Unless the Obama administration is willing to work late, complete missing asignments and listen to something other than their collective ego, they will be on academic probation in Nov 2010.
Progressives must also face reality - this bunch doesn't have a clue. And why should they? When you are swept into office after four years in the Senate and receive a Nobel Peace prize while sending 30,000 troops to a 9 year old war, you should feel omnipotent.
Does anyone remember the 1994 debacle? What was the cause? Not failed healthcare reform. The root cause was the spectacle of Democratic gasbags disagreeing with each other in public every day, relentlessly. And they disagreed in ways the average person didn't understand or care about. Some even tried to be cute about it. Which of course makes it much worse.
The 1994 debacle could have been a rallying point for Democrats but they clung to their status quo power elite and who suffered? Everyone!
So let's not make the same mistake in 2010. Hopefully voters will remove Reid and Lincoln from the Senate ranks and even if we sink to minority status, we can become strong.
Wanting to become strong is different than being strong. The diffence is our willingness to pay the price. When we hear the siren call of the power elite that we can be strong without paying the price we must tie ourselves to the mast and shout No, No, No.
First item on the list: Will everyone please shut up! Democratic legislators must stop making public statements that hurt our cause. And if the leaders can't control them, then we need new leaders.
Second item: We must insist on having leaders that are clearly focused on issues and know "how the cow eats the corn" in our legislative process. And they must not be afraid to fight. Standing up to idiotic bullies comes with the territory and even if you are likely to get a tooth knocked out or a bloody nose, you have to take on the fight. (Are you listening Jay?)