If the Republicans are going to keep wooing crazies to their party, then they need to learn how to control the crazies once they're in office. Washington Post:
The undoing of what many on both sides of the aisle thought was a deal on Saturday is a reflection of the continued difficulty Boehner has had in managing his cantankerous caucus.
Repeatedly, over the past year, he has allowed some of the most conservative members, particularly an influential group of freshmen, to call the shots at crucial moments.
This time, Boehner and his leadership team may have allowed the House Republicans to place their party in real political peril with no obvious exit strategy.
Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) left a meeting with House leaders on Friday believing that Boehner and his top deputy, House Majority Leader Eric I. Cantor (R-Va.), would find the votes to approve a two-month extension of the tax holiday. Both Boehner and Cantor have since disavowed giving McConnell the go-ahead to make the deal, and McConnell has issued a statement supporting Boehner’s position.
Regardless of what exactly was said, McConnell, a 27-year veteran of the Senate, has a reputation as a master negotiator, known for playing hardball and then cutting the best deal possible; he has no history of communication errors.
