There’s a nice piece from Michael Tomasky over at the Daily Beast about the Republican House of Representatives’ intransigence regarding the payroll tax holiday extension, its contact with the oxygen of reality, and potential net positive impact for President Obama. The money quote:

“If you resisted the belief that the Tea Partiers are living in their own desiccated cocoons, I don’t see how you can deny it now. They’re like the proverbial alcoholic who wants to get caught — the constant pressure of pretending to be interested in legislating had led to the point where they simply couldn’t live the lie any longer.”

This strikes at the heart of what is most deplorable about current Republican orthodoxy. It’s not (merely) the repugnant and/or outdated views on various social issues, and the cynical manipulation of emotive “values voters” regarding the same, that are such a turnoff to independent-minded and politically homeless voters. It’s the fact that Speaker of the House John Boehner is so completely the bitch of the lesser portion and minds of his caucus, and that his party is so cavalier — and indeed, proud — of holding hostage the well-being and economic recovery of the country solely in an attempt to wrest back control of the White House. There was a (perhaps naive, it turns out) hope and belief that in 2008, after eight ruinous years of George W. Bush, the Republican party might attempt to go away and focus on ideas, and practical governance. Instead, they have embarked, from the bottom up, on a path of obstruction for obstruction’s sake. Reasonableness is out the window, and the word “compromise” might as well be a four-letter epithet; it’s disgusting and dispiriting to behold.