take out a $1 million line of credit earlier this year."