After another day of failed budget negotiations before Friday’s government shutdown deadline, President Obama told reporters Thursday night: “I expect an answer in the morning.” Notice how Obama attempts to put the shutdown decision into Republican hands. He has made the last offer. He “expects an answer in the morning.”

Republicans, on the other hand, have been fighting hard to keep the shutdown decision firmly on the Democrats. That is why the House of Representatives easily passed a spending bill Thursday afternoon that would cut another $12 billion from non-defense discretionary spending, fund U.S. troops through the end of fiscal year 2011, and fund the rest of government through April 15.