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EDITOR OF REDSTATE

It’s Not Just Amateur Hour at the White House

By: Erick Erickson (Diary)  |  May 6th, 2011 at 10:40 AM  | 

RESIZE: AAA

There are two stories out today that suggest it is not just amateur hour at the White House where five days after Osama Bin Laden went to sleep with Davy Jones there are still more questions than answers.

No, it is also amateur hour in the House of Representatives. Rep. Dave Camp (R-MI) is declaring the fight to repeal Obamacare over. That’s right. He’s giving up. They won’t pick a fight.

If that were not stupid enough, Camp said that “Instead … the GOP would turn its focus to overturning the most controversial portion of that legislation: the mandate requiring individuals to buy insurance.”

If the House GOP is successful in repealing the individual mandate, the case from Florida that threw out the entire legislation would die before getting to the Supreme Court. The GOP would yet again have snatched defeat from the jaws of victory.

That’s not all though. It looks more and more like Paul Ryan is retreating from the field leaving the freshman House Republicans to take all the bullets over his own plan. It begs the question if he is the dumbest smart man in America.

Majority Leader Eric Cantor (R-Va.) paid the heaviest price, stepping on his message even before White House talks had begun. But House Budget Committee Chairman Paul Ryan (R-Wis.) also played a part by opining publicly that it’s now unlikely that any debt deal this summer will include the wholesale Medicare changes that had been envisioned in his ambitious budget plan adopted just last month.

All this was news to the rank-and-file Republicans who had voted for the Ryan plan last month and felt political heat at home over the spring recess. And it left Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio) as the unlikely tough guy on the block, pulling a Cantor on Cantor, so to speak.

The House Freshman went to Washington expecting a fight. Many of them have been willing to lose re-election in a fight to the death to reform entitles and get rid of Obamacare. It is what they promised to do. But the Republican leadership seems intent on pulling the football away just as the GOP is about to kick.

If the GOP leadership won’t stand up and fight, we’re going to need somebody new.

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COMMENTS

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  • izoneguy

    Why are their skulls so thick? Is it something in the air in DC?
    ObamaCare if left standing will destroy not only the greatest healthcare system on earth but the very republic itself. We must make these people who work for us understand that we will keep replacing them until ObamaCare is as dead as Osama.

  • 20jan2013

    If the revolution of November 2010 gets us this business-as-usual result, I don’t have many more fights left in me.

    I’m going to try one last time in 2012 to reform the Republican party from within (primary battles, faithful pulling of the Republican lever in November, so on, so forth). But if 2013 is anything like 2011, I’m going third party in 2014. And that’s final!

  • http://charlemagne-the-hammer.blogspot.com/ DerKrieger

    …and laid into them. Preemptive surrender, WTH? Why?

  • Praying

    but it sure was spot on!! These guys are so afraid of success that they retreat when the battle is just beginning. What they don’t seem to be able to get through their thick little inside the beltway heads is that the American citizens who elected them want – no, EXPECT to see them fight like dogs over this! We don’t need any more “reaching across the aisle” and “going along to get along.” We want to see blood and guts and some real … well, frankly, balls out there. And so far, Michele Bachman is the only one who seems to be delivering on that! Go figure…

  • http://www.flaliberty.org scorpio0679

    If they actually knew it, sticking to principle makes it MORE likely for them to get reelected instead of less likely. People are starving for true leadership and for people who can take the heat.

    Sick.

  • http://www.dirkworld.com dirkbelig

    The nation is hurtling towards oblivion and the only people potentially able to save her are failing to even try and stop it from happening. Excuses, appeasement, collaboration with the Dems, endless fecklessness and failure. How can anyone in good conscience continue to support them, even when it’s clear that failing to do so or splitting off for a third party will guarantee permanent fascist Democrat rule and the demise of this once-great Republic?

    If we can’t primary these Vichy RINO sellouts out of their sinecures, then why bother supporting them in the general other than as a generic anti-Obama vote? There’s nothing to vote FOR, so were stuck (as usual) voting against the Dems with whatever clown has an (R) after their name.

    The Stupid Party ran in 2010 on the message, “We know we screwed up. Give us another chance and we’ll fix things.” Once elected, they didn’t even bother to wait for the new session to start before betraying their promises by collaborating with the Dems during the lame duck and smacking Tea Partiers down by placing old school, corrupt, Beltway elites in the seats of power and then rolling over and playing dead for Obama on issue after issue, all while promising that the NEXT TIME they’ll stand firm. We’re still waiting!

    Add in the redistricting maps tailored to throw Tea Partiers out of office, sometimes to the benefit of the Dems and it’s clear the Stupid Party is, as Mark Steyn aptly described, a diseased husk filled with losers cheerfully pulling on the Bob Dole suit and bending over for the Dems.

    We’re screwed.

  • Jeff Cooper

    The GOP has 1st and ten on the Democrat’s 5 yard line. The GOP looks like they can finish off the drive and score but instead elect to punt.

    In a nutshell, that is what the GOP leadership is doing. Why? To what end? Do they think Obama has the American people behind him on this issue? Clearly not after November 2010, so why the retreat? They should be pressing harder on this because Obamacare goes against the very core of liberty in this country by intruding on what should be the private healthcare business as well as restricting the individual liberty of choice. Did I mention the seizure of 1/6th of the nation’s economy?

    Keep pressing GOP. To quote Knute Rockne: “And don’t forget, men — today is the day we’re gonna win. They can’t lick us — and that’s how it goes… The first platoon men — go in there and fight, fight, fight, fight, fight! What do you say, men!”

  • lineholder

    Yeah, the Repubs are failing to read the fact that we the people who support them politically want them to fight and keep fighting. So the response of just giving up is a major fail on their part that will come back to bite them in the backsides in 2012.

    On Obamacare, though, if SCOTUS wanted to take this one on now, wouldn’t they have jumped at the chance when Cucinelli opened the door of opportunity two or three weeks ago? If SCOTUS doesn’t want to touch it, could they drag it out forever and a day trying to avoid it? Rather than have that happen, could it be better to go after the key points of the legislation, like the individual mandate?

    Repubs really stink when it comes to communicating, and I guess I’m just wondering if there could be more to this than we know about at the moment.

  • vidyohs

    It is a simple truth that one can not use government to fix government.

    To try is a silly as trying to fix your broken crescent wrench using only the broken crescent wrench.

    The processes of government are all designed to thwart and prevent such a thing happening.

  • avgjo

    Why aren’t we organizing bus trips up there to get in their faces, like Bachmann orchestrated during the whole Obamacare debacle? Why aren’t we putting our money together to run attack ads in Cantor’s, Boehner’s and idiots like this republican’s districts? Oh, right. That’s what the left does. We don’t – we’re better than them. And yet, THEY’RE winning. Hmmm.

    It is a tenet of classical political philosophy that government in a place is a reflection of the people in that place. (A good example is found in Federalist 51. Also check out the Platonic/Socratic/Voegelinian macroanthropic principle.) With each passing day, I wonder more and more if the GOP being a bunch of wimps is merely a reflection of its constituents. This would make sense – they sure aren’t scared of us. Really, what reason do they have to be?

  • http://www.erickerickson.org Erick Erickson

    As we noted at the time, there was not an exception circumstance for the Supremes to take the case on the fast track and it would have been more surprising had they.

  • dalexgo67

    Regardless of one’s political ideology, facts are stubborn things. Polls reflect a overwhelming number of people were opposed to Ryan’s Medicare and Medicaid approach. It was never going to clear the Senate and the political price for Republicans to carry that banner was going to be electoral suicide.

    As for Healthcare Repeal it was also going nowhere for obvious reasons. If Republicans had followed through on a true replacement they might have been able to pick off a few Democrats in the Senate. Without an alternative they simply lose credibility.

    This is just an acknowledgement of the political landscape and the limitations of having only a house majority. At the current rate of Republican overreach they are on a path to reelect Obama and give the house back to Democrats.

  • Flagstaff

    Whom do we consider to be a hero of World War II–Winston Churchill or Neville Chamberlain? Churchill, of course.

    Yet is seems that our leadership must have a picture of Chamberlain pasted next to the mirror in the House washroom so they can ask it each day if they are any closer to achieving “peace in our time” with the Democrats.

    What did Churchill know that Chamberlain did not? That political reality isn’t the same as real-world reality. When the real world is hitting you in the face with facts, the political “fact” that you can’t get something done in the legislature right NOW does NOT change the real-world situation.

    We are still slipping into stagflation. Recession is returning, perhaps depression. Gary Johnson may not edge Tommy Newsom for the title of Mr. Excitement, but he was dead on about one thing last night: “…we owe 14 trillion dollars and there’s no way we repay that, given the fact that we have 1.65 trillion dollars in deficit spending–this year, last year, the year before, and years to come. So we need to balance the federal budget….” Unless we want to live in Poland, 1960-style.

    If even the colorless ex-Governor of New Mexico can understand that, so can the rest of us. It’s a real-world FACT, and no amount of shmoozing with the Democrats will change it.

    Gentlemen of the House: Do your job or make way for someone who will.

  • http://www.theprecinctproject.wordpress.com ColdWarrior

    The reason “the Republican Party” is not conservative enough for complaining conservatives’ liking is because not enough of those complaining conservatives are “in” the Republican Party.

    Complaining about “the Republican Party” on blogs isn’t going to change the elected Republicans. Mass rallies aren’t going to change them. The ONLY thing that will change each of the elected Republicans in the House and the Senate is a real, credible threat from their constituents that they will face a real, credible primary challenger.

    And the first step in making that happen is getting conservatives in their respective districts/states to step up to the batter’s box INSIDE the Party and become a batter, a ball player, a precinct committeeman.

    Focus on that and we might be able to change them.

    Last night at my county committee meeting I learned that we’ve now gone from having 1,989 precinct committeemen in 2008 (representing 38 per cent of the 6,231 slots then available (there’s roughly one PC for every 125 registered Republicans in a precinct) to now having 48 per cent of our present 6,754, for a total of 3,250 precinct committeemen. That means we’ve got a helluva lot more conservative Republican bodies that will be willing to go door-to-door and make phone calls in the 2012 primary election for a “more conservative” challenger to any of our Republican office holders, state and federal, who will not abide by the Constitution and FIGHT for our individual liberties.

    That’s how to change them.

    Thank you.

    ColdWarrior

  • caboose

    sellout after another with Boehner the weeper, and Eric, the dummy. Remember, when Debbie propagandist Schults, duped the dummy, Eric into trashing a Republican candidate from Ohio, because he wsa re-enacting a scene from world war ll, because he wore a German Uniform. It’s time for us to demand that Boehner and Cantor step down from their positions as leaders of the republican majority in Congress.

  • Flagstaff

    that it came from The Politico, which is the stealthiest of lefty stealth propaganda sites. That could meant that they’ve reported it with the worst spin possible.

    After all his work, would Paul Ryan throw it away that easily? The indirect quote was “it?s now unlikely that any debt deal this summer will include the wholesale Medicare changes that had been envisioned in his ambitious budget plan adopted just last month.” Which is simply true and always has been. Some things are better left unsaid. Maybe he is a “dumb” smart man.

  • lineholder

    Just wanted to make sure that I’m getting the facts straight.

  • mkozikowski

    in the existence and survivability of the TEA party.

    Perhaps we will have to rearrange our leadership one more time.

  • taylerdog23

    haha. I’m kidding! :)

    Excellent comment, IMHO. It’s unfortunate that many of our fellow conservatives are too focused on their own views to the exclusion of all others (and political reality) that we end up with constant circular firing squads when folks don’t get 100% of what they want, RIGHT NOW.

  • 20jan2013
  • Common_Cents

    We have a small beach head established in DC with some new thinkers, but that is not enough. We need to hope they do not get assimilated by the DC machine before we get some more real conservative reinforcements elected to establish more of a critical mass.

    Once we win over the R party(hard part) I think defeating the left will be easier. They fold when confronted and taken head on.

  • gekster

    Tell me where a third party has won anything recently.
    If you don’t like the Republican party as is, then change it from within.
    Third parties will guaranty a liberal victory.
    Check out Cold Warriors Precinct Commityman Priject, and have a real effect at change.
    To me, third partiers are quitters.

  • 20jan2013
  • avgjo

    of what we want. I’m mad because we’re not getting 10% of what we want and we’re not getting that because our elected officials are jokes. And spare me the mealy excuse that we only control 1/6 of the gov. We control the most important 1/6. The purse strings. And what are our brave leaders doing? Nothing. They’re a lot like those parents who b*** and moan about how their kids stay out every night and drink and disrespect them, but refuse to take the brats’ credit cards or car keys. And it doesn’t help that too many on our side are making excuses for them, instead of holding them accountable.

  • gekster

    If your not going willing to work from within, then I don’t think we need you.
    You would do much better at Huffpo.
    They can use squishes like you.

  • aesthete

    that Ryan is backing off says nothing of the kind. Ryan was making the objective statement that under the current President, and with Dem control of the Senate, getting his plan passed isn’t possible ATM. That’s a true statement, and has nothing to do with how much or how little Ryan wishes it were so.

  • acat

    Simply because if any third party gets more than 5% of the vote on an issue, one of the two major parties will adopt the issue, make noises about it, and then .. ignore it.

    The only way to win is to get off the couch, get out from behind the computer screen, and take over the GOP by following ColdWarrior’s advice and participating in the Precinct Project.

    A “third party” would do nothing more than ensure Dems win.

    Mew

  • whiskey_sierra

    You just wait….when whatsoever neocon warmongering RINO who is clueless about economics like former FED RESERVE chairman Herman Cain gets picked as the republican president there will be 4 years of “FIXING HEALTHCARE” over and over again by the big government republicans.

    One big government plan after another, never ever considering that government should get the HELL out of our lives.

    /and you people think Ron Paul supporters are crazy, the republican base who keeps supporting these people in the republican party seem 100 times more nuts to me.

  • kestrel

    This is just more of Politico’s cheap trouble-making. They’re no more worth reading than the NYT. You have to pick out the few concessions that they slip in as feints toward objective reporting. The following one tells me that Boehner and our whole side really do know the score, Boehner speaking:

    ?Let me make this clear. When it comes to increasing the debt limit and the need to have reductions in spending, nothing (Medicare) is off the table except raising taxes.?
    … the speaker said he wanted ?trillions? in savings now before moving a debt ceiling increase?not just the tens of billions that paved the way to keeping the government open in April.

    The GOP knows that the debt ceiling vote is going to be a point of great clarity from which they can’t escape. Many ordinary people may not know or care about CRs or other minutiae, but they know the cut-up-the-credit-card routine from personal experience — and they know that the sky did not fall with the sound of that one plastic snap of the scissors. In other words, their “ignorance” will work in our favor on this issue. They are too wonderfully “dumb” to believe the MSM construct that the world will come to an end if we don’t raise the debt ceiling. Boehner and Cantor know this, so let’s give them some maneuvering room.

  • lawguy9801

    I can’t open the link to the Camp article. Is he saying that repeal is not possible until 2013, seeing as how there’s a Democratic Senate and President? Or is he saying that House Republicans wouldn’t even advocate repealing ObamaCare if we’re victorious in 2012?

  • kestrel

    but Politico is clearly trying to spin it as a rift. What we need is a diary on how to read Politico. For example, “Skip the next five paragraphs when Politico starts holding your hand and guiding you step-by-step, as in, ‘But flashback to late March’ and ‘Now listen to Boehner?s comment’.” Also, never believe anything from Politico without cross-documentation. For example, in this case, where Politico says “both sides have begun seeking common ground on oil subsidies” (Whose blood wouldn’t boil over this?), even the WaPo cites as potential common ground “ending payments to wealthy farmers, limiting lawsuits against doctors, and expanding government auctions of broadcast spectrum to telecommunications companies, among other items.” Chuck Politico.

  • gekster
  • juumanistra

    The money quote from the linked to HuffPo article:
    “Obviously, I voted to repeal the bill and you pretty much know where I am on replacement because I put out a bill last year on that,” Camp said. “Is the repeal dead? I don?t think the Senate is going to do it, so I guess, yes.”

    So, in other news, it’s the nattering nabobs of negativity crying wolf again. One would think, given all of the doomsaying that the drop of a hat, that a little restraint would be had by now in decrying the incompetence/cowardice/betrayal/$_other_upset_of_the_day when it comes to the House GOP.

    Won’t hold my breath waiting for such, though.

  • lawguy9801

    Thanks juumanistra. I think the posters above, and Erick, need to chill down a little bit. We’re all on the same page here, including Camp, Boehner, Cantor et al. No one is a “RINO.”

  • Flagstaff

    I’d hate to think that Ryan would have a spinectomy that quickly after winning his points.

  • aesthete

    that Erick is accepting the Politico spin as gospel truth, when 90% of the article is editorializing and the rest makes clear that Paul still stands behind his plan 110%.

  • Flagstaff

    I heard that someplace. Anyway, The Politico isn’t the only one. They are everywhere, although sometimes unwittingly.

    Chris Wallace of FNC can’t get away from his genes; he loves to attempt “gotcha” questions. Last night: “Senator Santorum, you say that Republicans should refuse to raise the debt limit unless they can Democrats agree to take out all funding for ObamaCare. Is ending, or at least blocking, or defunding, Obama health care reform more important, more important than letting the country, than keeping the country from default…?”

    That is a favorite question format for Wallace and many other interrogators–create a false dichotomy and ask the subject to choose between the false choices. Let’s expose his hidden propositions.

    1. Santorum’s advice would cause the “country” to go into “default” if the Republicans don’t get the Democrats to agree.

    2. Default is the inevitable consequence of failing to raise the debt ceiling.

    3. If the ceiling is not raised, the administration will let our debt default.

    4. If they do that, the public would blame the Republicans.

    5. Keeping ObamaCare is more important than raising the debt ceiling.

    6. The Democrats believe that and they would therefore choose keeping ObamaCare over raising the ceiling.

    7. It’s irresponsible to make the Democrats choose between an un-raised debt ceiling or defunding ObamaCare.

    8. It is petty for Santorum and other Republicans to put their desire to defund ObamaCare ahead of other national priorities.

    9. Default would be catastrophic.

    All of those assertions, or rhetorical propositions, are disguised within Wallace’s question simply by the way he phrased it. And by my count, five of those propositions are factually wrong, one is arguable but evidence indicates it is also wrong (number 9), and the other three call for an opinion about future behavior of Democrats and future public opinion.

    Santorum’s answer was merely OK. He didn’t knock down or even acknowledge any of the unspoken propositions, the worst of which is #2, followed closely by #5 and #9. He just deflected the question.

    He then asked, “Congressman Paul, you routinely vote against raising eh debt limit; would you let the country go into default, which all the experts agree will only make continued borrowing even more expensive for the U.S. government, and you want to cut government spending you say by 50 per cent, eliminating everything from the Federal Reserve to the Department of Homeland Security.”

    Again, the unspoken propostions, “Default is the inevitable consequence of failing to raise the debt ceiling” and “Default would be catastrophic.”

    Congressman Paul addressed assertions #9 and #2, but he still didn’t answer very clearly completely due to his desire to hit the Fed.

    “let?s give them some maneuvering room.”

    I agree 100%. We are far too quick to criticize based on even an assumed slight.

  • lineholder

    It’s often the little subtle messages that are conveyed and implied under the surface that subconsciously have the greatest impact, so bringing those subtle messages to the surface this way usually helps.

  • carolina

    All of the GOP leadership went very public with a unified statement.
    Politico always creates drama that does not exist – because they use gossipy staffers as their sources. Their staff sources are limited within the GOP. They have much better connections with dem staffers. It shows.
    GOSSIP is all politico knows. (for most of their articles)

  • carolina

    All of the GOP leadership went very public with a unified statement.
    Politico always creates drama that does not exist – because they use gossipy staffers as their sources. Their staff sources are limited within the GOP. They have much better connections with dem staffers. It shows.
    GOSSIP is all politico knows. (for most of their articles)

  • http://www.voteforteri2010.com teridavisnewman

    I got beat in November, but not by much. I will fight to repeal Obama care when I win in 2012 and I will either help get it repealed or die heading in that direction. It is the worst piece of legislation by the most corrupt and incompetent White House resident ever. It must be stopped and the Ryan budget must be passed.

  • bk

    Kill it unless the Dems do some serious entitlement reform. Period.

    We’re always going to be dead meat, because the Democrats never propose entitlement reform – they wait for the GOP to do it and then sic all the usual liberal groups on them and the press smells blood in the water.

    Ryan proposed entitlement reform – let the Democrats do it if they don’t like his version. If they want to just keep spending more than we have forever, don’t let them kick the can via a debt limit increase. It’s time to draw a line in the sand.

  • http://www.tooncesthecat.wordpress.com tooncesthecat

    The first clue was the 2011 budget deal. At first, the repub leadership looked smart–offer up short term CR’s for cuts the dems couldn’t oppose. Then, throw red meat to the base by proposing to eliminate funding for Planned “Abortion on Demand” Parenthood, NPR, and Obamacare. It was all a bait-and-switch. In the end the leadership scrubbed the 2010 budget to find as much money that was appropriated but wasn’t spent and settled on that figure as a compromise. Most, but not all new Tea Party members were bamboozled by Boehner into believing he had cut the best deal possible. Republicans are forgetting the first rule of politics: When your opponent is down–kick him. We know the President isn’t serious about the debt and deficit. I don’t think the Republican Congressional leadership is serious either. The dems set a low standard that has to be met in order to keep all of us in line. No–you can’t go third party, that ensures Obama’s re-election. No, you can’t nominate Palin, Paul, or Bachmann; they are guaranteed to lose because the Republican establishment will punk them . What’s a cat to do?

  • djvu

    As an American resident in France, how can I arrange to vote for you. And when you are elected can you donate some of your back bone to the majority house leader?
    Robert Palmer Smith

  • ffc99

    a little over 200,000 ballots cast in the IL 12th District house race last fall, and you lost to Jerry Costello by 47,000 votes (60% to 37%)! On what planet would you call that losing “not by much”.

  • politicalqrm

    yet with all the countless tea party rallies, conservative bloggers, comments by conservatives and just people who are completely fed up with the system, these jerks in Congress are still acting the same.

    Part of the reason is that once you get down to D.C., the atmosphere is so different than a corp or your state govt. I’ve been in govt down there and it is very easy to get your head turned by the glitter and privilege that comes withe the office. This is not an excuse for their boorish behavior, but an explanation.

    However, someone who has enough backbone, ethical sense and just common sense should have the will to turn away from all that. Again, they’ve forgotten who they are really working for.

    Perhaps in some Congressional seats, the person that was put in there was not a person with backbone. Therefore, they should be replaced.

    Okay, then, the war hasn’t been lost. We just have to change battle tactics.

  • annas

    There has been NO mention of repeal of Obamacare for weeks now. Rasmussen says the “folks” are less for repeal now than ever! Why? Because the Republicans are NOT keeping the issue front and center! All the Republicans are out there congratulating Obama on capitalizing on Bush policies! His handling of this bin Laden situation looks like Keystone Cops and everyone is lauding him. His poll numbers are getting better and better as the MSM and now the Republicans are in adulation! Ryan came out with a plan, at least, and now Boehner is saying oh we can’t get it passed so we better compromise. I am sick of compromise! I will work my fingers to the bone getting rid of this old guard bunch in the coming primaries. Sorry for the rant, but I am so disgusted with this Republican Party! They sent me a request for donation today and I am sure they will be sorry as I sent that “strong letter to follow.”

  • pnm4

    These clown politicians of both parties are setting up this country for the Second Civil War. They are so incompetent, and any suitable replacements are so scarce, if they exist at all, it would seem the only way to be heard around here and reintroduce some sanity to government would be to pull a “Middle East”. Off with ALL their @#$% heads!

  • pompey

    ……are you finally ready for the TEA party to become a legitimate third party…..how much more do RINO’s have to do to convince you….hum?

  • Bill S

    And just FYI, shilling for a 3rd party is a violation of Rule 6.

    http://www.redstate.com/posting-rules/

  • concap

    Democratic Presidents that lowered spending to GDP, compared to only two Republicans, neither of which were Reagan.

    Nixon was the last president fielded by the Republican Party, who actually lowered Government spending in relationship to GDP.
    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_debt_by_U.S._presidential_terms

    National Debt Increases for 53rd Straight Fiscal Year; Jumped $1.65 Trillion in FY 2010
    http://www.cnsnews.com/news/article/national-debt-increases-53rd-straight-fi

    I think this is the true reason the Tea Party Movement has formed. The Republican Party has not represented it?s small government constituents like they claim they do.

    With the voting power, the Republican Party currently holds over the Tea Party movement, do you ever see the hard core fiscal conservative this nation so desperately needs, ever getting the nomination for President?

    Or will it always be someone like Bush, McCain or Huckabee, and other hiders waving the fiscal flag just to get elected?

    Will the Tea Party splif off? NO

    A third party is inadvertently being formed by Republicans that refuse to advacat their social concerns on the state level and move to the fiscal right on a federal level with the RepublicanTea Party.

    They will be forced to merge with Moderate Democratic Conservatives being forced to move to the right by the radical left insuring a social leaning Republican Party.

    I think it will end up something like this.

    Tea Party (fiscal) Republicans

    Social (both Republican & Democrats) Republicans

    The new third party radical far left
    The Progressives.

    In the end, do to the combined size of the Social Republican Party,
    the third party, the Progressives will be left powerless and then we will be back to two parties again.