Congressional Democrats may lack something more essential than the courage of their convictions. They appear not to have much in the way of convictions to begin with.
Whatever else one might say about the Republicans when they ruled Congress, the GOP never hesitated to exercise its political muscle. So what if they needed a three-hour vote in the middle of the night to throw billions of dollars at big Phama by a single vote majority? Contrast that with the Democrats' pathetic efforts appear bipartisan at the cost of denying the nation desperately needed jobs creation.
If President Obama won't take advantage of his current high public approval and demand an effective stimulus, targeted at government spending that will create jobs quickly and tax relief that will translate fairly immediately into increased consumer demand, that approval will quickly dissipate.
The Democrats seem desperately afraid of another 1994, when they lost majorities following their courageous first step at arresting and reversing deficit spending, accomplished without a single Republican vote. Do they actually believe that they can maintain (much less build) their current majorities on a platform of "We would have done more, but we were afraid to try"?
The Democrats are bargaining against themselves, starting with a House bill that over-compromised on the ratio of tax cuts to spending. They should get behind a bill that they actually believe will address our economic crisis, and, in a gesture of how the game should be played, invite the Republicans to propose an alternative.
It is sad but true that there are no Congressional giants to carry the ball. President Obama will have to lead the charge. If he does not (or worse, will not), his country and his party may be doomed.