Republicans "are in something of a death spiral"

By GottaLaff

Paddy posted about this earlier. Now we have reaction:

Marc Ambinder reports House Republicans "are reacting strongly to reports that the White House plans a political onslaught to pressure Republicans into supporting the stimulus package and to punish those who don't."

To that end, House Republican Whip Eric Cantor (R-VA) "will soon issue a statement contending that Obama's promise to 'put an end to petty politics' is 'threatened' as the White House and their allies 'are making political threats rather than crafting a bipartisan economic stimulus plan.'"

Pot. Kettle. You know the rest. Republicans are terrified that President Obama will succeed, and that is the last thing they want.

Meanwhile, Nate Silver observes that the Republicans "are in something of a death spiral. The more conservative, partisan, and strident their message becomes, the more they alienate non-base Republicans. But the more they alienate non-base Republicans, the fewer of them are left to worry about appeasing. Thus, their message becomes continually more appealing to the base -- but more conservative, partisan, and strident to the rest of us. And the process loops back upon itself."

Eric Cantor, are you listening? Of course not. What was I thinking?