The Nation’s Ari Berman explains why the Republicans backing down on their latest extortion efforts is not a big victory for Democrats, why Republicans only cater to the far right extreme, the southern domination of the modern Republican Party, why modern conservative politics is all about fighting demographics, how Arizona and Kansas are expanding voter suppression tactics and why the Supreme Court made the burden of proving voter discrimination harder.

On The Better Half: what’s inside the deal that reopened the government and raised the debt ceiling, the Cat Food caucus reemerges, Ezra Klein writes an absurd column, Fox News wonders if House stenographer who want on a rant about God on the floor of the House faced religious discrimination and your IMs and phone calls.

And keep the conversation going on our morning thread

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