The Republican Party doesn’t just use fear as a manipulative tactic on voters — it’s also the tool they use to keep fellow GOP politicians in line: Senator Jim DeMint Warns Republicans on Debt Ceiling Vote: They Will Be ‘Gone’.

Conservative firebrand Sen. Jim DeMint has a message to fellow Republicans in Congress: If you support increasing the debt ceiling without first passing a balanced budget amendment and massive across-the-board spending cuts, you’re gone — destined to be swept out of Congress by a wave of voter anger.

“Based on what I can see around the country,” DeMint, R-S.C., said in an interview for the ABC News Subway Series, “not only are those individuals gone, but I would suspect the Republican Party would be set back many years.

“It would be the most toxic vote,” DeMint said. “I can tell you if you look at the polls, Democrats, Republicans, Independents, they do not think we should increase the debt limit.”

Wouldn’t want any rogue Republicans to get crazy ideas and do something stupid, like preventing the nation from defaulting on its debts.