Don't Blame the Democrats!

WHY!?! WHY NO REAL HEATH CARE REFORM? WHY IS PROGRESS SO HARD TO COME BY EVEN THOUGH REPUBLICANS HAVE BEEN VOTED OUT OF THE MAJORITY? BEFORE YOU CRITICIZE THE DEMOCRATS UNDERSTAND THAT THIS IS WHY.

1. Because the GOP will always vote NO on bills they don't write. They don't compromise or cooperate. They obstruct.

2.Because you need 60 votes (not 51) to get anything through the Senate and there are only 57 Democrats and 2 Independents including the sad case of "Traitor Joe" Lieberman. The numbers aren't there for real reform - yet!

3. Because the Democratic party has divergent ideas and is not a lockstep obedient organization like the Republicans, to get 100% agreement is not only difficult but runs counter to a healthy democracy. Since the GOP has removed itself from serious debate - we have 1 party trying to do all the hard work. That's an almost impossible formula for coming up with thoughtful and useful legislation.

So, since the Democrats are numerically powerless to stop the GOP from stonewalling progress and reform, the only solution is to get more Democrats - especially progressive Democrats - in the Congress so we can have finally end the long entrenched grasp the Conservatives have on our collective throat.

The Republican know what they are doing. They want the whole process to look like a mess and for reform to be stalled or prevented. They want YOU to become so frustrated that you say "to hell with them all". That way they will get back into power and drag us backwards once again. Take it from someone who has followed this stuff forever. This is their plan. This is always what they do and unless all of us resist the temptation to give up on progress, they will once again prevail. Please don't let that happen.

HERE ARE SOME COMMENTS FROM OTHER READERS.

• I do blame the Democrats... (10+ / 0-)

  They have no party discipline. I don't care if Nelson, Lieberscum, Landrieu and Lincoln vote against the bill, but NO caucusing Democrat should vote against cloture. It's as simple as that. Cloture should be automatic, and any Democrat who votes against cloture should be kicked out of caucus. Lieberscum, Nelson, Landrieu and Lincoln - all of them.

  They're worried about getting re-elected, let them try and run as Republicans and see how quickly they lose the primary. Let them run as independents and see how hard it will be to get any money.

  They take glee in screwing over 56 other members of their party - they think they're vote is more important, they think that they know better than 56 other Democrats they caucus with - that is unacceptable as a party.

  Democrats might not need progressive votes to be elected/re-elected, but they need progressive energy to stir up moderate voters to the polls.

  by Jonze on Thu Dec 17, 2009 at 11:51:46 AM EST

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• Blame never fixed anything. (2+ / 0-)

  This will get sorted out in the next few years.

  Everyone knows how to talk, and no one knows what to say.

  by A Runner on Thu Dec 17, 2009 at 11:53:49 AM EST

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• Dean is an opportunist nothing more nothing (2+ / 0-)

  less he has the 2012 election in his head.

  Republicans secret dream = the impeachment of Bo the Dog LOL

  by LaurenMonica on Thu Dec 17, 2009 at 11:54:46 AM EST

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  • And why not? (4+ / 0-)

    All he has to do is convince people he's better than the incumbent!

    Besides, don't we say we should primary every politician who doesn't deliver?

    Show me the POLICY!

    by Fabian on Thu Dec 17, 2009 at 12:00:01 PM EST

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  • oh please ... (7+ / 0-)

    listen ... Deaniacs abound these parts that say for Dean to primary Obama -- they are just fucking looney tunes ...

    but taking there delusions and applying them to Dean is absurd ...

    Dean has no intentions of primarying Obama ... he just wants a better HCR bill than is being offered ... that is somehow "high treason" in the party now? ... and You are implying the wheels are coming off the Profressives' tricycles???

    "I want to keep them alive long enough that I can win them to Christ," - Rick Warren, Professional Greed Driven Scumbag

    by josephk on Thu Dec 17, 2009 at 12:04:45 PM EST

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  • Dean is the REAL deal (0+ / 0-)

    and his detractors are the frauds shilling for the insurance industry. I'll take the REAL deal please.

    by Cowboy Borat on Thu Dec 17, 2009 at 12:27:25 PM EST

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• I agree. I wish people would realize (6+ / 0-)

  this. I wouldn't be caught voting republican on anything for a long time. when we needed them they just played power games. The Dems may be a mess, but at least they are trying.

  'If we lift our voice as one, there's nothing that can't be done' MJ

  by publicv on Thu Dec 17, 2009 at 11:59:39 AM EST

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  • I will never vote for any Rethug, for any office, (6+ / 0-)

    ever. But I am not in the pokcet of the Democrats either. If they want my vote, they have to earn it. Right now I'm not so sure about that. They've got one year to convince me otherwise.

    Pony invective, pony invective, pony invective, blargh blargh blargh

    by NoVa Boy on Thu Dec 17, 2009 at 12:02:37 PM EST

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    • I feel the same way. Unfortunately, the Democrats (3+ / 0-)

      know that they can piss all over whatever a solid majority of liberals want because there aren't any consequences. Our votes are simply taken for granted. "That sucks, and I'm really disappointed, but I'll go ahead and vote for you anyway" isn't going to get you what you want.

      -9.00, -7.69 "Tyrants and torturers will never manage to hide their comic stumbles behind their cosmic acrobatics."--Vladimir Nabokov

      by JamesEB on Thu Dec 17, 2009 at 12:14:59 PM EST

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• Democrats - better than Republicans. (7+ / 0-)

  Even if they are wimpier.

  Show me the POLICY!

  by Fabian on Thu Dec 17, 2009 at 12:00:50 PM EST

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  • Now there's a winning bumper sticker (1+ / 0-)

    do you like mine? Check my sig.

    Democrats have the electrolytes we need!

    by Nada Lemming on Thu Dec 17, 2009 at 12:18:48 PM EST

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    • That's eeeeevil! (1+ / 0-)

      "Republicans have the iron growing bodies need!"

      Makes them sound more attractive to leeches and blood suckers.

      Show me the POLICY!

      by Fabian on Thu Dec 17, 2009 at 12:43:28 PM EST

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• There are 58 Democratic senators. (9+ / 0-)

  Voting for cloture is not the same as voting for or against a bill. It's as simple as that. If Harry Reid cannot keep his caucus together to vote for cloture (for any bill, it should not matter) then he shold not be Majority Leader. He gets a share of the blame. If Obama cannot be bothered to show he cares whether the PO, even one with a trigger or opt-out, or Medicare buy-in, are in the bill, and if he hands over his veto pen to Joe Lieberman, then he gets a share of the blame too.

  The reality is that the Democrats asked the country to give them the chance to govern. Now they have that chance. We'll see what the judgment is on how well they governed next year. Right now, though, it ain't looking too good.

  Pony invective, pony invective, pony invective, blargh blargh blargh

  by NoVa Boy on Thu Dec 17, 2009 at 12:01:02 PM EST

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• Because Obama never wanted progressive (4+ / 0-)

  health care reform. And certainly never fought for it.

  http://www.salon.com/...

  "And the biggest self of self is, indeed, self." Mark Sanford

  by Paleo on Thu Dec 17, 2009 at 12:03:21 PM EST

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  • then why did he throw out the term (1+ / 0-)

    'universal healthcare?'

    'If we lift our voice as one, there's nothing that can't be done' MJ

    by publicv on Thu Dec 17, 2009 at 12:04:34 PM EST

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    • Universal healthcare (4+ / 0-)

      You can have universal healthcare without it being progressive.

      "And the biggest self of self is, indeed, self." Mark Sanford

      by Paleo on Thu Dec 17, 2009 at 12:06:43 PM EST

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• I call B.S. (8+ / 0-)

  The GOP isn't in the majority or even in control of either the House or the Senate, the Dems are. Ergo, the Dems take responsibility for what passes or what doesn't. It's called accountability.

  The Dems haven't played hardball with either the Repubs or the Conservadems. If members of your own caucusflip you off, start shipping them off to the worst offices, take away chairmanships, pull any fundraising dollars and lets see how quickly they fold their principled objections.

  I don't care if the Dems agree on everything. There should be a rule: You caucus with us & take our money, you vote for cloture. You don't, there's the door to your new basement office. Sorry the elevator doesn't work.

  by anagram on Thu Dec 17, 2009 at 12:06:01 PM EST

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  • Agree (5+ / 0-)

    There's no excuse for not voting for cloture. If you want to vote against the bill, fine. But let it come up for a vote. To me, anyone who wouldn't vote for cloture on this, particularly when it had the public option or the medicare alternative, should have been thrown out of the caucus. The Democratic party is the only political party in the world that would permit this.

    "And the biggest self of self is, indeed, self." Mark Sanford

    by Paleo on Thu Dec 17, 2009 at 12:09:04 PM EST

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• well said (1+ / 0-)

  Here isone of my several attempts to make roughly the same point, written some time ago.

  Important whining and Red Sox stuff at http://edsbarth.blogspot.com/

  by Barth on Thu Dec 17, 2009 at 12:08:26 PM EST

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• BS ------ BS ---------- BS (4+ / 0-)

  Meet the New Boss-- Same as the Old Boss --
  We won't get fooled again,, oh no!
  the who

  MY ELECTED OFFICIALS CARE MORE ABOUT -- "Go on Repeat it out loud"

  GOVERNMENT CONTRACTORS -- "Go on you can say it"

  CAMPAIGN FIANCE MONEY -- "I know I know, it is painful to admit"

  AND NOT --- "Truth time here"

  HEALTH CARE, POLLUTION, SOCIAL CORRECTNESS, THE ECONOMY OR THE AMERICAN PUBLIC---- "There not so bad to tell the truth is it"

  Fire them all, start again

  by one pissed off democrat on Thu Dec 17, 2009 at 12:08:58 PM EST

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• They're all corporate whores (3+ / 0-)

  Republicrats all of them save a few that are in the tiny minority (Sanders, Grayson, Franken and a few others).

  ~War is Peace~Freedom is Slavery~Ignorance is Strength~ George Orwell "1984"

  by Kristina40 on Thu Dec 17, 2009 at 12:14:24 PM EST

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• Same old story (1+ / 0-)

  when the democrats were in the opposition, "don't blame hem, they have no power".

  You can't use the same excuse now.

  "Hey Joe, could you check his bearings. Again!"

  by allmost liberal european on Thu Dec 17, 2009 at 12:17:50 PM EST

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  • Now they are in (0+ / 0-)

    the majority, they have no power!

    The only smarts I have are that I'm smart enough to know I can outwork 'em- Woody Hayes

    by Mighty Ike on Thu Dec 17, 2009 at 12:21:54 PM EST

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• HC insurance mandates = GOP gets the WH in 2012 (3+ / 0-)

  Period. End of Story. It's Over.

  Prepare for the end of days.

  by NamelessGenXer on Thu Dec 17, 2009 at 12:24:50 PM EST

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  • Not to mention (0+ / 0-)

    big gains in '10 midterms.

    The only smarts I have are that I'm smart enough to know I can outwork 'em- Woody Hayes

    by Mighty Ike on Thu Dec 17, 2009 at 12:32:13 PM EST

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• Only difference between dems and reps (1+ / 0-)

  One is pro gay-marriage, pro-choice, for big money.
  Other is anti gay marriage, anti-life, for big money.

  So basically you are voting for the social issue de jour. Not that they will solve a social issue, that would ruin their vote getting in the next election.

  What a fucking sham...

  Baroque: When you are out of Monet

  by bartct on Thu Dec 17, 2009 at 12:25:23 PM EST

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• You call this progress? (1+ / 0-)

  It's better to avoid the snake in the grass that you don't see then to embrace the one out in the open because after all... it's still a snake. Democrats are too weak to fix it later (as the corporate shills propose) so, we'd be better off to kill it unless the mandate is removed. This is NOT progress!

  by Cowboy Borat on Thu Dec 17, 2009 at 12:25:43 PM EST

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• you're right... (1+ / 0-)

  ...it's time to face reality...we simply do not have the necessary votes to pass a public option, Medicare expansion or a single-payer system, unfortunately.

  It's too bad, but it's true, and due to no fault of ours or our progressive brethren in the Senate and House, in my opinion.

  We've all kept the hope of a public option alive far longer than most people would have told you six months ago.

  It's time to move on and support whatever health care reforms do have enough votes and then work our asses off to get enough people to support a public option, Medicare expansion and/or single-payer system at the earliest possibility.

  by wdrath on Thu Dec 17, 2009 at 01:00:04 PM EST

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