After the devastating failure of their attempt to humiliate Barack Obama
legislatively in the health reform bill, Republicans will surely try again, this
time in the congressional ratification of the latest Strategic Arms Treaty
signed by the USA and the Russian Federation.

For the Republicans, the merits of the treaty are irrelevant, this will be
strictly about getting revenge for their own rout at the hands of the Democrats.
And this time, it may be easier, since ratification is by two-thirds vote, more
than the 60% needed to invoke cloture. The Dems will vote as their conscience,
constituency, or their political debts and favors require. But we can count
on the Reps voting as a bloc under the guidance of their party leadership, just
as they did on health care. Those who may happen to agree with the President,
or who's own home districts prefer the treaty, will nonetheless be instructed to
toe the party line on pain of ostracism and withdrawal of all party support in
future elections.

I'm sticking my neck out on this prediction, but I think that's what things have
gotten to. The plan is to obstruct the President regardless of the merits of
the issue, on every issue, every appointment, merely to derail his Presidency. After all, bigger issues are at stake here than national health policy or nuclear conflict: taxes might go up.

The Republican press and chattering classes, not to mention the teabaggers and their ilk, will, of course, respond as their puppet masters instruct them to, and if the national debate is anywhere near as widespread and divisive as it was over health care reform, the events of the 1964 John Frankenheimer/Rod Serling film may not seem all that unrealistic after all.

I just can't see Newt Gingrich in the Burt Lancaster role.