I was watching TV the other night and I could swear I heard it "reported" that Obama was telling some members of congress that he wished the "left wing" would lay off the Blue Dogs.
I can't find a news article to back that up, so it could have been Harry Reid talking... but just in case there is a scintilla of truth to that, I think we need to have a "come to Jesus" moment here....
First, the bad news:
As I look out across the coverage today I see the media circlinig like sharks smelling blood.
The Washington Post: How Obama might lose on health-care reform argues that if tax receipts fall enough and Republicans win in VA and NJ, Democrats will wind up on "the wrong side of public opinion." Never mind the solid majorities in both houses, the governor's mansions, and the White House itself.
I’d bet members of Congress, especially Democrats, are watching those two races for indications of Obama’s political strength and, by extension, the political advisability of backing him on health care. The latest polls must have sent chills down many a Democratic spine. And if the Republican leads hold up through the fall, Dems' fears of winding up on the wrong side of public opinion can only grow.
The Wall Street Journal: Dems vs. Dems is even more blunt:
The news is how the political left and its lobbies are roughing up fellow Democrats who won’t get with President Obama’s government-run program. They’re treating the centrists who helped make them a majority as if they were Newt Gingrich without the social conscience.
I'm not even going to address the canard in that last line, except to say I never expected to see a sentence with "Newt Gingrich" and "conscience" in the same sentence.
Out in local markets, the Chicago Tribune is pretty representative: Democrats face hostile homecomings from health care reform critics
An effigy of Rep. Frank Kratovil was hung outside his office on the Eastern Shore of Maryland. Rep. Steve Kagen of Wisconsin was shouted down by angry constituents. Rep. Tim Bishop of New York had such a raucous experience with critics on Long Island that he is avoiding town hall meetings for more manageable settings.
The spark for the political firestorm surrounding these lawmakers has been President Barack Obama's effort to overhaul the health care system. The debate has gotten especially ugly now that Congress has adjourned for a monthlong summer recess, and critics have mobilized in force.
The intensity of the opposition is a pointed reminder of how hard it will be for Democrats to sell voters on a broad reworking of the health care system, even though they hold commanding majorities in Congress.
Where do we hear alternative concerns from such "radicals" and "leftists" as Senator Jay Rockefeller? The Washington Times! Rockefeller bemoans health reform delay minces no words:
Sen. John D. Rockefeller IV, West Virginia Democrat, said the bill is getting "weaker and weaker" as the Senate Finance Committee tries to hammer out a bipartisan deal.
"Everything depends on six people, three Democrats and three Republicans ... negotiating out what's going to happen," Mr. Rockefeller said.
Now, the good news:
We won a decisive victory in November because people on the left got out there and worked the streets, bringing loads of new participants into the process. We also raised a considerable amount of the cash for this campaign. I raise the second point because one of the Post's points is that money is going to drive this debate.
After the 2006 elections, when the left put its muscle on the street, we supported Dems across the board -- even if we had to hold our noses. We were promised "no more blank checks" and "rule of law" and "oversight" , etc. etc. I wrote, MacDubya: A Modern Tragedy on the heels of that win, hoping the final scene would come to pass:
Scene V. The Capitol
Order is restored and power returned to a frail, but recovering Patria when Pelosi hails the Constitution as sole instrument of true authority and ends with the famous line:
"To truly put things aright,
overlooked is not what's meant
when we say oversight."
As the curtain drops, the TV sputters to life one final time. We see C-SPAN covering a House committee meeting. We hear the bang of a gavel and the unmistakable baritone of John Conyers' voice declaring "These long overdue hearings will now come to order."
But I was wrong. Our Lady of the Perptually Clean Tables disregarded the concerns of those who brought her to power. People like me, who had worked so hard and donated so much time, money and effort, felt betrayed. I went on strike.
I explained why not a single dime, not a single phone call, not a single minute of my time was going to be wasted on a charade. My position was clear and has never changed:
I am on strike until Democratic Leadership
consistently demonstrates a credible commitment
to a clearly progressive agenda.
That was not popular here. There were those who felt we needed to simply go along. I demurred. Then came New Hampshire and for the first time I had hope. After listening and to that speech, I found the spoken word poetry of Darian Dauchan and was struck by the truth of this line:
It's like our hearts have been broken and we are learning to love again.
By the end of March I was willing to take that risk, and wrote Doubting Obama, examining the evidence we had of Obama's character as displayed here on Daily Kos. In the end, I concluded:
I realize that for some, the nagging question of whether he is too good to be true or not will always remain. The truth is you can scour Obama's words and actions from here to the end of time and they will never serve as portals to his soul. Fortunately, that is not necessary. We are not seeking to canonize a saint. We are seeking to hire a chief executive we reasonably believe will faithfully execute the office of President of the United States, and will to the best of their ability, preserve, protect and defend the Constitution of the United States.
But it wasn't just words. Along with a lot of people I hit the streets. And raised money. In just one day and one solicitation we raised more money for Barack Obama's campaign than the average American makes in a month! The result? We won! Yes.We.Did.
The moment of truth:
That gave us the opportunity to change everything, but it doesn't guarantee us anything. Now we stand at a crossroads. The time to pick a path that will change our destiny lays before us. We did not get here easily. We earned the right to be here. But we did not do this for ourselves. We did it so we could leave a legacy worthy of those who would come after us. There is no point in backing up. Nothing back there will help us. We have all been here before.
Johnson stood on this same spot in 1964.
Roosevelt stood on this same spot in 1935.
Lincoln stood on this same spot in 1863.
Franklin stood on this same spot in 1787.
I think Franklin's words have merit today:
Much of the strength and efficiency of any government, in procuring and securing happiness to the people, depends on opinion, on the general opinion of the goodness of that government, as well as of the wisdom and integrity of its governors. I hope, therefore, for our own sakes, as a part of the people, and for the sake of our posterity, that we shall act heartlily and unanimously in recommending this Constitution, wherever our influence may extend, and turn our future thoughts and endeavors to the means of having it well administered.
On the whole, Sir, I cannot help expressing a wish, that every member of the Convention who may still have objections to it, would with me on this occasion doubt a little of his own infallibility, and, to make manifest our unanimity, put his name to this Instrument.
I can say with a clear conscience I know we have compromised. We have been flexible. We have extended the hand of bipartisanship. Call me crazy, but I don't think I can work with folks who think lynching people is funny. That's why I say reaching an agreement simply to say there is an agreement will birth a chimera, a folly, and ultimately result in wasting valuable time.
Time grows short.
Mr. President, we are behind you but at this crossroads you have to make the ultimate decision:
Lead, Follow, or Get.Out.Of.The.Way.