Wake me up when today is over...
I've been napping contentedly--along with the President, Rahm Emanuel and Tim Kaine--here in MA since last November. After a decisive Presidential win, and a convincing primary victory for Coakley in the MA Democratic primary, I was absolutely sure that the Dems were going to take TKs senate seat in a landslide victory against any Republican opponent. No need to spend money here. No need to organize. Save the time and effort. Let me catch up on some much needed sleep.
I've always been a vivid dreamer, but it seemed real enough when the Dems had 60 Senate votes and a large House majority, that we were not going to piss away one year haggling with FOUR or FIVE Democratic malcontents on the wrong end of substantial economic and health care reform, or wooing members of a Republican Party entirely vacant of core political principles (except for the "If Dems propose it, we're against it" doctrine) or any vision of how to help unemployed Americans struggling with the stresses of home loss, medical bills, poverty--and yes, hunger--in the face of multi-million dollar bonuses incentivized by exessive risk taking (with money from the now unemployed and foreclosed) and cadillac health plans enjoyed by Congressional members and other economic elite. Hell, they started the crisis and had exactly 0 IDEAS on how to fix it.
It was also pretty stimulating to have dreams where the President, elected with the political will and energy of Democratic Progressives, was determined to maintain their energy, enthusiasm, and dedication, and expended some political capital to revoke the Defense of Marriage Act, promote aggressive but responsive regulation of the financial sector, and include a public option in the health care package. I hope I didn't wake my wife when I moaned with pleasure as the President adopted the Progressive moniker and did not wait until the DAY OF THE MA ELECTION to favorably characterize Coakley as a Progressive, instead of holding the term at arms length like clothes that have sat wet in the washing machine for 5 or 6 days. This couldn't happen, right?
So I must have had an habanero-laced, taco-induced night terror when I received an email on behalf of the President THE DAY OF THE ELECTION (now archived as a screen shot as well as the original email) that stated:
Philip --
Right now, the polls are open to elect a new senator to the seat that my friend Ted Kennedy held for 47 years.
The choice could not be more stark, and the result could not be of greater consequence -- for Massachusetts or the nation.
The Bay State can send progressive champion Martha Coakley to Washington to fight for everything we believe in -- health reform, getting all of our money back from Wall Street, and holding corporate interests accountable.
Or the Senate can get one more person already walking in lockstep with Washington Republicans...
Thank God that the Dems would never really compromise a lock-down seat, by abandoning the 50-state strategy, arrogantly and complacently assuming Dem victory during volatile economic and cultural flux (albeit in a solid blue state). Nor would they alienate the bloc of voters who gave them every tool required for expansive policy overhauls, only to return to the Progressive agenda when their middle-of-the-road, unambitious agenda is in jeopardy.
So you can wake me at the end of the day... but don't pinch me coz it will really, really hurt.