[glennaro]

This "pragmatic" theory fails to take into account the losses Republicans will suffer from conservatives for failing to support conservative principles (to "get along", of course).

I don't see that expanding the debt without real corresponding entitlement cuts is the path to victory in 2012.

[redangus]

The tea party is the only reason this stuff is even being talked about, that’s the good thing. Hopefully those people who supported the TP understand they make up a large minority of the majority in one house of the Congress and don’t own the WH. I think Allen West gets that, but people here are already calling him a sell out. My point is we need more people to get things done, so lets get what we can now, get the Senate and WH back in 2012 and then start cracking heads.