For me this is the last straw. I just can't believe in this guy anymore. I have no idea what he stands for. What, if anything, he would fight for. If there is a principle, other than compromise, that guides his actions. Really, tell me what he stands for? He parrots Republican language and ideas, then quotes Reagan. And if it is just a ploy, where is the turn around after the point is made. He doesn't come back, he stays right.
Save the apologist BS, and the "I still have faith" BS. Save the "there's nothing he could do about it" BS as well. There was, and he didn't even try. Lofty said it well in an earlier comment from another post: "it takes a democrat to actually do damage to social security and welfare." The most successful and iconic pieces of legislation for the middle class in the last century, and this clown says it's on the bargaining table. THERE ARE NO WORDS! And he is not the only one.
So what do we do as Progressives? Who do we trust, and where do we find candidates? The line between the Republican and Democratic parties in DC is blurred, to put it nicely. As much as I despise the Tea Party position, I do appreciate their bitter hatred of DC. Is there an opportunity for a real Progressive Party to shake up the left? A populist progressive party based in part on the Teddy Roosevelt model, that is willing to fully commit to middle class policies.
I understand the argument that you can't fight the lobbyist, but I think there is an opportunity. With the Tea Party on the right and a progressive party on the left, we might at least reform Washington. The Republicans and centerist Democrats are essentially the same party right now. Nothing will change with that format. But I think the Tea Party and a sizeable group of true progressives could agree on changes for how business gets done. New ethics rules, diclosures and procedural rules that bring reason back into our legislature.
A "super congress," are you kidding me. We're heading in the wrong direction. The Senate rules need to be revised to allow for some sanity. A single Senator should not be allowed to hold up an appointment. The minority should not be able to prevent a vote and effectively kill legislation. Campaign finance is an abomination. Transparency - a promise broken.
Right now, the two party system has inevitable merged to become essentially one. I recognize that the Tea Party has impacted the Republican side. Democrats have been blinded by a promise of hope and change that was nothing more than a campaign slogan. It is time for a Progressive Party to emerge and represent the middle class that the current crop of politicians carrying the Democrat label have left behind.