[Cross-posted from
The Left Coaster]
There are allegedly two "leadership" positions for Congressional Democrats: Minority Leader in the Senate (Reid NV) and House (Pelosi CA). For legions of Democrats heartsick over the election these two are already failing badly.
The base needs to know that Social Security will not be tampered with and are looking for the "leadership" to ensure its survival. Reid and Pelosi have so far done nothing.
Iron-clad party discipline is required for protecting Social Security. The message needs to go out to both chambers that any Democrat who states that Social Security is in trouble or needs reform is kicked out of the party that day. Not next week, not next month, that day.
If Bush and the Republicans insist on trashing the most successful government program of all time--which was not on the agenda in the election--then the American electorate needs to know it's all theirs. "Bipartisanship" means horrid, utter failure and the loss of Social Security for anything the Republicans attempt.
Atrios already has a Democrat on his Social Security Wall of Shame. Why is that traitor still in the party?
His votes on other matters are not worth having. A united front of course has a much greater chance of defeating any Social Security bomb, but the real message is that Democrats will stand for one of their most precious principles (social insurance) and that nothing--not money, not fear, not bullying, not seats--will ever make them waver from it.
Where is the statement from Reid and Pelosi that Bush is being a rank liar--using that
precise word--with his statements on Social Security? Nowhere.
Where is the leadership blog for both of them? Nowhere.
Where is the Social Security blog set up just for this fight? Nowhere.
Where is the media strategy to save Social Security? Nowhere.
Without a blog and a strategy where is the Democratic base to offer ideas, labor, money, and tactics? Nowhere.
Times have changed. Pelosi and Reid desperately need to understand the base is still vividly interested and will gladly take up the fight to save Social Security--if the reps fight with them. What is the harm, really, in setting up blogs written and administered by hardcore party faithful to glean ideas, community, tools, money, chatter, and great writing from 20 million hardcore liberals as the whips keep every vote in line?
Please trust me, you'll be amazed at the tidal wave of help from the blogs if you just ask and let us do a little. I dare you, I
double-dare you to expect the moon, `cause the galaxy is what you'll get. Y'all have no idea, seriously.
I don't see any harm, but I do see catastrophic risk in meandering into January with shell-shocked old-way defeated Democratic leadership.
I'm not asking for your heads, Nancy and Harry. I'm just asking you to use them in new ways that harness the best of
all Democrats to save Social Security and discover the real future of our party. Is the old way of defeat and oblivion really worth holding on to?