The Republicans were out of the game from Day One. Nancy Pelosi simply was not working with them. And in the Senate, even some of the usual moderate Republicans dropped out of discussions with the Democrats because they could not make any significant headway. This disaster was not about Republicans lacking wise alternatives. It was about power politics. And the Democrats have a lot more plans and will score a lot more victories — for themselves, not the country. Beating up on the Republicans, who, in my view, actually acted strategically and wisely in this case, is a distraction.