[Cboldt]

... many of the weak Conservatives are threatening to throw in the towel, playing right into the Democrat strategy.

I thnk the threat has more than one facet. Expressing a wish that the politicos legislate from conservative principles sometimes encourages them to legislate from conservative principles.

[Consort]

Throwing in the towel, or merely threatening to do so, encourages the opposition to step up their efforts. The lack of backbone and solidarity never works.