Let 'em burn!

It’s true that a smarter, better organized Republican party would be easier to deal with. But the GOP remains dysfunctional and apparently bent on self-immolation. The only question for Obama is whether he wants to allow Republicans to turn this fact to their advantage, or whether he is willing to disengage and let them burn out on their own rage. ...Jonathan Chait, Daily Intel

Meanwhile, Chris Hayes and Rachel Maddow did as good a job on the why's and wherefore's of John Boehner than anything I've heard or read over the past several months.

 

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This morning, according to The Hill, Boehner is back trying pass off the heavy lifting -- his job! -- to the White House. Not gonna work.

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Andrew Sullivan, a genuine conservative (whether you agree with him or not), is right when he points out that we don't have a conservative party in the US.   We have radicals who like to adopt the mantle of conservatism.  These are people who are either so cynical they think they can get away with it  or so naive/uneducated they really believe they're conservatives.  Tea partyers measure up to both cynical and naive.

Sullivan doesn't mention the tea party. Here's what he does say about the Republican party that's right on target:

This party, not to mince words, is unfit for government. There is no conservative party in the West - except for minor anti-immigrant neo-fascist ones in Europe - anywhere close to this level of far right extremism. And now the damage these fanatics can do is not just to their own country - was the debt ceiling debacle of 2011 not enough for them? - but to the entire world...

...Enough. This faction and its unhinged fanaticism has no place in any advanced democracy. They must be broken. But the current irony is that no one has managed to expose their extremism more clearly than their own Speaker. His career is over. As is the current Republican party. We need a new governing coalition in the House - Democrats and those few sane Republicans willing to put country before ideology. But even that may be impossible. ...Daily Beast

Comments

[Andrew Markoff]

Their congressional districts are so gerrymandered that it matters not what they do to further the destruction of a constitutional government and the general welfare of the people. They have been so indoctrinated into believing that government is bad, that the basic needs of people has little to nothing to do with self governance, and that any and all other viewpoints are invalid that it has become thoroughly normalized to them to believe that all that matters- the only thing that matters- is being re-elected, cashing in their paychecks, enjoying their gold-plated health care and their perks from lobbyists, as well as the revolving door that will help to ensure continuing six-figure incomes.