Once more, House Republicans are out of control! Run for the hills!

So, let's get this straight: The same wackadoodle party that won't raise taxes under strict orders from King Wackadoodle Grover Norquist just voted to scuttle a deal passed by the the Senate that would have avoided the raising of taxes - in this case, payroll taxes that will affect many millions of American workers come January. House Republicans insist that they didn't want it to come down to this, blaming Senate Democrats for various forms of legislative chicanery (never mind that most Senate Republicans were behind the measure), and President Obama for... well, everything. From Politico:

Republicans believe they can win a showdown with the Senate and either get the full-year extension of the payroll tax cut they seek or win the public relations war if 160 million working Americans see their taxes rise in January. It's a high-risk strategy with little reward available: In the worst-case scenario, House Republicans would take sole blame for raising taxes, cutting welfare and unemployment benefits just after Christmas and slashing reimbursement rates for doctors who treat Medicare patients. House Democrats now sense a potential game-changer for their prospects of winning control of the chamber in 2012, which have been dim. Some Republicans said privately that they weren't certain that the strategy would work.

The Tea Party contingent reminds me of those horror movie creatures that keep getting up even after the tanks and artillery have arrived on the scene - one reason why I'm not prepared to right them off just yet. Still, you have to wonder if even their supporters are having some second thoughts. Below is House Majority Leader Eric Cantor, who early in his career picked up a little pocket money in his classic portrayal of Godzilla.