ConservaDems are OK with failure

[SpartanDem]

I think the fact is for whatever reason they just don't give damn and their stubbornness just boggles my mind given the months of arms twisting. It just pisses me off to think that we get this far only for these four assholes to dictate to everyone else in the party what's in the bill.


Put it this way: imagine there's a big meeting with every member of the Democratic caucus in both chambers. You stand at the front of the room and make a presentation: "If health care reform falls apart after having come this far, tens of millions of Americans will suffer; costs will continue to soar; the public will perceive Democrats as too weak and incompetent to act on their own agenda; the party will lose a lot of seats in the midterms and possible forfeit its majority; and President Obama will have suffered a devastating defeat that will severely limit his presidency going forward. No one will even try to fix the dysfunctional system again for decades, and the existing problems will only get worse."

For progressive Democrats, the response would be, "That's an unacceptable outcome, which we have to avoid."

For conservative Democrats, the response would be, "We can live with failure."

This necessarily affects negotiations. One contingent wants to avoid failure; the other contingent considers failure a satisfactory outcome. Both sides know what the other side is thinking.

Yes, progressive Democrats can force the issue, keep the bill intact, and force Nelson, Landrieu, Lieberman, and Lincoln to kill the legislation, in the process making clear exactly who was responsible for the debacle. But that's cold comfort -- the goal isn't to position center-right Dems to take the blame for failure; the goal ostensibly is to pass a bill that will do a lot of good for a lot of people.

The push for more "compromise" isn't going to be pretty.

http://www.washingtonmonthly.com/archives/individual/2009_11/021125.php

[Guy Whitey Corngood]

1. They don't see it as failure.

They see it as a very lucrative outcome.

[Zodiak]

2. And they dont give a shit if Democrats lose power

They operate much better when Republicans are in power. Then the REAL money comes in betraying their party...and they can remain relatively anonymous.

These people are moles and should be shunned and primaried out on their ass.

[Rosa Luxemburg]

11. They are selfish

[AlinPA]

13. The Blue Dogs are pulling in the bucks now. Those brown envelopes under the tables

of DC restaurants are stuffed with payoffs.

[jenmito]

3. They're "moderates" according to the "liberal" MSM.

:eyes:

[ClarkUSA]

4. Kucinich is okay with it, too. He votes w/Republicans more than any ConservaDem. nt

[jenmito]

5. Yup. Fair is fair. n/t

[Egnever]

6. Many on the far left are of the same mindset

its not just the conservadems. Between the two of them hopefuly we get a nice balance.

[w4rma]

7. But none of them hold seats in the Senate. (nt)

[ClarkUSA]

9. That's one way of putting it... you are a born diplomat.

;)

[BlueIdaho]

8. That's because they are republicans. nt.

[mddem9850]

10. Yup, disgusting bastards

[Bleacher Creature]

12. Who the hell unrec'd this thread?

It totally and completely sucks, but it's also true. Today is the first day in quite a while where I believe that the public option is doomed, and this article is exactly the reason why. That said, don't shoot the messenger.

[Cha]

14. Rec'd~ Thanks Spartan.. those who don't vote for

it don't care about the people, just themselves and if they can survive the next election.