$200 Million GOP Campaign Avalanche Planned, Democrats Stunned.
This is unfortunate, but the dynamics described on the left are pretty accurate, and for good reason. Unions and the progressive activist base have been focused on issues advocacy and primary challenges over Democratic Party solidarity because the Obama administration and the Democratic Party leadership have made it perfectly clear that they will not advocate for our issues. At the very least they’ve made it perfectly clear that they won’t advocate for our issues while the bastards we’re waging primary challenges against still cling to power! And they’ve made it perfectly clear that they don’t give a damn about union and progressive issues because after the conservative Democrats we’re challenging in the primaries totally wrecked the progressive and labor agenda… they backed them for re-election anyway!
What was Joe Lieberman’s punishment for stripping healthcare reform of the public option after even the public option that was left had been watered down to practically nothing? What was Bill Nelson’s punishment for the damage he did? What was Mary Landrieu’s punishment for the damage she did. What was Blanche Lincoln’s punishment for the damage she did? What was Stupak’s punishment for the unbelievable way he sold out two generations of progressives fighting desperately to hold on the gains they’ve made for women’s health?
The answer? Nothing! They all have the full support of the administration and Democratic leadership. Joe Lieberman included!
But the administration can’t have it both ways. If they want the money and energy of progressive activists and union families they have to give us a reason why we should give it to them. We don’t give a rats ass about their priorities or their careers. We were unified during the election because they were supposed to be the path to our priorities. They weren’t.
We are fighting for the same thing we were fighting for before… our issues. But now we’re also fighting to reform the entire system because if there’s one thing that we’ve learned from our landslide electoral victory and our anorexic legislative victories is that the system ain’t working. And where are they on that? Nowhere. They seem to be fine with the system the way it is. Whatever. Everybody makes choices. Back Blanche Lincoln. Coddle Joe Lieberman. But do it without us. Call us after the elections if you’d like to rethink how you are going to handle the next two years.
Filed under: Opinion
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This is the astonishing quote:
“Despite accomplishing much of the check list on the progressive agenda,” the official added, “they risk losing it all unless they come together and put their money on the table.”
I have a LOT more list than I have checks.
The health care reform bill we got was the republican alternative (individual mandates) to the republican alternative (public option) to the republican alternative (company mandates) to actual health care reform (single payer or National Health). Better than nothing (probably) but it is NOT a progressive checkmark.
Corporate intimidation of union organizing continues unimpeded.
Guantanamo is still open.
There have been no investigations, prosecutions or convictions of (probably) criminal activities carried out by the prior administration.
Habeus Corpus is still limited.
Warrantless wiretaps are still legal.
Don’t Ask Don’t Tell is still on the books.
DOMA is still on the books.
There has been no effective response to Citizen’s United. (And by the way, am I the ONLY person who remembers their original name?)
No signed legislation on energy policy or climate change.
No signed legislation on immigration reform.
No signed legislation on banking reform and financial consumer protection.
No effective response to multiple waves of mortgage foreclosures.
No effective job creation program.
Two Supreme Court nominees who are to the right of the Justices they are replacing.
No effective reform of the MMS (!STILL!)
And look, I actually basically LIKE the president. He seems a decent enough guy for a traditionally Republican politician, he gives a darn good speech, and it is refreshing to have someone in charge who can actually pronounce, well … words. Lily Ledbetter Act was nice, there have been some accomplishments on the regulatory side, and I like having a foreign policy that is more nuanced than “Yeah? So’s your mother.”
But when you are asking me to pay up to hold onto the gains I’ve made, you should really make a point of listing a few of those gains explicitly.