I think those Republicans believe there is a method to their madness and that is that they do not want to take the focus off of the Obamacare disaster. They do not want attention to be diverted to an argument about who is causing the government to shut down. They know full well that the lying liberal media would put all the blame on the Republicans and no blame would go to the horrid spendthrift Dumycrats. I don't agree with their thinking, because they will now have to share the blame with the Dumycrats when the out of control spending sinks us. I think the better course would have been for the Republicans to simply vote no and let the Dumycrats try to pass an increase in the debt ceiling on their own. It might all end up in the same bag anyway, but no self respecting conservative could vote to continue on the disastrous path we're on.