The coming GOP civil war

Nothing I write in this post should be a surprise to anyone. The Tea Party, despite losing many of its challenges against establishment candidates, still thinks it should run the GOP. They are unbowed by reality, and it's tremendously difficult to talk sense into a person (or group) that isn't in touch with reality.

Stan Collender, a writer for Forbes (and presumably conservative), ably describes the messy, insoluble conflict in the GOP congressional delegation. We have Mitch McConnell, who promises that the GOP will deliver legislation and competence, not shutdowns and drama. The Tea Party contingent isn't on board with that, though. If they don't get the bills they want, at very least they will get the drama.

This problem is demonstrated well by one particular issue--whether the House and Senate can agree on a budget proposal. If they can agree, then later in the year they'll be able to pass legislation in the Senate with only 51 votes using the reconciliation maneuver. That's attractive to Tea Partyers, who imagine all sorts of things they can do. However, reconciliation doesn't actually provide a big advantage to the GOP generally or the Tea Party, since Obama will simply veto anything he finds objectionable. Oh, snap! Well, disappointment is inevitable when you don't bother to think even one step ahead.

Please read Collender's post. I think I agree with every point. There is going to be a lot of hostility -check. The same complaint about cowardice is going to come up again and again - check. Collender foresaw this just after the 2014 elections, probably while the GOP were still crowing. I'm pretty sure I wondered whether the GOP establishment would be able to keep a lid on the Tea Party throughout 2015-6 in order to increase its presidential chances (but I can't find a post where I said so). It would be astounding if the establishment can curb the Tea Party, because the partyers aren't planning to be collared and curbed.

Nice doggie... be good now.

Image: thecreativeactionnetwork.com

Extras. Heritage Action is short on specifics, but is clear on the threat of "holding risk-adverse conservatives responsible for squandering opportunities for productive interparty conflict." I guess they demand gladiator fights. Tea Partyers here beg the establishment to provide them (the Tea Party) with a strategy. Yeah, right. If you really want something, don't do it for yourself. Beg someone else to do it for you.