Well folks it looks like we are about to have another bad night with a deal that is not anywhere near the interests of progressives, liberals or any sane American. With that, will come the usual "should we blame Obama", "the alternatives are worse" diaries.
So instead of that, maybe it's time we look at what we want and how we go about getting that.
The re-election of George HW Bush may offer insights. In his initial nomination, he made a promise to his base that they could 'read his lips', that there would be "no new taxes." When he violated his pledge, his base grew restless and ultimately did not sustain his presidency, leaving him a one term president.
What's the lesson?
While we might think the lesson is that Republicans are crazy and that GHWB did the right thing for the country, Republicans came away with something very different. They learned that you don't raise taxes. Yes they did 8 yrs in the wilderness during the Clinton yrs, but the party grew stronger. Today we see that strength.
What lessons do Democratic politicians learn if they make promises, break them and don't lose support? We can't blame the president or any politician for caving when we cave as well. If we say there are some things which no Democrat can violate, we must hold them accountable when they do. If we do not, we deserve exactly what we are getting tonight.