Ezra Klein posted an interview with Senator Rockefeller today that I think all progressives should read. What's most interesting to me is not what he said about the Baucus bill or health care reform generally, but what he said about the difference between Republicans and Democrats.
More after the fold.
After discussing the current state of play in the Finance Committee, Klein asked Rockefeller about Sen. Snowe.
I think the world of Olympia Snowe. She's got incredible courage, and the Republican leadership is brutal in the way they apply pressure. Much more so than the Democrats.
And there it is in a nutshell. Why do Republicans stick together, even if that means they go over a cliff like lemmings?? Because their leadership isn't afraid to play hardball and use whatever methods are at their disposal to whip votes. Meanwhile, Empty Suit Reid wrings his hands and cries "Woe is me. I just don't have the votes."
Klein asks for an example, and Rockefeller contrasts George Mitchell's refusal to allow President Clinton into a Senate Dem caucus with Cheney's attendance at most GOP Senate caucus meetings.
He adds:
That's why whether it's intelligence or environment or elsewhere, they bring the hammer down in a way Democrats aren't good at, which I'm sort of glad about.
This is the really frustrating part. Even though the lack of effective Senate leadership is squandering our chance to win reforms that could save the lives of hundreds of thousands of Americans over the next decade, Senator Rockefeller prefers to live in a world where he's not pressured by leadership to make a tough vote.
With friends like these, who needs enemies.
Read the full interview at http://voices.washingtonpost.com/...