How Do You Negotiate With a Mob?

Some Republicans are complaining that President Obama is "not negotiating" with them to end the government shutdown. Who, exactly, ought he negotiate with?

• Not Ted Cruz, who was vilified by his own Republican colleagues for getting them into this mess and now admitting he has no clue about ending it. Ironically, Cruz is now terrified that the government shutdown he orchestrated will lead to a successful terrorist attack.
• Not John Boehner, who is clearly just a puppet being randomly manipulated by the 80-member Tea Party caucus. When he suggested some undefined "grand bargain" was possible all sides laughed at him.
• Not Tea Party congressmen, which is a leaderless mob that has no clue what it wants except that it doesn't want to be "disrespected."
• Not moderate and sane Republican congressman who are so terrorized by the Tea Party that label as "traitor" and threaten any Republican that dares to be less than an enthusiastic sycophant.
• Not Tea Party rank-and-file, who are a bunch of anarchists who want to burn down the government and cheered the shutdown.

The Republican Party has become a real life "Lord of the Flies." There is no negotiating with a crazy mob. The only hope is that their mad frenzy exhausts them before too much damage has been done.

House Republicans in caucus.