The grief the GOP just brought on itself

[babylonsister]

http://www.salon.com/news/budget_showdown/index.html?story=/politics/war_room/2011/04/15/house_medicare_ryan

The grief the GOP just brought on itself
By Steve Kornacki

snip//


What's fascinating about today's House vote, as Jonathan Bernstein pointed out earlier today, is that -- for all of the potential political risk -- it was essentially symbolic. Democrats control the Senate and the White House, so this plan has no chance of ever being enacted. And yet only four Republicans voted against it. Many of these Republicans, to be sure, won't pay a price; their districts are painted a dark shade of red and they have to worry far more about primary challenges than general elections. These Republicans, who are at the mercy of the party's most die-hard ideologues, probably made smart votes by supporting this budget. But others -- particularly the 14 House Republicans who represent districts that both Barack Obama and John Kerry won -- could face real general election blowback for this vote. Beyond that, there's also the potential for this vote to damage the Republican Party's brand, and to shape the debate in 2012 just as the '95 Medicare defined the '96 campaign.

In other words, this was a vote that Republicans insisted on -- but that will only help Democrats.

[RBInMaine]

1. The RePukes just fucked themselves BIGTIME.

[opihimoimoi]

2. The Smarter GOPers gonna bail not wanting to be teased at the Club by their Lib friends

[DCKit]

3. Sure, as if they'd be able to hear us over the race cars. nt

[DCBob]

4. Depends how these negotiations go..

Most Americans do not follow the day to day activity of Congress. This vote will soon be forgotten if a reasonable compromise is reached in negotiation. However, if the Rethugs dig in and refuse to budge on the most controversial items then, yes, they will feel major grief on election day.

[Big Blue Marble]

5. Do you think the Dems are going to let this be forgotten?

This will be their defining issue for the next eighteen months. Hopefully, this major overreach will
be their downfall next year.

[DCBob]

6. Yeah, but I dont think it will get much traction unless the GOPers force the issue..

That's why I think they will back down in negotiations. They must know this budget is poison politically.

[Enrique]

9. it depends on the dems

if they embrace parts of the plan in an effort to move to the center or whatever, then it ceases to be a defining issue. And by "they", I pretty much mean Obama.

[Mnemosyne]

7. And they have earned so much more... K&R n/t

[theothersnippywshrub]

8. Republicans never intended for Ryan's plan to pass. They just want to use it

as the starting point for negotiations.

[Hawkowl]

10. Never underestimate the intelligence of the American public

If Dems don't get the word out in these Rethug districts, it won't make a damn bit of difference. Tea baggers are already spewing such unbelievable bullshit that a little bit more would be unsurprising.