Republicans May Need To Shut Down The Government Just To “Get It Out Of Their System”

Getting something out of your system is never a sign of maturity.  It can be a step towards maturity if the person survives the procedure, but it’s rarely good in itself.  We associate getting things out of your system to such things as youthful experimentation, sowing wild oats, drugs, alcohol, sex and obsessions.

Know who else we say needs to get things out of their system?  Toddlers having temper tantrums.

Which brings me to this quote:

GOP officials said more than half of their members are prepared to allow default unless Obama agrees to dramatic cuts he has repeatedly said he opposes. Many more members, including some party leaders, are prepared to shut down the government to make their point. House Speaker John Boehner “may need a shutdown just to get it out of their system,” said a top GOP leadership adviser. “We might need to do that for member-management purposes — so they have an endgame and can show their constituents they’re fighting.” [emphasis mine]

[…]

Starting Monday, Boehner will huddle with his leadership team to discuss his preliminary thinking on a spending strategy. A source who attended meetings to prepare for those private talks said GOP leaders are authentically at a loss on how to control members who don’t respond to the normal incentives of wanting to help party leaders or of avoiding situations — like default — that could be public relations nightmares.

So how do you think that huddle is going to work out?  What exactly will John Boehner, worst Speaker in history, do?  Why he’s going to hold a class (“walk members through”) on default.  Don’t get me wrong, the majority of Republicans need this class.  They also need a sex ed class and one on Climate Change.

Boehner’s own staff has warned conservative lawmakers that deficits will soar, as interest rates rise, the markets will tumble and the economy will face catastrophe if they truly follow through on default. They will walk members through a presentation on this scenario this week, and the hope is conservatives will conclude it would be economic and political suicide to go all in.

“I think it is possible that we would shut down the government to make sure President Obama understands that we’re serious,” House Republican Conference Chairwoman Cathy McMorris Rodgers of Washington state told us. “We always talk about whether or not we’re going to kick the can down the road. I think the mood is that we’ve come to the end of the road.”

“For too long, the pitch was, we’ll deal with it next time,” said Rep. Jason Chaffetz, a conservative from Utah. He said GOP lawmakers are prepared to shut things down or even default if Obama doesn’t bend on spending. “No one wants to default, but we are not going to continue to give the president a limitless credit card.”

That will be a tough sell, says Chris Chocola, president of the conservative Club for Growth. “What’s more irresponsible: continuing on this path to fiscal ruin, or changing the path?” he said. “There is a high level of frustration, and a willingness to do something dramatic. They think this is the only way to get Obama’s attention.”

[emphasis ALL mine]

So… Republicans are prepared to burn down the economy just to get Daddy’s attention?  Sure sounds that way.