How do you win a streetfight with sociopaths? This is the question Democrats have to answer. Even with all of the accommodating and compromising, only 3 Republicans are even considering voting for the stimulus and they aren't guaranteed until the vote is actually cast. The vast majority of the Republican party has the character of Dick Cheney and Rush Limbaugh. The rest are just too ignorant or hateful and bigoted to see that they are supporting the very people who aim to do them the most damage. I just saw the 'new most important person on the planet and loving every minute of it' Susan Collins say if the plan goes over 800 billion, she would not vote for it. At least she admitted the majority of the rest of her colleagues would not vote for it basically no matter what.
How do you win when the enemy is insane and you need at least 3 of them to go along with you? Add to that the vile, traitorous 'blue dog' Democrat who yearns only for the approval of the nearest sociopath and hates the (D) beside his/her own name. I actually believe that we are lucky to be getting the bill that appears to be on the table right now. It will be a relief when they actually vote, I don't trust that even the few R's can hold on for too long. They will be gotten to and pressured, esp. Specter (he is notorious for saying one thing and voting something else).
You can't make someone who has no conscience and no sense of decency or shame do anything. They obviously do not give a damn about this country or the people in it. If it does not benefit their party or corporate interests, the whole planet can go up in flames as far as they are concerned.
I know that the bill is not what we want, but we will never get what we really want because we have to negotiate with pathologically dishonest and cold-blooded people who WILL NEVER DO THE RIGHT THING NO MATTER WHAT THE CONSEQUENCES EVEN WHEN THEY KNOW IT'S THE RIGHT THING!
Of course the President made a negotiating error that is surprising for a lawyer and someone who cut his teeth in Chicago politics. He thought if he came to the table with goodies for the R's, they would ...LOL...be reasonable....ha!...and sign on for the good of the country. Well, I'm sure someone, somewhere tried to tell him, but here we are.
What gives me hope is that the President seems to learn quickly and I think he now realizes that just because he was able to schmooze and charm Republicans in Illinois to be more cooperative, they were not the psychopaths he has to deal with now and if he gives them an inch, they and their media accomplices will knit a rope and hogtie him with it and laugh at him while the country collapses around us all.
The good news is, were only three weeks into this and he should have the lay of the land now and understand what will be required from here on. Hopefully.