Reply #87: Are you always this dramatic? And a bunch of little Joe Liebermans wouldn't be the worst thing in [View All]

[MADem]

the world, frankly. It's by no means the BEST thing, but it beats the hell out of a bunch of little Bill Frists.

He has a blind spot about a few issues, I disagree with him vehemently on some things, but he's a social liberal in MANY areas, and that hits some buttons for me. Check his entire voting record before you cry to me about the sky falling. Lieberman, on most things, is more liberal than Bayh. On some things he's more liberal than Obama-touter and Obama campaign buddy Casey. He's more liberal on somee things than Jim Webb.

In fact, on many issues, he and Barack Obama are in lockstep. They weren't paired as Mentor and Protoge simply because they pulled names out of a hat--they are in ideological accord in many ways and are fond of one another. It's why Obama 'took Joe back' even after his grand betrayal of endorsing McCain.


I don't know what you want, really. This coalition has formed because it CAN, you see. They're consolidating their efforts and resources to make their voices heard. The progressives should note their discipline, and try doing likewise every so often instead of sitting on their hands, not speaking out, not putting their best voices (as opposed to their flakiest voices) out front, and engaging the issues on the merits instead of squawking perpetually and ineffectively. It's how sausage is made up on the HIll--but the progressives are all vegans and don't seem to get the process.

Those Blue Dogs aren't gonna fuck with the issues that are sincerely near and dear to Obama's heart. The ones that campaigned for him, and there are MANY, certainly not. What they might do, though, is give Obama the Closet Centrist some cover with the progressive crowd, who still believe he's more to the left than he actually is, refuse to acknowledge that his views on Afghanistan are long-held (and he's not being "forced" to do anything there), and who are are clamoring for stuff Obama never promised and isn't going to deliver, so Obama can give you a nudge and a wink, and say "Yeah, I was with ya, but those darned Blue Dawgs, ya know...."

See, he's not going to TELL you "Where are ya gonna go?" That would hurt your feelings. He doesn't want to hurt your feelings. He wants you to vote for him in four years' time.

But the result will be the same. You'll continue to regard Obama as a more progressive element than he actually is, pitted against Blue Dog elements who would betray him if they could. Obama, then, will be free to prosecute a centrist agenda, using these guys to cover his tracks. The benefit for the Blue Dogs? If things go squirrely, they've got an "out."

The Blue Dogs who "need" to vote against legislation favored by the President, because their constituencies will fire them if they don't, will be allowed to, after the votes are counted and the measure will pass even without those votes (like the stimulus package). LBJ knew how to count votes as Majority Leader, and Harry Reid does, too. They'll get permission first, though. Otherwise, they'll be on their own come reelection time, and they'd better have fat PACS because the national committee ain't gonna help 'em.

This is reality. Don't shoot the messenger.