Ceterum censeo GOP esse delendam

David Brooks, the man who (uh, more or less) admits to covering for John McCain these past ten long years, is officially off the bus with regard to the bleeding edge (circa 1984) economic and geopolitical thinking of the current GOP:

It has been interesting to watch them on their single-minded mission to destroy the Republican Party. Not long ago, they led an anti-immigration crusade that drove away Hispanic support. Then, too, they listened to the loudest and angriest voices in their party, oblivious to the complicated anxieties that lurk in most American minds.

Now they have once again confused talk radio with reality. If this economy slides, they will go down in history as the Smoot-Hawleys of the 21st century. With this vote, they’ve taken responsibility for this economy, and they will be held accountable. The short-term blows will fall on John McCain, the long-term stress on the existence of the G.O.P. as we know it.

I’ve spoken with several House Republicans over the past few days and most admirably believe in free-market principles. What’s sad is that they still think it’s 1984. They still think the biggest threat comes from socialism and Walter Mondale liberalism. They seem not to have noticed how global capital flows have transformed our political economy.

Every now and then, even a blind pig finds a nut. He then applies lipstick with it. Badly:

What we need in this situation is authority. Not heavy-handed government regulation, but the steady and powerful hand of some public institutions that can guard against the corrupting influences of sloppy money and then prevent destructive contagions when the credit dries up.

Er, okay, David. We'll have some non-regulating regulations out for you by lunch. Nice talking to you.

The real conclusion is reached by Brad DeLong:

This Republican Party needs to be burned, razed to the ground, and the furrows sown with salt...

Yep. Methinks this is the end of the beginning of the end of the current political structure. Whether or not the GOP will be a part of what follows depends heavily on the next few weeks and months.

Why the bile? Why especially now? Perhaps this has something to do with it:

[NBC's Andrea Mitchell reported that] leading Republicans who are close to [Newt Gingrich said] he was whipping against this up until the last minute when he issued that face-saving statement [claiming he was in favor of the bailout bill]. Newt Gingrich was telling people in the strongest possible language that this was a terrible deal, not only that it was a terrible deal, that it was a disaster, it was the end of democracy as we know it, it was socialism. And then at the last minute comes out with a statement when the vote is already in place.

[...]

NBC’s Mike Barnicle said he had been told by congressional conservatives that the move was “the opening salvo of Newt Gingrich’s presidential campaign four years hence.”

Cynicism, thy name be Newt. Where's Ross Perot and some pie-charts when you need him? Let's hope there's a recognizable country left for one of them to run into the ground come 2012.