More Republican fumbling

Ezra Klein:

Something has really gone awry in the House GOP's political operation. They should not have released this document. They certainly shouldn't have released its inane predecessor. And they certainly shouldn't have scheduled their press conference for April Fool's Day. It's really been amateur hour over there, and this budget debacle was simply what happened when they were suddenly challenged to play against the pros.

I have always disagreed with Republicans on ideology and policy. But I have often had to begrudgingly admire their ability to frame the debate, get their message out, and convince people to vote for them. But perhaps this was due to a rigid Republican hierarchy that everyone had to fall in line with. Now, it seems like there's no clear Republican leader. Michael Steele? Rush Limbaugh? John McCain? Sarah Palin? Joe the Plumber? Those other guys in the House and Senate whose names elude me at the moment? Now that there's no one giving marching orders, the internal divisions are revealing themselves.