I’ll note that attempts to stop this bill ought to be easier in the Senate than in the House; frankly, I’m surprised by the narrow margin of passage it just received, as I was expecting at least a 20 point spread.

Defeat in the Senate, however, requires the GOP to behave like adults - to bring cogent arguments against the bill to the floor, rather than simply shouting “I OBJECT!” or refusing to even attend meetings on the legislation. It will also require the GOP to reach across the aisle and build what coalitions it can with those members of the majority who share GOP views on this particular issue, instead of circling the wagons around Glenn Beck and castigating each and every Democrat over trivialities or nothing at all.

I suspect that we’ll see, instead, the Republicans once again taking their lead from the TPers and making fools of themselves with catcalls from the floor, irrational shrieking about death panels and other childish behavior that will work against them. But I would love to be disappointed in this expectation.