The Democrats are close to doomed. The Republicans are poised to label them everything in the book, Conservatives are shutting down the government, and the media has radicalized the right-wing right to the line of revolution. Not being a fan of football, this sounds a lot like the famous Hail Mary pass. The Democrats could still technically win. The polls show them more favored than the Republicans as well as more numerous. However, the Democrats are on their 15-yard line. They stand close to being labeled as Wall-street friendly, bail-out inducing, liberals. They got the snap (the Bush Administration), pumped-faked left (Change you can believe in), turned to the right (T. Geithner, L. Summers, etc.), and threw a long-distance pass (Healthcare) to a quarterback (the vast majority of people) covered by the opposing team (Health Insurance Corporations). The difference is that there are 41 members of the Vikings (Republicans) and the Cowboys (Democrats) only have 59 (because 59<41 obviously). So how can R. Staubach (B. Obama) succeed?</p>
There are steps to make sure the ball has a higher chance of success:
- Kill the current bill. This will embolden the Republicans and some Conservatives (B. Lincoln, etc.) This is what you want. The Republicans must be riding high after winning the special election and in their hubris (their well known hubris) they will continue doing what they are doing (obstructing). Again, you want this.
- Prepare the groundwork. At this point, you have one piece of potential leverage over the Left and this is the fact that they are desperate to get something. This is what you want. The left-wing must be enraged and must be threatening and preparing for a scorched earth policy. By killing the bill, and seemingly surrendering, they will. At this point, you get your all-stars in the Senate (C. Schumer, T. Harkin, etc.) to rally everyone but the Conservatives (K. Conrad, etc.) and, if unnecessary, the principled proceduralists (R. Feingold is the most notable).
- Put up the Public Option for a flash vote. “Flash vote” is a vote not scheduled to take very long. Start whipping for the vote.
- Accept notification of the filibuster. The Republicans, now even more blood thirsty, are in a blood haze and not thinking. Further, the Conservatives will be threatening to join. This is great, especially if the Obama administration is with you.
- Vote for cloture. As soon as possible take a cloture vote. When it fails, and it should, let the filibuster continue.
- The shutting down of the government. This should be allowed to continue. Day after day, night after night the Conservatives should be seen on C-span reading from the phone book. Along with their readings, the Democrats should be everywhere about the fact that the majority, in the Senate and in the nation as a whole, want the Public Option and yet the vote is not being allowed. Further, the Senate cannot do anything else because this bill is clogging the Senate (if this part happens close enough to something extremely important like appropriations then highlight that).
- Allow B. Sanders to press the button. At this point, say 15 days into the filibuster, B. Sanders starts the chain of reaction that is infamously known as the “nuclear option”. Because of earlier whipping, there should be enough “yes” votes and, if not, then buy off the people who you can (R. Feingold for example would if you give him a vote on war funding or something). NOTE: B. Sanders should push it as revenge for obstructing his amendment (a P.R. point that should be made). However, it might look better not to have the only confirmed socialist start this.
- Pass the bills. Thus, pass the bill with the 50 Senators (and 1 vice-president) needed and move on to something else that would otherwise be dead but that is more directly related to the economy (anything from the Glass-Steagall act to a new stimulus).
After this, strip J. Lieberman of everything. Finally, at the launch of Wesley Clark's/Bill Halter's campaign for Senate (I would go with the military guy if he could do it), you could say something like this: "If the Democrats run for cover, if we become pale carbon copies of the opposition, we will lose--and deserve to lose." (T. Kennedy) or “Corporate Democrats are the velvet glove on the Republican iron fist.” (Unknown) and make an example out of B. Lincoln that those who stand in the way of progress is washed away by the tide.
Could the Democrats still lose? Yes. Now however, it all would come down to how the wind blows.