But if Obama succeeds the country will collapse.

(The Hill) — Republicans would rather see the country collapse than President Obama succeed, the second-ranking House Democrat charged Tuesday.

Rep. Steny Hoyer (Md.), the Democratic whip, said the GOP’s near-blanket opposition to Obama’s policy proposals is evidence that many Republicans have adopted the sentiment — articulated most clearly by Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) — that their top priority is making Obama a one-term president.

“The leader in the Senate said his principal objective is to defeat Barack Obama, and therefore — and this is important — what follows is that America needs to fail over the next 14 months,” Hoyer told reporters at the Capitol.

“Because if America succeeds, if jobs are created, if the economy starts growing, then some would believe that it would be to the political benefit of Barack Obama and the Democrats.

“For those folks, apparently partisanship has been promoted over cooperation or progress,” Hoyer added.