Kathleen Parker February 18, 2014

Republicans have excelled at concealing their brilliance in recent years, and Democrats have exulted in their good fortune.

Whether discussing women’s reproductive systems or offering upcandidates who are not electable — “I am not a witch” might have been a tipoff — Republicans couldn’t stop handing gifts totheir opponents. As for tactics, a GOP Trojan horse is . . . a horse.And an Orca project is a whale-fishing expedition.

Meanwhile, Democrats successfully labeled the GOP as the “party of no,” assisted by Republicans’ consistent opposition to everything and always flogging their own in an endless war between the party’swacko birds (Sen. John McCain’s term) and establishment players who were referred to as RINOs (Republicans in Name Only) or Republicrats.

The Democrats weren’t wrong.

But then, President Obama apparently lost his magic ring. The sun broke through the pall of Republican despair, the fires of Mordor ceased and the spell of buffoonery and pettifoggery that had plagued the elephant herd was miraculously lifted.

Congress raised the debt limit without drama; Republican leaders shelved divisive issues such as comprehensive immigration and tax reform and shifted the focus to unifying messages about whichRINOs and tea partyers can agree and lock pinkies: Obamacare is afailure and Barack Obama is an imperial president.

In essence,Republicans destroyed the Democrats’ sharpest weapon and absconded withtheir slogan. No more the party of no, the GOP suddenly is the party of“Yes, we can!”

Quite a transformation, that. And all along themessage of House Speaker John Boehner, even though his tea partycolleagues, gladiators armed with certitude, couldn’t hear him. Ratherthan listen to reason, they heard only the whispers of their beloved Wormtongue, whose identity I leave to you, dear reader, in hopes you have read J.R.R. Tolkien.

While some may view this strategy as another Boehner capitulation to thecrazy caucus, others recognize its brilliance. Boehner is quieting downthe elephant herd. This doesn’t mean Republicans are making a run oncanvas to build a bigger tent. At least not this congressional crowd.But party leadership doesn’t hold all the cards anymore. Outsiders —widely known as billionaires — have their own agendas, which are notuniformly consistent with the GOP base’s. Nor are they necessarilysinister, though this most likely will be the spin from Democrats.

Wherever billionaires gather, something must be up. Politico suggested as much with its exclusive story this week about mega-donors planning a GOP war council that would be meeting soon at “a swanky Colorado resort.” Do wealthy Democrats meet in abandoned warehouses?

This gathering of Republican swanks is being hosted by New York billionaire Paul Singer, who wants to help shape the party’s direction leading up to themidterms. Dum-de-dum-dum. Singer, who gives generously to humanitariangroups, including wounded warriors, also supports same-sex marriage,immigration reform and pro-Israel policies. He is, in other words, aNew/Old Republican — moderate on social issues, passionate about humanrights, practical about demographic change and election realities,hawkish about defense and loyalty to allies.

These positions arelargely consistent with a sizable chunk of the American people, if notso much with the GOP’s libertarians, who increasingly lean towardisolationist, bootstrap policies. Hence the emerging narrative of yetanother internal war within the GOP. Cue Darth Vader breathing sound, if I may mix my movies, and enter the Koch brothers — those heartless, free-market avatars with libertarian tendencies.

The same Politico story described the Koch brothers as bringing together“hand-picked operatives and politicians twice a year at tony resorts.”Hand-picked implies “special” while “tony” is a word only used by 1percenters. (I don’t think I’ve ever heard — not even in movies — adiamond-laden debutante belaboring restaurant choices say: “Oh, Capers,let’s do pick some place tony.”)

And they say Republicans use dog whistles.

Democrats love to demonize these groups even though they have a couple of theirown billionaire-bundling operations. But the emerging narrative of thebillionaire war within the party is both incorrect and an obviousattempt to revive the idea that Republicans can’t lead because theycan’t even get along with each other.

It worked for a while, butno more. Within the party, the Koch brothers and Singer might best bedescribed as co-belligerants. Picture them as set A and B in a Venndiagram. The overlap is the story — and the war isn’t internal.

Read more from Kathleen Parker’s archive, follow her on Twitter or find her on Facebook.