The colossal collapse of the Conservative movement, never mind the whole Republican party, was exemplfied today by the decision by Senator Jim DeMint (R-S.C.) to give up perhaps the most secure seat in the U.S. Senate to run the Heritage Foundation. Talk about the egg shell smashing into a million little pieces. This guy not only made the Tea Party respectable (you'll be excused if you can't remember that there was something called the Tea Party,) but he's been doling out money to like-minded conservatives all over the country in an effort to build a stronger Tea Party base on Capitol Hill.
There's only one problem. Actually, there are three problems. See below the fold.
Problem No. 1. The Republicans might have seized control of the Senate in 2010 had some of the candidates who ran on DeMint's money (Sharron Angle, Ken Buck) not been so incredibly stupid that they turned what were otherwise tight races into Democratic romps.
Problem No. 2. DeMint's entire legislative career has been focused on trying to make sure that federal laws don't in any way infringe on states' rights, including the right to display religious symbols in public schools and making English the official language. It goes without saying (but we'll say it anyway) that he's opposed to any increase in taxes, which isn't exactly where the current Republican leadership seems to be headed, if they even know where they're headed.
Problem No. 3. There's a guy out there from Kenya, name of Obama, who's really dusted the so-called Conservative movement this time around, and nobody's really sure where or when the dust-up is going to stop. What are the Conservatives going to do with a country that's no longer center-right? Get outta town before it lurches even further to the left?