22 republicans voted no on their own party's plan. and then the house republicans just suddenly gave up, turned off the lights, and announced they were going home for christmas, they considered themselves to be done. nobody knew this was coming. the rends had no idea this was coming. speaker boehner issued this statement by way of explanation. he said, "the house did not take up the tax measure today because it did not have sufficient support from our members to pass." this whole episode has been like watching a puppy having a frenetic random action period before collapsing asleep in its own bowl. i mean, it is adorable. it's transfixing. but it is motion without meaning. it is motion without mastery. it's chaos. it is chaos in the caucus that john boehner is supposed to control. and the thing they are doing, this motion without meaning, even this is still controversial on their own side, making all their think tanks and their anthony visit groups and their pressure groups flip their positions even within a single day, turn on themselves and fight it out.