Prof. Rahe,

so very heartening to have someone of your stature and influence speak up for us. As I watch this unfold, I'm more convinced that the GOP Establishment were well aware of the IRS targeting of Tea Party Groups was known and nothing was done because they thought Romney & Co. Would win and signal an end to Tea Party/Grass Roots tactics. Note that though this started in 2009, Congressional inquiries only started after Romney's loss ('need to throw the Rubes some red meat. Looks like we'll need them in2014'). If they force immigration on us in it's current, flawed form, that's it for me.

Comment on ricochet
After Cruz Has Said His Piece...

In which Paul Rahe says among other observant things, . 

...what Ted Cruz is doing -- is signaling to the discontented that there really is another way. They can vote Republican in 2014; and, if they do so big time, there will be a correction of course.

and

If they hate Ted Cruz -- if behind the scenes they are feeding the media attacks on him -- it is because he is threatening to throw a monkey wrench into the works. They hated the Tea Party. Initially, in 2009, they tried to dismiss it and get on with the process of surrendering to the Democrats on the healthcare question; and then, in August 2009, all hell broke loose in the town meetings, and Charles Grassley and the rest of them found that they had to back off. 

Another good contrary comment to that, I think:

Let's be clear about something.  There is no such thing as "defunding" Obamacare.  They only thing in Obamacare that requires "funding" is the subsidies.  That also happens to be the only aspect of the law that is actually popular on a stand-alone basis.
It seems to me that everyone who is supporting Cruz is doing so based on the belief that he will fail (which, I admit, is correct).  If Cruz actually succeeded, somehow, almost all of Obamacare would continue in force - the taxes, the mandates, all the stuff that doesn't require "funding."
I think Cruz is throwing Obama a lifeline.  If Obama had the brains God gave a gnat, he would recognize that Obamacare is going to be an epic fail, and would take this opportunity to accept a "defunding" deal that would permit him to blame Republicans for the failure.  Meanwhile, Obamacare would continue to be the law, and Democrats would offer a stand-alone bill to provide subsidies to poor people, which would be overwhelmingly popular and would undo the so-called defunding.
If you oppose Obamacare, be grateful that Cruz has no hope here. 

There are many very good comments over there, too many to nick, and you know what that is? That is a political science education right there. Better than the political science education I paid for at CU. This is better than that. Better, because that was taught by a little commie hippy chick,♪ hip,♪ hip,♪ hip, hip, hip, hip ♫hippy chick.

That was my first class at CU and I knew straight off it was poo. The very first clue was the professor, assistant, I suppose, was trying to promote class participation and attempting to get the class to think of things that would get people worked up politically. A student suggested, "the environment." She latched onto that for discussion and gave the class the phrase, "treat the Earth like a sink," but nobody actually said that. She did. So when resuming to list on the blackboard the classes' suggestion, up went the phrase she provided not anything a student said. "treat Earth like sink" instead of "environmental concerns."

The text began with Engles and Marx. So did Psychology. So did writing 101. So did Spanish 101. So did Econ 101. And I'm thinking, Jeeze, these lovely people are trying to impress my impressionable little mind. I'm like putty over here and they're messing with me. Putty with a funnel top. Just pour stuff in and squish it around, I'll sort it.