So I guess the scenario outlined isn't impossible. There'd be some satisfaction if it turns out that the law of unintended consequences bites the far right on the butt for their fanatic opposition to reform. Nobody really wanted to use reconciliation because it lacks illusory warm-and-fuzzy glow of bipartisanship, but now they just might have to because of the breakdown in bipartisanship. I can live with poetic justice.

Speaking of both surreal and fanatic opposition (or maybe I mean an opposition that is both fanatic and surreal), a tangible measure of the success of the teabagger campaign to poison the political system with fear and irrationality is this result from the poll in the article: "41 percent said they weren't sure why they opposed it" ("it" being health care reform). No particular reason, I guess, the important thing is just to screech "no!" just as loudly and as often as you can.

Frankly, I don't feel at all apologetic for noting that, for the Democrats, losing to teabaggers is pretty much like losing in the Special Olympics. I'm scratching my head wondering just how in the hell they pulled that one off. It might help if somebody gave Minority Leader Reid a lesson in math.