A deal with the Devil

One of the oldest themes in literature involves a desperate person making a deal with the Devil in order to succeed. It dates at least as far back as the 16th century legend of Faust.

None of these stories ends particularly well for the person making the deal. Maybe Rick Perry and Newt Gingrich aren’t up on 16th century literature, but they ought to be familiar with some Disney animated films – King Triton may have been forced into signing the deal with Ursula, the sea witch, but it took a lot of work to straighten things out again.

So, what faustian bargain has Perry and Gingrich struck in an attempt to topple Mitt Romney? They’re going after Romney’s record as a private equity capitalist with all the energy of a Wall Street Occupier, ignoring the basic Republican Party belief in free markets and creative destruction.

It has gotten so transparent a top GOP donor, Barry Wynn, decided to switch allegiances from Perry to Romney. An investment fund executive, Wynn told the Associated Press that Perry had crossed a line.

“I’ve been fighting for this cause most of my life,” Wynn said. “It’s like fingernails on the chalkboard. It just kind of irritated you to hear those kind of attacks.” (Read the story here.)

The same story said a woman pulled Perry aside in South Carolina and told him to lay off the anti-business attacks.

For his part, Gingrich wants Romney to call a press conference to talk about his business dealings.

Perry said he’s doing the party good because Romney will have to begin answering these questions from Democrats soon if he’s nominated. By that reasoning, NFL teams should begin gang tackling their own best players every day at practice to prepare them for opposing teams.

Romney is well aware that Democrats will try to portray him as an evil wealthy tycoon, a “vulture capitalist,” to use Perry’s description. Now, however, Barack Obama can add that even other prominent members of the party of big business agree.

As I said, these bargains never turn out well in the end.