The second time as farce

From Yglesias' comments:

Is there a word for the process whereby a political party gets so emotionally invested in defending a past mistake that they start to celebrate the mistake, and eventually transform it, willy-nilly, into a central plank of their philosophy?

R: What do you think about waterboarding a prisoner?
D: Waterboarding is torture.
R: Is not. We never torture.
D: Is so.
R: Is not, and anyway, torture might be morally justified in some cases.
D: What?! are you crazy?
R: I'm just saying, in some cases, it might be actually be necessary.
D: This is crazy. I'm taking over.
R: sulks for a year, then finally says: I’m starting to get really nervous. We can't be safe, because you refuse to torture.
D: Jesus, we're just re-establishing the Reagan standard.
R: Torture! Torture! Torture! Freedom has never been safe without torture! Torture is the centerpiece and fulcrum of all our Constitutional liberties! Give me torture, or give me death.

Personally, I think it's a losing proposition to make “torture” the centerpiece of your brand identity. But Cheney clearly disagrees.