There are few things the right hates more than Obamacare, but losing is one of them. And losing in an epic struggle over Obamacare is worst of all. So as news trickled in, hinting that the dual crises of the debt ceiling and the government shutdown were going to be resolved, with Republicans on the losing side of each, the right responded just as one would expect — with sorrow and anger.
When it comes to anger, few do it better than Erick Erickson. After the news broke that the House GOP would not even vote on its proposed response to the Senate's deal, Erickson let fly a tweet that no doubt sent a chill down many a Republican politician's spine:
Tea party mood rapidly shifting. Giving up on Congress. Gearing up for a bloody primary season.
— Erick Erickson (@EWErickson) October 15, 2013
And writing at RedState, Erickson was no less prepared to throw the bums out, even vowing to give money to two PACs devoted to directing primaries against insufficiently conservative Republicans:
You will see no defunding of Obamacare because Republicans are giving up.
You will see no delaying of the individual mandate, even though the Obama Administration cannot fix the website. Republicans have given up this.
You will not even see Republicans hold the line on ensuring Obamacare go into effect as designed by forcing the end to all exceptions, exemptions, and delays granted by the President without congressional consent.
No, the GOP intends to fully fund Obamacare and let Barack Obama have all the power to exempt his friends and delay portions for patrons of his campaign.
So I intend to fully fund Heritage Action for America and the Senate Conservatives Fund. The latest Pew poll shows that more Americans want their own member of Congress thrown out of office than at any time in recent memory.
Elsewhere on the right, Amanda Carpenter, the senior communications adviser and speechwriter for Ted Cruz, was no less angry and downtrodden:
DC establishment is ready to walk away from the fight to defund Obamacare, just as liberals are clamoring for a delay.
— Amanda Carpenter (@amandacarpenter) October 16, 2013
Incredible--John Stewart, Alan Colmes, Robert Gibbs, and Joe Manchin make a more aggressive case against Obamacare than most DC Republicans.
— Amanda Carpenter (@amandacarpenter) October 16, 2013
And over at the Federalist, another right-wing website, Sean Davis wrote a long post explaining why it was time for John Boehner to resign his speakership. He concluded:
Boehner’s constant negotiating foibles have eliminated his ability to be an effective negotiating partner with Obama and Reid. He lacks the trust of his caucus, he and his leadership team of Cantor and McCarthy are incapable of counting votes, and Obama and Reid don’t respect him as a negotiating partner.
As a result, he and his top leadership team of Eric Cantor and Kevin McCarthy should resign and make room for a fresh group of leaders who have the trust of their members and the credibility to go toe-to-toe with Obama and Reid leading up to the 2014 elections.
The big takeaway from the right's response thus far? If you're a Republican politician, watch out, because when primary time comes, there will be blood, and Erick Erickson and company are ready and waiting to prove it.
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