Tea Partiers In House Bite Nose To Spite Face

by Stuart Shapiro

Dave-Dr-Gonzo posted about the GOP failure to pass a farm bill in the House.  The bill represents the split in the House between the true believers in the Tea Party and the GOP establishment.  Jonathan Chait describes how this was a lost opportunity  for the true believers.

The failure of the House farm bill is actually yet another self-defeating rebellion from the right. The ultraconservatives could have formed a coalition with liberals who like food stamps to cut agri-socialism. Or they could have formed a coalition with Republicans who like agri-socialism but hate food stamps. Instead, they decided neither one cuts enough money and sunk the bill altogether. It’s actually tragic that there’s finally a large block of Republicans willing to slash the worst domestic program in government, but they’re too crazy and hateful to actually get it done.

Ideologues do this all the time, putting belief ahead of compromise.  One can see it as an admirable trait (if you happen to agree with the ideology).  However, politically it is suicidal.

By: Stuart Shapiro

Stuart is a professor and the Director of the Public Policy
program at the Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy at Rutgers
University. He teaches economics and cost-benefit analysis and studies
regulation in the United States at both the federal and state levels.
Prior to coming to Rutgers, Stuart worked for five years at the Office
of Management and Budget in Washington under Presidents Clinton and
George W. Bush.