From www.rollcall.com
Partisan Wars Erupt in Senate
Health Care Reform Races the Clock
As Senate Democratic leaders sought to shore up their last holdout on the road to a filibuster-proof vote for health care reform, Republicans began a procedural offensive intended to blunt the bill’s momentum, or at the very least deny Democrats a victory before Dec. 25.
The Democrats suck at governing. If you doubt that statement stroll over to the Google and see how many legislative accomplishments they've had this year. They have been miserable failures at pushing any major legislation through the Congress. And why is that you may well ask? Simple. The leaders of the party are ineffectual pussies.
Harry Reid and Nancy Pelosi can share the award for the Worst Party Leaders of the Last Twenty Years. While Pelosi has had a modicum of success in churning out bills in the House it has not been a cake walk considering her majority. But she has been stymied and opposed not only by the Republican minority whose tag team of John Boehner and Eric Cantor take to the airwaves daily to dismiss, obstruct, deceive, and dissemble over every bill and proposal but also by the fractious "Blue Dog" Democrats who are diametrically opposed to the more liberal leaning element of the party. But passing legislation in the House is easy-peasy when you compare it to the insane asylum that is the United States Senate. Add to that the fact that Pelosi's demeanor and Nurse Ratchet persona sticks in the craw of the Republicans as well as some Democrats and you can see why the House proceedings resemble an orchestra of scalded cats.
There has probably not been a truly successful Democratic Senate Leader since Lyndon Johnson. And Harry Reid is no exception. In Webster's Dictionary next to the word "ineffectual" is his picture. Yes, yes, I know. The arcane rules and procedures of the Senate are designed to enable the minority to block and tackle any and all bills that do not suit their agenda. But that didn't seem to stop the Republicans from steamrolling the Dems when they were in power. For the first time in years, the Dems control the White House, the Senate, and the House. No probs, right? Wrong. And why? Discipline...or rather the lack thereof.
In the court of public opinion, the Republicans are beating the crap out of the Democrats. Even as they are branded as the party of "No" and openly admit that their goal is to bring down Obama and this administration, the public welfare be damned, they are still winning in the polls. Why? They are unified. They have a consistent message. They are always on point. They are masters of the game. And most importantly, they have a leadership that knows how to maintain discipline within the ranks. This has allowed them to effectively stop any and all legislative goals that Obama set for the party last January. The premier example is of course the soon to be defeated Health Care Reform legislation.
The Republicans with the help of their corporate overlords have convinced the American public that health care for all will be the ruination and downfall of the American economy. Taxes, taxes, taxes, death panels, health care rationing, government control of your body, taxes, taxes, taxes. Game. Set. And match. And let's not forget the help that some Democrats who are more concerned about winning reelection next year than keeping their fellow citizens alive has aided the Republican blitzkrieg. And don't get me started about Joe Lieberman.
Without strong leadership and party discipline over the next three years, the plans and goals of the Obama administration are doomed. One thing is for certain. The Republicans are going to keep this up until 2012. And to paraphrase the Ghost of Christmas Present in A Christmas Carol "If these shadows remain unaltered" there will be no second Obama administration.
Update:
WASHINGTON -- Less than a year after Inauguration Day, support for the Democratic Party continues to slump, amid a difficult economy and a wave of public discontent, according to a new Wall Street Journal/NBC News poll.
The findings underscored how dramatically the political landscape has changed during the Obama administration's first year. In January, despite the recession and financial crisis, voters expressed optimism about the future, the new president enjoyed soaring approval ratings, and congressional leaders promised to swiftly pass his ambitious agenda.
In December's survey, for the first time, less than half of Americans approved of the job President Barack Obama was doing, marking a steeper first-year fall for this president than his recent predecessors.