GOP unveils "Look as out of touch as possible" strategy for 2010 & beyond

As the economy continues its spiral of doom following two of the biggest electoral thrashings in recent memory, last night's failed auto bailout begs the question: just what, exactly, are they thinking? 

From NYT today: 

“It sounds like the U.A.W. blew it up,” said Senator David Vitter, Republican of Louisiana.

Senator Richard C. Shelby of Alabama, the senior Republican on the banking committee and a leading critic of the auto bailout proposal, said: “We’re hoping that the Democrats will continue to negotiate but I think we have reached a point that labor has got to give. If they want a bill they can get one.”

This would be hilarious if it weren't so dangerous and infuriating--on the one hand you have smug ultimatum-like statements from a minority party that clearly doesn't get why it lost last month. On the other, you have the realization that one of our two parties is willing to risk not only the Big 3 auto jobs themselves, but hundreds of thousands of jobs across the country that depend on the auto industry. Why? By the looks of what Vitter and Shelby had to say, because they have an ideological point to prove regarding the UAW and labor unions in general--domino effects be-damned. After all, the fundamentals of our economy are strong enough that the market will sort things out, and they won't have that pesky UAW to worry about. Core principles, anyone?

As much as it pains me to think of handing out even more billions to incompetent businesses, we're now in a situation where I don't think we have a choice. Sure, there's a good chance these guys will come back for more money in March, and there's a good chance they'll end up failing anyway. But this is not the time to subject one of our largest employers to an economic experiment.