Memo to the Democratic Party
Um, this is addressed to those Democrats who are not Barack Obama.
Hey, remember, the Party platform? The document you all signed up for at the Convention? Yeah, I know, politically meaningless. Water over the dam. In the rearview mirror. That was then, this is now. New realities, and all that. Politics is difficult, don't you know.
Well, fuck that noise. Let's take a look anyway.
Let's see now, page i, section I, under the heading of Renewing the American Dream. Bullet point number one:
- Affordable, Quality Health Care Coverage for All Americans
Maybe you're thinking it's a little warm in the kitchen. Gotta think about survival, after all. We can give it a lick and a promise, and hang the President out to dry, and this will blow over, and then we'll get back to regular business.
Won't that be nice.
You fuckwits. It didn't work in '94, and it won't work now. You cannot make health care a centerpiece of the campaign and then cave to a bunch of nutballs funded by the insurance industry the minute the debate starts. The impression might get around that you really don't want to reform healthcare.
The same way you say you want better education (same page, seven bullets down - "A World Class Education for Every Child"), but don't really do much about it. Oh you do? Where's the education bill? Even Bush got No Child Left Behind done. At the time I got the sense you didn't like it much. So when are you going to fix it?
You control the government. You're either behind this platform or not. The President can't do it alone, nor should he. If Democrats can't do healthcare and education reform when they control the Presidency and both houses of Congress - a failure identical to 1993-94 - they have no right to remain in power. How fast can this go against you? This fast.
It's down to this: deliver the reform you promised, or give up your seat to the next Newt Gingrich.
Your call.
posted by The Front at 7:34 PM
2 Comments:
I echo this many times - and most people in the party get it.
Certainly my respect for the GOP has hit a new low- I honestly didn't think that was possible.
The way I see think this plays out is that once the manufactured geriatric tantrum is over, and younger Americans are paying attention again when the summer passes, we'll get movement on a decent bill. The GOP is thinking that their ability to whip up mob mentality is evidence that they are still a potent political force.
But the most likely outcome is to even further isolate themselves. Obama's victory was a victory of reason over fear, and reason takes longer to react than cultivated paranoia. In the campaign, he was able to beat back the viciousness with patience and planning. I doubt that ability has suddenly evaporated.
But this debate, almost like no other, clarifies the difference between being moderate in one's values and centrist in one's politics - the latter are the weasels cultivating personal power and selling out the best interests of the country for personal position.
And if the weasels are successful and stop reform, people I like, will suffer- and sometimes die- for the sake of nothing but protecting a huge market in life and death.
The President knows what he's talking about.
If health care reform fails, Medicare and Medicaid risk going broke, state and federal budgets will be unsustainable, "and then we're going to have to make some really bad decisions where we have no good options," Obama said.
Like the Bible says, let those who have ears, hear.
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