What A Mess (With Updates)

Boehner really stuck his foot in it this time:

Democrats are calling it a game-changer that might just save their butts in November. Republicans are shouting loudly from the rooftops they want the Bush-era tax cuts to be made permanent and that they think that means they will win this fall.

Whichever happens on Nov. 2, it all started with Minority Leader John Boehner's surprise embrace for President Obama's tax-cut plan. Boehner said if it was the only option presented to his party, he'd support Speaker Nancy Pelosi and her Democrats in voting for an extension of the tax cuts for the middle class only.

Republicans are being very coy about blasting Boehner (R-OH) openly just as the Democrats are reminding the nation that he wants to be speaker of the House should the GOP win back control. But reading between the lines of their actions, it's pretty clear that few of his colleagues agree with Boehner. Could it spell trouble for the GOP?

Ironically, I think Boehner is on the right track here. After all, if the Dems propose a middle class tax cut, would the GOP really be stupid enough to oppose it simply because rich people don't get one as well? That would be political suicide.

The Democrats are in a great position on this because they don't have to raise taxes on anyone. The Bush tax cuts expire, so no Democrat would actually have to cast a vote raising anyone's taxes. Plus, recent polling is firmly on the Dems' side on this particular issue.

The time has come for the Democratic Party to really start pushing back hard. Pre-election gifts like this one don't come around very often.

UPDATE: And speaking of political suicide:

Conservative activist Christine O'Donnell has earned a stunning victory in Delaware's Republican Senate primary.

O'Donnell's shocking win over longtime Congressman Mike Castle gives new energy to the tea party movement, which targeted Castle after victories by Republican tea party candidates in the Alaska and Nevada Senate primaries.

With 78 percent of precincts reporting, O'Donnell had 54 percent to 46 percent for Castle, a former two-term governor and the longest serving congressman in Delaware history.

While attracting enough GOP conservatives to defeat Castle, a leader of Republican moderates in Congress, O'Donnell will have a hard time defeating Democrat Chris Coons in November for the Senate seat vacated by Joe Biden after he was elected vice president.

Republican officials said privately before Tuesday's primary that they intended to write off the seat if O'Donnell was victorious against Castle. * * *

UPDATE II: This tweet from Tom Jensen of Public Policy Polling -- reflecting the result of a poll PPP will be releasing today -- shows why the Republican Party Establishment has given up on Tea-Bagger O'Donnell:

"Castle primary voters supports Coons over O'Donnell 44-28 in general election."

I watched Fox News this morning -- as I always do when things go horribly wrong for the Republicans -- and Karl Rove was furious that O'Donnell won in Delaware. It was freaking hilarious.