Lawmakers Head Warily for Home

This editorial in today's New York Times is worth a read:

A critical issue for Republicans is how far they will go in sidling up to the Tea Party and its more extremist protestors. In a regrettable moment last weekend, Republican lawmakers proudly took to a House balcony to fan the anger of a throng, some of whom spit on Democratic members and shouted racist and homophobic jeers. “If Brown can’t stop it, a Browning can!” was one of the crowd’s more ominous signs, referring to Senator Scott Brown of Massachusetts.

...“Let’s start getting Nancy ready for the firing line this weekend,” Michael Steele, the Republican National Committee chairman, declared before the debate. Harmless rhetoric from Republicans in their relentless demonization of Speaker Nancy Pelosi? Who can say?

Representative John Boehner, the House minority leader, pronounced one Democrat a “dead man” for supporting reform, later explaining that he meant that politically. Mr. Boehner had talked of “Armageddon” stalking the nation because of the Democrats.