(Crazy conservative) Douthat on the right's feeling of having its back against the wall here

[Make7]

4. He's trying to explain away the idiocy of trying to achieve goals when not in power...

... that are never achieved (or apparently even attempted) when actually wielding power.

He's romanticizing an idea of smaller government that doesn't, in reality, seem to be what the right ring wants since they don't do anything about it when they are actually in a position to do so. They similarly seem very, very concerned about deficits when Democrats hold the White House, yet when their side holds that office the deficits seem to increase.

I think a lot of people make the mistake of believing the publicly stated goals of many groups are the same as their actual goals. Actions speak louder than words. If they want a smaller government then reduce it's size when you have the ability to do so (or at least attempt it). If deficit spending is worrisome to them, curb spending (or try to) when you hold the purse strings.

It's like many of these Republicans taking to the airwaves to proclaim they don't want to shut the government down - obviously they do want to shut the government down since they could have very easily not done so. To pretend that this shutdown is born of frustration over some lofty goal such as smaller government is disingenuous at best.