According to the NYT, Paul Ryan is back at the forefront, riding over the horizon to (maybe?) rescue the GOP from the GOP:

Mr. Ryan, 43, has immense credibility with conservatives for his “Path to Prosperity” budget, which proposed politically risky Medicare changes and deep tax cuts. Moderates see Mr. Ryan, who has broken with some conservatives over immigration, as a lawmaker with some flexibility. In many respects, his standing exceeds that of the party’s titular leader, Speaker John A. Boehner. Perhaps most important, Democrats believe that when Mr. Ryan drafts a plan, he can actually deliver the votes. They hold no such confidence in Mr. Boehner.

Apparently his plan, which he originally outlined in the WSJ, has managed to become the plan of the GOP. Among other things, it completely abandons any attempt to defund Obamacare, which means it does have a snowball’s chance in Hell of actually getting somewhere.

Wouldn’t it be nice if a serious but sane conservative managed to come out on top after all these shenanigans from the rowdy freshman Tea Partiers?