New York Times reporters Jonathan Weisman and Jennifer Steinhauer
speculate about the political ramifications of the potential budget crisis brewing on Capitol Hill, arguing that a showdown this fall could present an opportunity for Mitt Romney to distance himself from House Republicans:
But a disagreement between the parties over spending levels has paved a path for the sort of clash that led to the near shutdown of the government last year, and it could leave Mr. Romney in the position of having to choose between a loud public battle and a budget compromise with Democrats in the closing weeks of the fall campaign.
I think this gets it wrong: if Romney waits until September or October to distance himself from House Republican lunatics, it'll be too late for him to use it as a Sistah Souljah moment. Once the budget crisis comes—assuming it comes—Romney will own it every bit as much as House Republicans. He's stood with them every step of the way, including embracing Paul Ryan's Medicare-ending budget plan, and a last-minute conversion would look cynical and inauthentic.
Perhaps if Romney were to immediately start distancing himself, he could manage some measure of credibility, but that would require a neck-snapping act of flip-floppery and would probably create more problems for Romney within the GOP than it would solve among independents.
To be clear, I think it's entirely plausible and perhaps probably that Romney will try to use the budget as a Sistah Souljah moment. I just don't think it will work.