They Were Always Crazy Of Course

The Washington Post's big "behind the scenes" piece on how the Tea Party took over the GOP and decided to make every day Hostage Taking Day in DC is helpful in understanding why we got into the situation we're in.

How the shorthand of 2010 grew into the showdown of 2011 is the story of a Republican resurgence that brought immense advantage to the leadership but also created immense expectations among this new breed of lawmaker. Having built a majority on ideology, the GOP leadership found itself struggling to control a rambunctious rank and file determined to live up to the bold rhetoric that had brought it to Washington.

The newcomers took Cantor seriously when he urged them in January to see the debt ceiling as leverage. Democrats called the GOP irresponsible for gambling with the economy and the nation’s flawless credit. Republicans countered that an epic clash over the debt limit was inevitable, given the outcome of the election and widespread anger with runaway government spending.

When the deal was finally done and the threat of an economy-rattling default averted, the newcomers’ disdain for compromise had proved effective. They got most of what they wanted and gave little ground.

The new majority emerged emboldened — and hankering for the confrontations to come — even as the financial markets and much of the country reacted with unease about what had just happened.

It went way, way beyond partisan bickering and straight into the nightmare stuff of fanatical true believers.  Fanatics who would never budge, never give in, and always be on the attack.  In short, they were never going to cooperate because the goal was not to cooperate, but to cause as much damage as possible and hang it around President Obama's neck.

It worked in 2010.  They are counting on us to make it work again in 2012.