First the House got its arms twisted by the Senate and cried uncle.

WRAL’s Mark Binker described what happened last week after even Republicans in the House couldn’t swallow the Greensboro gerrymandering scheme:

“House lawmakers weren’t smiling as they filed back into their chamber at 12:48 p.m. Thursday. Only 40 minutes ago they had rejected a bill redrawing Greensboro’s city council districts, and arms were clearly being twisted. Eight minutes later, the House had reversed course and passed the measure with no debate allowed and accusations of lying, broken promises, and legislative blackmail from earlier in the day still hanging in the air.”

Later, the House showed a little moxie. It held public hearings to poke holes in the Senate’s budget.

Now comes the real showdown. Can the new and untested House leadership team stand up to the tough and experienced Senate team in budget talks?

However much he protests, Governor McCrory doesn’t have the clout to prevail over the Senate. Can the House do better?

Among those hoping so are 8,500 teacher assistants who will lose their jobs if the House blinks.

So much, by the way, for Republican promises that, unlike the Democrats, they would pass budgets in a quick, business-like way.

One lobbyist speculated they might still be here for Halloween.

That’s a scary thought.