[Cross-posted at The Left Coaster.]
Paul Krugman obviously hasn’t, but just three days after the pitch with an announced health care summit (?) and the Super Bowl even the most satiated political junkie would be forgiven a blank look to the question. You know, Richard Shelby (R-AL), another huge jerk the Senate is so good at inflicting on us all, blocking all Obama appointments until he can pork it for his homies in Alabama some more.
Had we competent political actors representing us an instant reaction would not have occurred: watching a hanging curve go by, meaning—yet again, for the thousandth god damn time from the Obama people—this huge fat blimp of a political pitch is sailing in over the political plate of American politics, Hindenburg all the way, just sitting there with all the time and ease in the world to absolutely crush, to hit a desperately-needed way-easy tape-measure shut-the-fuck-up-Republican home run.
Let’s be crystal clear about what’s happening here, Shelby is being a grossly hypocritical asshole, yes, his squirrelly constituents still vote for him, fine, the issue is that Shelby is bullying Senate Democrats and the Obama Administration, since there never has been any pushback from horrible Republican tactics all year of course the goons keep upping the ante, the level of outrageousness and humiliation rising by the month.
All of this could be stopped in 15 minutes with Obama calling Shelby out personally and humiliating him for it. Then Emanuel for 5 minutes the next day, Gibbs one more time the next, and so on. But, incredibly, the Obama Administration brayed awful political weakness from day one, they were going to be so above it all (right) in a plane of serene bipartisanship, so this constant crude Republican knifing has never stopped. Indeed, only become worse, as Shelby, a classic Senate asshole, just demonstrated.
In the real American world we live in there is no Democratic Party Wurlitzer media machine to rev up and crush Shelby for being such a fool, Yglesias, Krugman, Meyerson, Balloon Juice and The Left Coaster aren’t equal to Rush Limbaugh and television, no. So grow up and deal, the disadvantage is easily obviated by using the official position slots to hammer the media message home every day.
Oh that’s right, please excuse me, the New Way, the Mature Way (heh) is to leave all that shouting and political knifing in the past, we’re so sick of it all, the Messiah of American Bipartisan Politics [smirks] will accomplish great things by bringing us together with Republicans like Shelby and Cheney in summits.
So the great hanging political curve of last Friday, already rapidly slipping away as these pixels glow on, is about to vanish and disappear, as have so many other great easy political opportunities in the last year. Krugman sees it, Yglesias and Meyerson see it, hell everyone does, there is still one day left, one more news cycle, to start the swing that smashes this out the park. Again, it’s easy but liberal media voices can’t do it on their own, not in the United States we live in.
If it doesn’t happen partisan realism Democrats like yours truly will be immensely frustrated, embarrassed, and horribly mortified we got so shamefully punked by some dweeb Senator asshole yet again. Why is this not difficult to understand? Political failure begets political failure, that too is just the way of our world, I’m not going to help or cheer the fool asses on who allege to hold authority in this disintegrating country, making gross mistakes when they damn well should know better. Are we Republicans? Jesus.
If we can’t fight back against turds for human beings like Shelby, what kind of Democrats does that make us? Millions of American souls look at us every day to seriously, earnestly ask that question without the blinders of some bullshit fantasy that American is in a New Age of Bipartisan Leadership, no, and the answer they often get is that Democrats seriously need some psychiatry and psychology help—fast—for they appear to be in a Stockholm-like syndrome where they like taking abuse, a sick sycophantic reaction occurs instead of the normal fighting from gross Republican abuses.
I’m not wrong on this, neither is Krugman, nor is Yglesias or Meyerson or Tim at Balloon Juice. Until Obama and Democratic Party leadership actively fight back every day (man we’re all so tired of speeches about fighting) on precise specifics the Democratic Party and liberal political goals will continue to be in a lot of trouble.