Democrat's Implode, Blame Each Other and Decide They Aren't Fit to Govern

By Dave

Well, as predicted, Brown won tonight in MA and the Democrats will lose their 60th vote in the Senate. This isn't the worst news in the world. The Democrats still have a sizable majority and they still have time to make the HCR reform a reality.

The worst news in the world is that congressional and senate Democrats have decided now is the time to admit defeat and lie over on their backs.

See if Dems had any backbone or spine, they could use the next fifteen days until Brown is seated to quickly hash out their differences and pass a conference bill.

But instead we get Democrats like Jim Webb (D-VA) who say stuff like this:

"In many ways the campaign in Massachusetts became a referendum not only on health care reform but also on the openness and integrity of our government process. It is vital that we restore the respect of the American people in our system of government and in our leaders. To that end, I believe it would only be fair and prudent that we suspend further votes on health care legislation until Senator-elect Brown is seated."

Are you fu*&^ing kidding me!? What bullshit! How dare you abandon the American people!? How cowardly. How disgusting.

51% of Massachusetts voters does not equal a national referendum on health care. You've been working on this for over 9 months, get it done already. Now! The bill you are now abandoning will improve the deficit. It will begin to control health care costs. It will expand coverage to an additional 30 million Americans and it will give new access to people with pre-existing conditions. The American people will respect you when you pass reform and explain to them in clear language what it will do for them.

Fourteen months ago, the American people entrusted Democrats with control of both houses of Congress and the White House. Sen. Webb has all but said that they don't deserve any of it. According to Sen. Webb, we can restore "the respect of the American people in our system of government and in our leaders" by killing the centerpiece of the Democratic legislative agenda. Way to go, Webb!

This is what my head feels like:



Since Sen. Webb has decided to cripple reform in the Senate until the Republican, who opposes reform, can be seated, the only option still available is for the House to pass the Senate Bill, as is, and then try to hash out their differences at a later date, maybe with a reconciliation bill. But it's hard to read how open this path is.

We have optimistic statements from Speaker Pelosi:

 "Whatever happens in Massachusetts, we have to do that," she said. "And whatever happens in Massachusetts we will have quality affordable health care for all Americans, and it will be soon."

 And not so optimistic statements from Rep. Barney Frank:

I have two reactions to the election in Massachusetts. One, I am disappointed. Two, I feel strongly that the Democratic majority in congress must respect the process and make no effort to bypass the electoral results. If Martha Coakley had won, I believe we could have worked out a reasonable compromise between the House and Senate health care bills. But since Scott Brown has won and the Republicans now have 41 votes in the senate, that approach is no longer appropriate. I am hopeful that some Republican senators will be willing to discuss a revised version of health care reform. Because I do not think that the country would be well served by the health care status quo. But our respect for democratic procedures must rule out any effort to pass a health care bill as if the Massachusetts election had not happened. Going forward, I hope there will be a serious effort to change the senate rule which means that 59 are not enough to pass major legislation, but those are the rules by which the health care bill was considered, and it would be wrong to change them in the middle of this process.

I don't get it. Don't Democrats understand that this is the choice between necessary and important reform or total, complete, abject failure? 

Failure on HCR means more people will continue to suffer in our broken health care system. No cost control, no reduction of the deficit. It means that even with the greatest majority since the time of LBJ, Democrats can't accomplish their most important legislative agenda. With failure, you tell the world you are unfit to govern. If you fail, you will lose the base and you will lose the center. It means an stronger, more energized opposition. Failure now means failure next November.

For God's sake, pass the Senate Bill in the House. Claim victory and move on. Stop asphyxiating your party with inaction, cowardice, and incompetence.