GOPe fears Ted Cruz and Rand Paul more than they fear OPapaDoc. GOPe has more in common with OPapaDoc than it does with Ted Cruz and Rand Paul. GOPe has no interest in killing OPapaCare because it represents another big government program that can be managed and used as a vehicle for collecting money from all the special interests that will be regulated by it. That is the simple, unvarnished truth.
Typical story: a relatively young, enthusiastic neophyte Republican (let's call her: Elly Kayotte) defeats her primary opponent by successfully running as a conservative-minded reformer who would "shake things up" in Washington. The money starts flowing in, as conservative activists start manning the phone banks and knocking on doors on her behalf. And she wins.
Woo-hoo. Once in office and comfortable ensconced in her new digs, the new junior Senator starts to develop... a strange new respect for the party's old-line, long-time leadership, especially after getting that committee assignment she's always dreamed of. Suddenly the fiery "reformer" takes to
penning op-eds along with the senior senator from the other party about how she just wants to "work together" to "get things done".
Sound familiar? Eventually, every Republican who becomes intoxicated by power does the same damn thing. Every. Damn. Time.
Of course, she still
pretends to support entitlement reform and deficit reduction, just like her new pals. But they'll never vote for either, when it actually counts. Why? Because there's no organized constituency for smaller government (other than the Tea Party, which is not a party but a movement).
But there are lots and lots of powerful little constituencies militating always for increased spending and more centralized power with which to dole out favors - to them.
And those that truly oppose such corruption and misuse of government power are not lauded so much as attacked for being "zealots" and "radicals". The system has to be changed from the inside, you see, and it must be done through negotiation and coalition-building.
How's
that worked out for the GOP?
Oh, don't misunderstand: it's been
great for the political class.
They're having a party. Everybody's swinging. Dancin' to the music, on the stereo. For the rest of us taxpaying suckers.... we're not dancin' to that tune. Not any more.