Establishment Republicans = cheese-eating-surrender-monkeys

(cultural reference | Fox | 1995 | The Simpsons | school janitor Willie)

OK – let us review. Republicans spend much political capital battling the CIC over taxes and the budget, and they seemingly drew a line-in-the-sand. The fight over the 'fiscal cliff' was headline material for weeks. The battle is now over. What was the result?

• Mr. O did not give an inch, did not cut a single $1 bill from the federal gov't
• Republicans did exactly what is theoretically antithetical to them: a huge tax increase
• Surrender, and the parallel to Marshall Petain is is eerie
• Mr. O did his traditional end-zone dance, gleefully spiking the football

Worse, word came down from the White House at the last minute that the bill must include the so-called 'Bacchus Bill'. This is your traditional $50b Congressional Christmas tree full of ornaments courtesy of you favorite millionaire-lobbyist:

• $50 million in tax breaks for Mr. O's allies in Hollywood
• real estate tax credits for Goldman-Sachs
• tax credits for GE's algae-power

This monstrosity was cut 'n paste lock, stock, and barrel into the final bill handed to the Senate 5 minutes before they were expected to vote on said stupidity. Establishment Republicans could have simply signed off on the bill Mr. O originally demanded during the summer, to similar effect. At least then, they would not have had to also voted for the Bacchus Bill, which spends about the same amount in pork that it raises in tax increases. For Mr. O, this is a rhetorical victory rather than a mathematical one: see, everyone agrees (even House Republicans) that millionaires and billionaires have to “do their fair share”.

So, what was the point of this grand Kabuki dance?

Do Not Kill The Messenger

The House Speaker is the natural lightening rod for this failure, but I wonder if this would not be a case of killing the messenger for just bringing the bad news. The Republican party has two forces, and never the twain shall meet: feckless Country Club Republicans and the Tea Party. The problem under consideration could well be simply viewed as the victory of the former symbolized by Boehner. I am not defending this, but merely pointing out that this conflict predates the current Speaker.