Our debate over tax policy has been uncharacteristically spicy, but a diary just rocketed to the top of the rec list (and a comment therein) that sort of clarifies this situation for me... in a way that it hadn't been previously.
The diary is here; you've probably already read it. You may have read my comments in it where I expressed that since the ball was still in congress' court, it was appropriate to keep lobbying them. What sane reason was there to stop?
Then, the diarist told me the reason.
I thought this was a debate (like most of them seem to be anymore) about President Obama. But it isn't. It's a debate about the purpose of this party, and the purpose of progressive activism.
One side believes that what we should be doing is supporting and working for the Working people who are our base.
The other side believes "Eh, sure. Working class people. Whatever. We should be working against rich people!"
I'll be the first to say that that the Republicans are the party of, "Fuck working people. If we just take care of rich people that will work itself out." But the day will never come that I believe that the appropriate Democratic response is, "Fuck working people, if we just go after rich people it will work itself out."
There is a diary at the top of the rec list at DailyKos encouraging people to lobby the President to veto tax cuts for the middle class. After all, it's $35 a paycheck or less! It's peanuts!
Hear that SEIU? AFL-CIO? UAW? Teamsters? $35.00 a paycheck or less? That's peanuts. You don't need that money. You're doing fine. Hear that African Americans? Hispanics? Communities of Color? That money is a mere pittance. Please. What can you buy with that anymore? A couple days worth of groceries? Don't you understand that there are people out there who have YACHTS??? AND HORSE RANCHES???
One thing is crystal clear about our "Fundamental Disagreement." I'm not going to entertain ever again -- even for a brief second -- a lecture from those who feel rightly or wrongly they are more "progressive" than I am about who is "turning the back on the base of the Democratic Party." I know the base of the Democratic Party. I want to support the base of the Democratic Party.
But as some would say, we fundamentally disagree.