In 2004, the Republicans were riding high. They had the White House and both houses of Congress. Their ineffectivity and corruption finally wore down the electorate, though, and the Democrats took the House and Senate in 2006. In 2008, they increased their margins in Congress (admittedly by running conservative Dems in conservative states) and took the White House. Their inability to quickly fix the jobs situation resulted in a voter backlash in 2010 that gave the Republicans back the House, with a "mandate" to fix the jobs situation and balance the budget.

Instead, the Republicans seem insistent on legislating their conservative social ideology, and cutting wildly popular programs rather than raise taxes on the rich, or restore tax rates to Reagan-era levels. The backlash against their plans has been loud and obvious, but rather than reflect and moderate their approach, they are doubling down on it. It seems both quixotic and suicidal.

The most current fight is over the federal debt limit. If we don't increase it and have to run over that limit, our economy is toast. This is one of those practical matters that the Republicans are trying to turn into a symbolic stand for fiscal responsibility. The reality is that the fiscally responsible thing is to ensure you can keep the lights on to fight another day.

Instead, Republicans are trying to force cuts to Medicare as a pre-requisite to increasing the limit. Why Republicans hate medical care, I don't know. They were against the Health Care Reform Act, and they're against Medicare. Perhaps they all secretly work for the insurance companies. Carl Bernstein (of Watergate fame) refers to this as a "fake, manufactured controversy". Even House Speaker Boehner (R-OH) realizes the consequences (and is likely concerned for his "leadership" position) and is calling for a deal by the end of June. That will make him a pariah in the eyes of the crazy Tea Party voters that pushed his party into power and him into the Speaker chair.

The whole "kill Medicare" aspect to the Republican (ie: Paul Ryan) budget plan has helped boost Democrats chances of winning seats back next year. Even Tea Party idol Donald Trump is calling the budget a "death wish". Considering he was willing to go after Birther cred, it's pretty telling that even HE sees this plan as the killer that it is.

Eric Cantor is another one that is either stupid or suicidal (at least for his party). Along with supporting the wildly unpopular Ryan budget, he recently said that aid to the tornado victims in Joplin, MO would be withheld until spending cuts were made. That's about as heartless a bastard as there is. And yet his response to Democrats calling the Republicans on their shit? boo-hoo - quit being mean.

We won't even delve into the 2012 presidential contenders - it's already a complete circus (according to a former McCain strategist).

I'm sure there are some reasonable intelligent and thoughtful Republicans out there that are aghast at what their party has become. Where are their voices? They are getting censored by their own party and/or resigning in disgust. This does not bode well for the Republicans. They are in a death spiral of ever-increasing intractable stubborness. I'm reminded of a group of drunken rednecks that keep pushing each other into dares that get more and more absurd and dangerous until one of them ends up on the Darwin Awards. Will the Republican party be there next?