There are few more arrogant and wrongheaded statements of policy and intent than that offered by Jim DeMint in his own words:
"If we're able to stop Obama on this, it will be his Waterloo. It will break him, and will show that we can, along with the American people [an afterthought] begin to push those "freedom solutions" [what the hell is he talking about? As opposed to socialism, I guess] that work in every area of our society.
There are many odd things about that short statement, not least of which is the idea that only one side fought at Waterloo, which is why Napoleon must have lost. Therefore, any reference to Waterloo here on in must refer to the losing side.
Of course, there was a triumphant side to that as well. And Republicans are getting mighty nervous about the fact that the Waterloo analogy might not be working out for them as planned.
Robert Shrum wrote a lovely post about the scorecard: Is Obama winning?
I doubt that congressional Democrats will heed the solicitous advice of Republicans that the only way to save themselves politically is to forsake health reform. They understand, as the president has argued, that they are far better off with Americans experiencing the bill than fearing it. I’m also convinced that enough members of the Progressive Caucus will consult their consciences—and conclude that health coverage for 30 million more Americans is more urgent than even the best-intentioned demand for all or nothing. (If the GOP and the insurance industry so bitterly oppose the bill, then it must be worth passing.)
In fact, looking at who's aligned against change, and who is writing about it, is rather instructive. For example we have (David Bielspiel's description) geezer pollsters Caddell and Schoen warning Democrats' blind ambition : Health-reform push could spell doom for the party..., easily refuted here by Joel Benenson, if anyone actually cared what Caddell and Schoen had to say. Doug Schoen in 2008 brilliantly predicted an easy win for John McCain if only he'd pick Joe Lieberman for VP:
Sen. John F. Kerry tried hard to recruit McCain as his running mate in 2004. Had McCain agreed, Kerry would almost certainly be president today. By offering the vice presidency to a well-regarded moderate such as his old friend Joe Lieberman, McCain would go a long way to ensuring victory in November -- unless Clinton or Obama beats him to the punch.
Uh, yeah. The fact that the GOP delegates would have walked out en masse from their own nominating convention doesn't play into the equation? Only in Washington are repeated failures rehired on the theory that they are 'experienced'. It's the same theory that rehires baseball managers, and brings John McCain back to Meet the Press every Sunday, and makes reporters cover whatever accusation comes out of Dick Cheney's mouth as if it's seriously thought out and reflects policy.
Then there's our friends, the Republicans.
The Senate Republican leader, Mitch McConnell of Kentucky, warned Democrats on Tuesday that Republicans would use the issue of health care to bludgeon them in the November midterm elections if Democrats succeeded in passing a comprehensive overhaul.
Really? If it's so devastating to Democrats, just sit back and let it pass, Mitch. Let's call your bluff.
We also have the propaganda machine on the right, the ones who have labeled this "ObamaCare" and "socialized medicine". The trouble is, Obama remains popular and for that matter, so is socialized medicine. There's nothing as dumb as an argument that says "I don't want your government-run health care plan, and don't touch my Medicare."
So where do things really stand? Here
The office of Rep. Chris Van Hollen, who is the assistant to Speaker Pelosi, sent a memo to Democratic staffers today telling them to clear members' schedule for next weekend, saying a vote could come as early as Friday or Saturday, and noting that it was no coincidence that President Obama pushed back his trip abroad from March 18 to March 21st.
and here (sensitivity set to "high"):
I don't recall if the original Waterloo was a scheduled event, but chances are CSPAN didn't cover it the way this century's version will be. The question for Republicans is what's their plan B?
Update [2010-3-14 15:24:21 by DemFromCT]:: Kaiser Health News covers the Sunday shows and increasing Dem confidence: Confident Democrats Predict House Passes Health Bill This Week