You know that nagging feeling you've been experiencing over the last few weeks as the debate over the public option has raged and you've slowly come to realize that the real problem appears to lie with those damn...Democrats?
Last week Bill Maher called out Obama for pussy-footing around in the face of an audacious onslaught from Corporate America. He made clear that the President needs to show a little audacity of his own if he hopes to beat the health care companies, the energy companies, and the legions of powerful lobbyists swarming Capitol Hill.
Well, tonight he called out Corporate America's wholly-owned human subsidiaries in the US Congress, specifically those in the Democratic Party.
Maher's diagnosis was spot on. If our hopes for Progressive solutions are dashed it will be for the very simple reason that the Democratic Party - the one we all worked so hard to get in the majority so it could finally do the will of the people - is in fact a center-right party just as beholden to corporate interests as Republicans. What that means for the legislation we all hold dear, we are beginning to see.
I'm not posting this diary because I have any intention of giving up. As Kos has said many times, taking our ball and going home is not an option. I plan to fight these corporate Dems as hard as I fought their brothers across the aisle, but to do that effectively, we all need to acknowledge exactly where things stand.
As Maher put it so brilliantly: Democrat is the new Republican. Take it away Bill!
[The relevant portion begins 2:00 minutes in]
UPDATE:
Wow! First time on the rec list. Thanks to everyone for their comments and a special shout out to wiseacre: Keep up the good work. I grew up in Katy, Texas and know a lot of people down there who voted for Obama. Never forget we elected Ann Richards governor once upon a time. There's hope for Texas yet!