Circular Firing Squad: the Republican Suicide Watch

[babylonsister]

Circular Firing Squad: the Republican Suicide Watch

by John Batchelor



The GOP is wounded, perhaps mortally so. Then why did it reelect John Boehner, who has no future worth debating, as House minority leader?

During the closed-door meeting on November 19 for Republican House leadership elections in the 111th Congress, Minority Leader John Boehner’s routed remnant looked coldly at the future and saw two self-destructive choices. Either they become Vichy France, retreat to their shrunken part of the committee rooms, collaborate with the resplendent Speaker Nancy Pelosi and the lugubrious Banking Chairman Barney Frank, and wait for handouts from the Democrats—or they flee. The meeting did not go well, and it went sour like spilled milk about the time Dan Lungren of California challenged for leadership and everyone hung their heads. The secret voting started in silence.

No surprise, Boehner was reelected minority leader by a still unannounced number. But then the finger-drumming started. Ex-National Republican Congressional Campaign chairman Tom Cole left disgusted over the way he was eclipsed by the Dallas Texan Pete Sessions. Discarded Whip Roy Blunt of Missouri had no friends left in the room to see him to the door. Default new Whip Eric Cantor of Virginia didn’t get up off his knees long enough to shake hands. Former House leaders Jeb Hensarling and Kay Granger, both of the Texas mob that trivialized the party, were already sharpening knives to go hunting for Kay Bailey Hutchison’s Senate seat in 2010. And no one, not even the four newbies, even glanced at George W. Bush’s portrait as the lights dimmed.

How long until it comes to the loyal remnant who just reelected him that House Republican leader John Boehner is the same systemic problem as the obdurate stick-pin George W. Bush and his Texas cronies?

The party is wounded, perhaps even mortally. It is certainly bleeding money and talent. Arizona’s John Shadegg openly opines to the media that donors won’t give “another penny.” Yet Boehner’s best idea to help the party is to help himself by bullying his way to reelection. Resignation was in order, but instead he demanded another two years without paying a penalty for his clumsiness over the last three years and his colossal, unforgivable, and damning failure to stop Treasury Secretary Hank Paulson’s Troubled Assets Relief Program (TARP) lie the week of September 29.

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http://www.thedailybeast.com/blogs-and-stories/2008-11-23/circular-firing-squad-the-republican-suicide-watch/

[kirby]

1. At first I thought you were talking about DU n/t

[riqster]

2. Cannibalism. Disgusting, of course

...but weirdly satisfying to watch, in this case at least.