Thanks to Jim in Chicago and mcjoan, for noting my post on Paul Krugman's column on Partisanship, FDR and Obama.
As anyone who has read me on the subject would know, I am a strong, even strident, proponent, of Fighting Partisan Dems. But to hear pyrrho tell it, I have dissuaded a call for partisanship and fight on the minimum wage. This is completely false.
Senator Ted Kennedy demonstrated to pyrrho and everyone who wants to learn how it is done - not by trying to invent some procedural parlor game - but to actually use the power of the majority to control the agenda, speaking times, news cycles and the like.
Ted Kennedy showed how to be partisan from the majority. As will Russ Feingold on Iraq. I beg my friends to understand that while Obama is wrong, as Krugman clearly demonstrated, it is just as wrong to tilt at windmills when we have the power, the ammunition, the orators and the soldiers to win the partisan battle from the majority the right way. The effective way.
Pressure our Democrats? ALWAYS. EVERY DAY. But pressure them to do what is right and POSSIBLE; do not scream at them for NOT doing the impossible and the ridiculous. Partly because it is not fair. But more importantly because such yells will become ignored and indeed pointless.
For anyone in New York City this weekend, if they are interested in discussing this issue with me further, and in person, let me know - I am in New York now and through Monday afternoon.