S
o it has come to this. Senate Minority Leader McConnell just declined the invitation of Majority Leader Reid, his “friend,” to an up-and-down vote on the Reid amendments. No surprises there. But how the hell did we get to this kind of unforced error in the first place?:
It has become commonplace to call the tea party faction in the House “hostage takers.” But they have now become full-blown terrorists.They have joined the villains of American history who have been sufficiently craven to inflict massive harm on innocent victims to achieve their political goals. A strong America has always stood firm in the face of terrorism. That tradition is in jeopardy, as Congress and President Barack careen toward an uncertain outcome in the tea party-manufactured debt crisis.
William Yeomans – The tea party’s terrorist tactics Politico 29 Jul 11
Harsh words. Frum, less polemic if perhaps more damningly, also offers criticism:
The original Republican plan was to threaten to tip the country into default unless the GOP got everything it wanted. That threat is proving empty, as Republicans’ business constituencies mutiny against their party’s dangerous tactics.If blackmail won’t work — and negotiation is not allowed by the party’s own taboos — then the party that asked for everything is on its way to becoming the party that got nothing. Only it’s not just the GOP that is the loser. It’s the whole country.
David Frum – GOP wants Obama’s unconditional surrender CNN 18 July 11
The inflexible brinkmanship demonstrated by Republicans since Obama’s inauguration, while tactically successful in strangling progress and the economy, has reached a climax which may threaten to divide their historic coalition. How is this a successful or sustainable strategy?