I'm sensing that Congressional Republicans are swiftly moving to a monumental "Oops" mentality; that, having watched their Waterloo strategy march right up to the edge of victory, they're now realizing that the worm of political battle has irreversibly turned -- and, having already exhausted their supply of star-spangled obstructionism, there's nothing left but foxhole prayer and battlefield panic.
Ponder, for instance, the utter void of this risible threat, issued last Sunday by a seethingly insincere Lindsay Graham, on ABC's "This Week": "When it comes to health care, [Obama's] been tone-deaf, he's been arrogant and they're pushing a legislative proposal and a way to that legislative proposal that's going to destroy the ability of this country to work together for a very long time."
It's the president and his Capitol Hill allies who are going to destroy the ability of this country to work together? Man, that's classic; a genuine knee-slapper, even for the barely and only occasionally attentive.
The president, Mr. Graham, outfoxed your party but good. You never should have gathered your House forces to confront him on national TV, and you never ever should have shown up at Blair House. Not, that is, with the strategy you were packing, which was noticeably reducible to one word: "No."
Those sorry engagements were, with apologies to Churchill, the beginning of the end. They were the equivalent of orderly town halls -- now where's the populist fun in that? -- endlessly looped on video tape and expository of nothing but GOP nihilism.
No, No, No blanketed the airwaves for days -- a patchwork-spectacle ranging from unremitting hostility to uncomprehending sheepishness, a range that instilled a creeping sense of reconsideration among independents. Hold it, they thought; these guys aren't the principled opposition -- they're just a bunch of insatiable, unprincipled thugs.
The evidence of this is just barely quantifiable, but quantifiable nevertheless. Slight but undeniable upticks in pro-reform polling have appeared of late (pdf), with the shifts and stirrings coming almost certainly from the middle only. This tectonic phenomenon should be, of course, unsurprising, since in general it's only the non-ideological middle that's moveable.
And though non-ideological the American middle may be, its one consistent sensibility is a resistance to naked brutishness.
Recall, for example, the GOP's "Oops" moments of the mid and late 1990s, infused as they were with a mindless government shutdown and a malicious impeachment. In both instances the GOP pushed too far -- as is the characteristic wont of a bully -- and was repelled into a humiliating retreat.
Now, the denouement of its Waterloo strategy is beginning to look familiar; indeed sound familiar, as rang so true in the hysteria of Lindsay Graham's "arrogance"-hurling and spectacularly laughable accusation of Democratic intransigence.
Aside from brutish obstructionism, Dennis Kucinich put his belated finger on an even larger GOP program already well in progress, which the body politic had been watching and uneasily noticing before this week:
"One of the things that’s bothered me is the attempt to try to delegitimize [Obama's] presidency," said the congressman at his Wednesday press conference. "That hurts the nation when that happens ... We have to be very careful that the potential of President Obama’s presidency not be destroyed by this debate. And I feel, even though I have many differences with him on policy, there’s something much bigger at stake here for America, and that’s what I’d like people to think about."
Mr. Kucinich, I think -- with no quantifying proof whatsoever -- that they've been doing just that.
While remaining rather neurotic about Obama's health care reform, public attitudes have begun to transcend that singular debate. Historical memory is stirring: The GOP's strategy is more than mere partisanship and polarization; it's yet another attempt to overturn yet another legitimate election. Or at least that's my sense of the electorate's sense.
Will all of this boomerang on the GOP in November? Who knows. It's way too early (albeit fun) to prognosticate with assurance, as Karl Rove preposterously did with his recent prediction that "if [Democrats] pass" health care reform, "they’re dead in the polls."
All we can do is watch the boomerang in flight; its destination unknown , but it seems to be curving.
2012
All I can say is ANYONE but Obama in 2012. He's either a fool that got rolled by the Republicans or he is every bit as much a corporatist as George W Bush. Either way, he should be kept FAR from the Oval Office.
Another Carpy 'Oops' moment?
Carpy still doesn't get it. He still believes there is a difference between Republican sellouts and Democratic sellouts.
'I'm sensing that Congressional DEMOCRATS are swiftly moving to a monumental "Oops" mentality; that, having watched their K STREET LOBBYIST SELLOUT strategy march right up to the edge of victory, they're now realizing that the worm of political battle has irreversibly turned -- and, having already exhausted their supply of star-spangled 'CHANGE YOU CAN BELIEVE IN THAT REMAINS THE SAME' POLITICAL CAPITAL, there's nothing left but foxhole prayer and battlefield panic.'
Carpy, take a lesson from David Sirota:
'Whereas Frank [Thomas Frank, "What's the Matter with Kansas?] highlighted Republicans' sleight-of-hand success portraying millionaire tax cuts as gifts to the working class, Democrats are now preposterously selling giveaways to insurance and pharmaceutical executives as a middle-class agenda. Same formula, same fat cat beneficiaries, same bleating sheeple herded to the slaughterhouse. The only difference is the Rube Goldberg contraption that Democrats are using to tend the flock.'
http://www.oregonlive.com/opinion/index.ssf/2010/03/whats_the_matter_with_democrat.html
Of course Sirota proves the question is not, "Can there be bipartisanship in Congress?" That is just another wedge issue engineered by the upper 1%, which is designed to divide and conquer WE THE PEOPLE, so they can continue to steal all of our money and our children's future. No, the question is this, When will the majority of Democrats and Republicans alike stop selling out to the K Street Lobbyists and start writing bills for the benefit of WE THE PEOPLE?
The answer may be found on Election Day in November. Never before have so many voters been this disenchanted with and disenfranchised by both major parties. It is for this reason alone that no entrenched incumbent who takes money from the K Street lobbyists and votes for their benefit is going to be safe in this year's primaries and General Election.
Speaking of consequences, Carpy carps, "All we can do is watch the boomerang in flight; its destination unknown , but it seems to be curving."
Well Carpy, since you are just another MSM (wannabe) corporate apologist and propaganda parrot, here's a word of advice for you as well as the rest of the corporate sellouts about that curving boomerang... DUCK!
The Checks Will Soon Stop
Once the GOP regains power within the next couple of years, those checks signed by Michael Steele will stop coming into PM's mailbox.
2014
From what I've been reading about the legislation, an awful lot of the "game changing" stuff won't even kick in till 2013-2014. That means there's still time to fight for imrovements once the stuff that does kick in immediately starts going down the crapper. Unfortunately, this also means the GOP has time to send us ALL down the crapper if they ever get working majorities in the House and/or Senate. So the mission now becomes twofold for REAL progressives. Get real progfressives elected in the mixed districts/states and start finding ways to blast the GOP out altogether. And when the time comes (and it will-soon) call the Dems bluff on single payor when the crap they've passed doesn't work.
12th Of Never
The issue here is that Obama had successfully pulled many conservative-leaning people away from the GOP. Even Christopher Buckley felt that his father, the infamous William F., would have voted for Obama.
But in one short year, Obama's inactivity and misfeasance has driven them back again, only this time many liberals are going with them. They may not got all the way into the GOP camp, but they won't be there this fall when Obama is going to need them. We really DO understand the intent of the saying so badly mangled by Dubya ("Fool me once, ...") and we aren't going to be fooled again.
So I don't see where this coalition to achieve the worthy goals stated by dgvb55 are going to come from, at least not before the GOP regains power and cuts off any possibility that someone like Obama will have the opportunity to do what needs doing to restore democracy, justice, and fairness to America.
As For Mr. Karl Rove's Predictions......
Hi P.M.,
Rove is the same individual who boldly guaranteed the day before election day 2006 that the GOP would hold onto their majority in the House of Representatives.
His words were, "I have the numbers".
If Only This Bill Deserved Celebration
The obese pachyderm in the cloister is still the mandate without control. No matter what benefits are contained in this crappy bill, there is still the fact that I will be taxed for my union-negotiated benefits and will pay more and receive less care than I already do.
Someone recently said that the insurance companies (we need a new term for these vultures) are opposed to this gift of indentured coverees because they only got 90% of what they wanted. That they got so much should indicate who are the real beneficiaries. The people got little, except the huge bill! WE begin to pay into this monstrosity immediately and don't get to see any significant changes in our coverage for years. But the profit statements will immediately reflect and improvement in the "earnings"! Do you have YOUR invitation to the Bonus Banquest? I'm wondering if boosters like Carp do - or at least will be allowed to glean the leavings, which is more than most of us will get.
Thank you so much, Obama! For Nothing! You have done more damage to the nation than George W Bush, only the evidence won't show up quickly. You will be long gone before most people will know to damn you for your hostile interference to our realizing the American Dream.
What I Really Resent...
(Aside from Obama lying to the public about the PO all summer) Is the fact that he is putting progressives in a real catch-22;
We can support a clearly corporatist bill that will clearly benefit corporate entities at the expense of the middle class--but will also save the lives of many of the poor--and all for the short term political gain of saving Obama's nascent presidency and what's left of the progressive movement in the short term...or;
We can oppose the bill on principle as a strategic vision because of all the completely valid reasons you stated.
I resent Obama putting us in this position.
I'm now in the Kucinich camp, a reluctant pragmatist, because I can't help but think of the 45,000 a year who die from a lack of health care. But I certainly respect the opposing view because I've been there.
The next time on the next big bill it is my hope that progressives understand Obama's true corporatist nature and mobilize early before getting put in the position of having to support another corporatist bill. But I doubt it will happen.
Watching politics has turned me into a full-fledged cynic. Or as Obama may have put it during his snowjob candidacy in 2008, "They're trying to boil all the hope out of me."
Thanks to Obama's assistance, "they" have now nearly done just that.
Keep Bogarting that joint, carpy.
I'd want what some of what carpy's smoking .... but I value IQ points too much to voluntarily enter such a state of ignorant bliss.
Anyone who can watch obama get rolled as he has been for the past year and somehow declare some sort of "victory" is demonstrating a degree of brain damage I'd prefer to avoid.
Why does Buzzflash carry this fool's self defeating rants? Do they want to go bankrupt?
He's Buzzflash's Scooter
No not that scooter, Kermit's gofer "Scooter" from the Muppet Show. Maybe his uncle owns the "theater".
Richard
Now You Act Like A Tea Bagger
BuzzFlash has a right to carrying Carp's delusions if they choose to. It's up to us to respond -or not- as we deem appropriate. Threatening them with the loss of financial support over one person who doesn't see things "our" way is how the Republicans work.
Have we come so far and almost achieved so much only to become the enemy we oppose?
Teabaggers also use straw ...
... when they construct arguments to argue against points no one's making.
1) No one said BF didn't have the right to carry Carpy's delusions. BBH merely questioned why they did.
2) He did respond "as he deemed appropriate", you just disagree with his response.
3) He didn't "threaten" them with loss of financial support. He merely suggested that carrying Carpy's columns was costing them contributions. I don't know if he's right or not, but judging by the responses to Carpy's columns, it's a reasonable conclusion.
And what of my final question?
I notice you didn't address the real issue. But then, I have yet to see you add anything to any conversation. All you want to do is act like the Terminator on a rampage to protect your precious conservative masters.
The "real issue"?
You didn't raise one. I'll assume, given your difficulty with basic reading comprehension, difficulties with basic logic, and fondness for inane "questions", that your comment about failing to "add anything to any conversation" was just an unintentional bit of irony.
BTW - "Precious conservative masters"?!?
LOLOLOLOLOLOL .....