Mr. Farah,
I have been a faithful reader of your column and website for years, and I always appreciate your insights.
In a recent column you expressed shock at the notion that Republicans might be allowing the IRS to target conservative groups like the tea party because such groups represent a threat to their power ["Is Pat Caddell right about GOP?"]. Personally, I think it goes much deeper than that.
I have suspected for years that someone outside the Republican Party has been calling the shots for them. The only evidence I have at this point is the mind-boggling ineptness with which they have been running their affairs. No matter how badly the left screws up, the Republican party fails to "make hay" out of the situation and invariably comes out looking like buffoons if not taking blame for the mess-up themselves. Election after election they put forward some of the least compelling and least electable candidates imaginable. (Bob Dole? John McCain? Really?)
The people in leadership (Boehner, McConnell, etc.) are basically Democrat-lite progressives. Newt Gingrich had his problems, but he was at least willing to engage the opposition and offer principled alternatives (Contract With America).
I can't help thinking that what we are seeing from establishment Republicans is not mere ineptitude but something more insidious. Again, I have no hard evidence to support this but would encourage you to keep this in mind moving forward when considering some the the actions coming out of the Republican party. It seems their agenda always benefits the Democrats in one way or another. Why is that?
Paul Aubin