Incredible.
Earlier this morning I heard a former Mitch McConnell aide say on MSNBC that it is now up to Democrats to effect health-care reform; that it's up to the minority, out-of-power party to govern, since the majority, in-power party cannot. The former aide actually said the former and he implied the latter, in all seriousness.
For years Republicans shrieked: Give us total control and wonders we'll perform. Voters did — which was a wonder itself — and Republican incompetence promptly became the Eighth Wonder of the World.
That Democrats should feign helpfulness is politically unquestionable. They should go through the motions of bipartisan comity, they should be the very model of a modern major generality. But to rescue Republicans from their self-inflicted stupidity would be the most egregious form of malpracticed politics ever.
What Democrats could do (assuming Republicans are even looking for bipartisan salvation) is to shore up the Affordable Care Act in policy-wise ways. Voters would be pleased. But President Obama's legacy would then be converted by Republicans into Trumpcare; both Republicans and Trump would get the political credit — and the abomination of Republican control would go on.
Years more of GOP Hellishness would be Democrats' payback, as well as the enduring curse on the republic.
No, a sharp, decisive and brutal stake must be driven into the dark heart of modern Republicanism — via no real Democratic cooperation. After 40 years of pseudoconservative torture, a couple more painful years is a minor price to pay. Republicans wanted total control of health care, budgets, debt ceilings and the like. They got it. They own it. They own it all. Now let 'em drown in their own incompetence. That, they earned.
Democrats would be insane to fish them out of their troubles, and thereby ensure yet more Republican torture of the republic.