So, a couple of months ago I published a diary with an unfortunate title suggesting that Dan Choi and other gay activists should stop agitating against Obama, when he was doing his best to end DADT. I was excoriated in the comments by people who called me a homophobe, troll, etc. Well, here you go. The Faustian bargain of BIll Clinton is finally gone, and our military can now join the 21st century (really the end of the 20th!).
Well, the electon passed as I had feared, and we are now in for the most reactionary Congress in history. I am sure that we will be seeing some eye-popping ignorance flowing out of the House in the next year. With only a 52 seat majority in the Senate, Obama can say goodbye to his agenda for the next 2 years. We will end up seeing more triangulation like the tax cuts for billionaires we just witnessed. Maybe we will see the GOP "bargain away" $7 billion for the 9/11 healthcare bill in order to receive small business tax cuts and a pony made out of caviar.
My new point is that I think Reid needs to play serious hardball next year. It is ridiculous that conservadem Senators can support GOP filibusters against Democratic agenda bills without consequence. Tester, Baucus, Pryor, Nelson, and Hagan voted against cloture rather than having the guts to vote no on the DREAM Act. 2 things need to happen right away in the next Congress:
- Biden needs to invoke a rule change, and the 52 Dems need to stand together to support Udall's changes to the filibuster. Let's see those bastards stand on the Senate floor and explain why innocent children should be punished because their parents risked their lives to pick our vegetables and wash our dishes.
- Reid needs to jerk away the committee chairmanships of any Senator that backed a GOP filibuster in the last session. That is within his power, and would send a strong message. Screw those guys.