Rachel Maddow is, in my estimation, the most intellectually honest pundit on television. Calling out Obama, Baucus and Waxman during the first ten minutes of her show was inspiring. Someone in the media has finally said what many of us have been thinking now for weeks. Pelosi aside, the Democratic party is being led by a group of cowards. They absolutely own the federal government right now. They will never have a better chance to pass meaningful healthcare reform, and they nevertheless cower away from the fight that they all knew was coming. My Republican friends called this last year, in their ever so tactful manner "He doesn't have the balls to be President." Man it hurts to be wrong!
As a local activist, who has put over 120 hours into campaigns since 2006, this is about as bad as I have felt about this party since 2000. And really for the same reason. The elected officials have little or no backbone. These guys pound podiums yelling "we will change Washington." Then they get complete control over Washington and fold under pressure from lobbyists and republicans who should be a non-issue. Incredible!
And F### bipartisanship. I have heard enough of that bullshit. It can not be made any clearer that the Republicans are not going to vote for any healthcare reform bill, compromise or not. We don't need them and they are not going to change their tune until we stop acting like we do. If you want to pound these clowns, pass a successful piece of legislation that they voted against. And keep doing it. Any republican that does not have a solidly conservative majority in their district or state will have to risk being labeled an extremist and voted out. Like Rick Santorum in 2006.
Obama is not leading this party. Not like Clinton did when he was heading it. And I was never a big fan of Bill, but he was a leader. I really can't tell if Obama is that politically terrified of not passing something right now, or if Rahm is running the show. I think it is a little of both, and either way he is not leading this party or this country.
You can't always draw a line in the sand in politics, but once in a while you have to do just that and this is one of those times. Obama needs to step up, with Reid and Pelosi, and say to the rest of them- you are either with us or against us on this one. If your against us on this issue, then you are dead to us. This issue will define this administration and this party in 2010. Success or failure. We will dry up every source of fundraising we have control over and we will recruit a qualified candidate to run against you in the primary. The consequences for turning against us on this issue are going to be very real. That takes a real leader.