GOP Congressman Raúl Labrador demonstrates what paranoid self-destruction sounds like
Now that the shutdown is over, those of us in the Vast Left Wing Conspiracy can finally admit the truth: The last few weeks have been nothing but a trap for Republicans, a trap cleverly set by President Obama when he made the sneaky demand that they "reopen government" and stop threatening to force "a catastrophic default."
Eventually, they figured out the truth and escaped his wily snare, but as Karl Rove wrote yesterday, for more than two weeks Republicans could not escape the fire of eternal damnation fueled by his devilish plan.
But even though that's all behind us, today we're learning that some Republicans are still caught up in President Obama's tangled web of deceit. Case in point:
Mr. Obama laid out three areas in which to seek agreement with Republicans — a longer-term spending deal, an immigration overhaul and a farm bill. “I understand we will not suddenly agree on everything now that the cloud of crisis has passed,” he said. “But,” he added, “that should not hold back our efforts in areas where we do agree.”
Yet there was a lot of ill will among Republicans, who were angry at Mr. Obama for his refusal to bend or angry at one another for a failed strategy or both. Representative Raúl R. Labrador of Idaho told a Heritage Foundation forum on Wednesday that “it would be crazy” for House Republicans now to negotiate with the president on immigration, because “he’s trying to destroy the Republican Party.”
So, according to Labrador, it would be insane for Republicans to work with President Obama on immigration because Obama is trying to destroy the GOP. Sure, supporting immigration reform is obviously in the GOP's long-term political interests (not to mention the right thing to do from a moral perspective), but Obama is trying to destroy the GOP, so therefore the GOP shouldn't work with him, even though refusing to work with him will hurt them politically, and even though Labrador himself says he believes immigration reform is both necessary and the right thing to do.
All sarcasm aside, Labrador's position is completely nuts. Obama isn't trying to destroy the GOP. Time and time again, he's offered them a way out of their mess. Time and time again, they've refused to accept his offers. And time and time again, they've proved they don't need any help destroying the GOP brand: They're doing a pretty good job of it all by themselves.
Please tell your Congressmember to bring immigration reform to the House floor