RINO Blasty

Speaker of the House John Boehner blasted conservative groups who criticized the latest budget deal.  Or, as Congressman Paul Ryan characterized the situation, Boehner "got his Irish up."

Begorrah!

But let's review.  Why is John Boehner the Speaker of the House today?  Might have something to do with the conservatives and the Tea Partiers getting out the vote in 2010.  Without those conservatives and Tea Partiers, the Republican Party would be the minority party in the House and Mr. Boehner would be just another Republican congresscritter, one of many whom the media make a policy to ignore.  The only reason people pay any attention to what he says is because he was propelled into his modest rendezvous with destiny by the very people he just slammed and ridiculed.


So it probably wasn't, you know, smart to piss off the folks who voted for his party and send them money.  But it did look like Boehner was enjoying himself, didn't it?  Like maybe he has been bottling up those emotions for a while.

And why shouldn't he enjoy himself?  Sincerity can be refreshing, and Republicans are never more sincere than when they are attacking their own base.

Ever see a Democrat do that?  Bite the hand that feeds Democrats, that is?  No.  They know better.  But on the other hand, Democrats don't face the structural problems suffered by Republicans.

What do I mean by 'structural problems'?  I mean cognitive dissonance is actually built right into the Republican Party.   It should drive Republicans crazy.  Judging by Mr. Boehner's remarks, it already has.

The dissonance exists because the Republican Party is:

• a political party whose interests are served by the things that always serve politicians, namely, power and spending.
• supported by people who are philosophically opposed to sending more money and power to the government.

This is what is known as an untenable position.

Democrats don't have this problem.  Their politicians shamelessly grub for more money and power like pigs in slop, and the more they can slurp down, the better their base likes it.  The Democratic Party is the political party for whom more power and spending is not just the practical goal, but the philosophical goal as well.

Republicans are like pigs who represent the anti-slop contingent.  "This slop must stop!" they tell their supporters.  "Elect me and we'll make the sty safe for clean pigs!"  Only that's not what they do.  They snarf down the slop, same as the Democrats, and enjoy it just as much.  But that gives them some 'splainin to do when their supporters want to know, when are you going to get busy cleaning this place up?  Why are you acting just like these Democratic pigs?  Well, you see, this is a political process, and sometimes you have to compromise and make concessions, we're for realistic change,  and... and... It's times like this that probably do drive the Republican pigs mad.

So the head Republican oinker just got tired of the pretense, for only a moment. Shut up!  Dammit!  I love slop!  I love it, do you hear?  I love it!  Go pound sand!  Let me wallow in peace!

Michael Kinsley has a phrase for what Boehner did:  he committed a Washington gaffe.  That's an accidental telling of the truth.

Republicans spend most of their time only pretending to agree with their base. And every once in a while, they grow too weary of the pretense to control themselves. Mr. Boehner did the other day. He’s not the first. Think back at the times when GOP power-holders chewed out the conservative rank and file. E.g., Bush over Harriet Miers and immigration, McCain over a range of issues, the first Bush when he broke his promise and raised taxes.

Lord Acton is the patron saint of politics.  "Power corrupts."  And filth has an advantage.  You can ruin a gallon of ice cream with one tablespoon of pig poop, but you can't make a pig sty taste good by adding a scoop of ice cream.  Advantage:  oinkers.