It's been more than 520 days since the Senate passed a bipartisan bill to fix our broken immigration system. In that time, Republicans have made a series empty promises and resorted to extreme, false rhetoric to excuse their inaction. Now they appear unable to even pass symbolic bills, repeating their familiar march to the right and threatening yet another crisis. We've seen this show too many times before.

STEP 1: TRY TO PLEASE RADICAL RIGHT WITH SYMBOLIC CONCESSION

Politico: "They Will Try To Convince The Troops To Channel Their Anger At A Mostly Symbolic Immigration Bill":

At a meeting in the basement of the Capitol Tuesday morning, Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio) and the GOP leadership team will face rank-and-file Republicans for the first time since President Barack Obama's executive action on immigration. They will try to convince the troops to channel their anger at a mostly symbolic immigration bill, while agreeing to a separate funding package that would keep most of the government open for nine months, while funding immigration enforcement agencies for just a few months. [Politico, 12/2/14]

ABC News: "GOP Leadership Team Will Try and Persuade Their Rank-And-File To Vent Their Frustration on Immigration through A Largely Symbolic Bill":

Speaker John Boehner's strategy can be boiled down to three words: Vent, don't shutdown. The GOP leadership team will try and persuade their rank-and-file to vent their frustration on immigration through a largely symbolic bill denouncing President Obama's executive order, without allowing it to fester into a government shutdown. [ABC, 12/2/14]

STEP 2: CAVE TO TEA PARTY PRESSURE

Heritage Action: The House Must Fight Now, Not Later: "The fight is now, not next year.  Americans expect real action, not a show vote." [Press Release, 12/2/14]

 Speaker Boehner (R-OH): "no decisions have been made at this point..." [NBC News, 12/2/14]

STEP 3: THREATEN A GOVERNING CRISIS

Republicans Threaten Uncertainty for Department of Justice, Other Departments: "Some members in GOP conference unhappy with CRomnibus. Want to temp fund DOJ and other agencies too." [National Journal, 12/2/14]

Rep. Steve King (R-IA): "If he brings this fight, Congress can't just simply say, OK, we'll give you what you want, Mr. President, to avoid the conflict," King said. "The Founding Fathers call upon us to use the power of the purse to restrain a president that gets outside his constitutional bounds." [The Blaze, 12/2/14]