Congressional Republicans, particularly Tea Party conservatives, need to get one thing straight before the next round of budget and debt ceiling negotiations: Principle means nothing without a realistic game plan, especially when you are the minority party and Barack Obama is intent on pulverizing the GOP.
The latest all-or-nothing, defund Obamacare shutdown stunt will go down as one of the most bone-headed political maneuvers in recent memory for Republicans. Why? Because, as Karl Rove has noted, Obama set a trap and Republicans walked right into it.
Yes, just about everyone on the right side of the aisle can agree that Obamacare is a travesty of epic proportion, well beyond the meager signups and website rollout glitches.