Republicans think playing Russian roulette with the economy is fun (Reuters/Jason Reed)



Republicans think playing Russian roulette with the economy is fun (Reuters/Jason Reed)



“Of course, it’s dangerous,” a House Republican close to Boehner said of the politics of a government default. “But it’s dangerous for everybody, especially the president. At the end of the day, [Obama] will have to give in.”

Finally, a House Republican agrees with the The New York Times editorial board on something. On the same morning that The Times runs runs an editorial arguing that Republicans are "playing with matches on the debt," a House Republican conceded to Politico that John Boehner was playing a "dangerous" game with debt limit:

Of course, the difference is that The Times thinks playing with fire is a bad idea when the stakes are so high, but Republicans think its a wonderful idea. After all, in their view, the worst thing that could happen is that their brinskmanship sends the economy into another nosedive, paving the way for a Republican presidential victory in 2012. And what could possibly be wrong with that?