There is no justification for Republicans turning their backs on the President when doing so greatly endangers the Nation. There is no justification for Cut Off Their Nose to Spite Their Face politics. It is immature.
You said: There is no justification for Republicans turning their backs on the President when doing so greatly endangers the Nation.
I see this as Bush & the psuedo-conservatives turning their backs on their campaign positions and their base, not the other way around.
When Bush lets Teddy write the education bill, and enacts part of HillaryCare via Medicare prescriptions, I don't think it matters if we are behind him or not. He'll get the votes he wants from the Democrats.
As far as it 'greatly endangers the Nation', I think not. The damage is done, as shown by the cheering in Iran. And Bush will do as he wants, and thumb his nose at the conservatives. We'll do great damage to the nation by not building a real conservative candidate for 2008. Bush will not involve himself in worrying about Republican chances in 2008, certainly not conservative Republican chances or he would have picked a VP who could pickup the conservative banner.