Republicans: He sux!
Dems: Home Run!
Everyone else: I want an iPad!!!
Ok, seriously, if you are one of the literally ones of Mod Lang readers, I'd like to hear your two cents on the State of the Union.
Wednesday, January 27, 2010
"Throwing Molasses in the Road"
TPM's on a roll today, as their new article on filibusters really shows how obstructionism has become the GOP's most defining feature.
This fits the narrative that we've been hearing from the left, namely that our system is too dysfunctional to allow for effective governance. Now, some might say that's just making excuses. But there's no doubt that we're not getting much accomplished on the most pressing issues of the day. And from my point of view, we didn't get much accomplished when the Rs were in charge, either. I mean, besides wars. Surely we can be good at more than one thing?
The point is, and I hear this from all sides, is that our system does not work well. Is the answer as simple as getting rid of the filibuster?
(Hint: I don't know.)
This fits the narrative that we've been hearing from the left, namely that our system is too dysfunctional to allow for effective governance. Now, some might say that's just making excuses. But there's no doubt that we're not getting much accomplished on the most pressing issues of the day. And from my point of view, we didn't get much accomplished when the Rs were in charge, either. I mean, besides wars. Surely we can be good at more than one thing?
The point is, and I hear this from all sides, is that our system does not work well. Is the answer as simple as getting rid of the filibuster?
(Hint: I don't know.)
"Either we fix this problem going forward, or the game really is over."
An interview on the economy that is funny and sobering at the same time.
| The Daily Show With Jon Stewart | Mon - Thurs 11p / 10c | |||
| Elizabeth Warren | ||||
| ||||
Thursday, January 21, 2010
You Win Some, You Lose Some
OK, I’ve had about enough with the hyperventilating and weeping and wailing from the left the last couple of days.
They lost an election. It happens. The Democrats still have strong majorities in both houses. They can still get things done, although the filibuster is going to make it very tough to pass meaningful health care reform. But tough is not the same as impossible, no matter what the blogs tell you.
It’s clear that Democrats have a reason to be worried. But enough with the finger-pointing. Simply saying that Dems have to be more ideologically pure, as tempting as that is, is not going to cut it. We can wish that Obama would’ve been more partisan and made this a big fight about good (Democrats) versus evil (Republicans). But he’s never been that kind of guy. The left-leaning blogs see life that way. He doesn’t.
And really, that may be a good thing. After all, isn’t he supposed to be President of the entire country, both D and R? Didn’t we hate George W. Bush because he never listened to the other side? Should we be more like him?
I know it’s not “fair” that Obama got stuck with cleaning up the mess, and the people who made the mess are now saying it’s his fault. But it is reality. It’s his job, and his supporters’ job, to find a way to communicate a better vision. Yes, it’s not “fair” that professional assholes and liars like Hannity/Beck/Limbaugh push and poison the political debate as much as they do. But that’s reality. Obama, and the rest of us, need to find a way to overcome that. And we won’t get there by screaming louder.
So what do the American people want? If we go by the Massachusetts election, we can conclude a few things:
1. “No more back room deals, we want transparency in government.”
2. “We demand deficit reduction.”
3. “Work to help Main Street, not Wall Street.”
4. “Health care reform has to be something that we can understand.”
I think that’s a list that all my Republican friends could agree on. Of course, when Bush was in office, they all said:
1. “We don’t care about that.”
2. “We don’t care about that.”
3. “We don’t care about that.”
4. “We don’t care about that.”
But hey, bygones. The mood of the country has changed, and if voters have unreasonable double-standards, well, welcome to democracy.
The point is, Obama and the Dems need to respond to the mood of the country. They don’t need to become Republicans to do it. After all, transparency, anti-big banks, deficit reduction—those are all things Dems can support, right? Take the message, reframe the debate, move forward and prove your side has the better ideas.
It’s time to get back to work.
They lost an election. It happens. The Democrats still have strong majorities in both houses. They can still get things done, although the filibuster is going to make it very tough to pass meaningful health care reform. But tough is not the same as impossible, no matter what the blogs tell you.
It’s clear that Democrats have a reason to be worried. But enough with the finger-pointing. Simply saying that Dems have to be more ideologically pure, as tempting as that is, is not going to cut it. We can wish that Obama would’ve been more partisan and made this a big fight about good (Democrats) versus evil (Republicans). But he’s never been that kind of guy. The left-leaning blogs see life that way. He doesn’t.
And really, that may be a good thing. After all, isn’t he supposed to be President of the entire country, both D and R? Didn’t we hate George W. Bush because he never listened to the other side? Should we be more like him?
I know it’s not “fair” that Obama got stuck with cleaning up the mess, and the people who made the mess are now saying it’s his fault. But it is reality. It’s his job, and his supporters’ job, to find a way to communicate a better vision. Yes, it’s not “fair” that professional assholes and liars like Hannity/Beck/Limbaugh push and poison the political debate as much as they do. But that’s reality. Obama, and the rest of us, need to find a way to overcome that. And we won’t get there by screaming louder.
So what do the American people want? If we go by the Massachusetts election, we can conclude a few things:
1. “No more back room deals, we want transparency in government.”
2. “We demand deficit reduction.”
3. “Work to help Main Street, not Wall Street.”
4. “Health care reform has to be something that we can understand.”
I think that’s a list that all my Republican friends could agree on. Of course, when Bush was in office, they all said:
1. “We don’t care about that.”
2. “We don’t care about that.”
3. “We don’t care about that.”
4. “We don’t care about that.”
But hey, bygones. The mood of the country has changed, and if voters have unreasonable double-standards, well, welcome to democracy.
The point is, Obama and the Dems need to respond to the mood of the country. They don’t need to become Republicans to do it. After all, transparency, anti-big banks, deficit reduction—those are all things Dems can support, right? Take the message, reframe the debate, move forward and prove your side has the better ideas.
It’s time to get back to work.
The Republican Plan for Health Care Reform Is to Not Pass Health Care Reform
Minnesota Public Radio gives us a timely reminder that no matter what they say, the Republican strategy since Obama’s election has always been to stop health care reform efforts.
In this story, former Republican Senator Dave Durenberger, who’s no longer in office so he doesn’t have to toe the party line, spells it out.
“Durenberger contends most Republicans never intended to commit to changing health care policy, even with ideas brought forward by other Republican senators -- for example, tax changes that John McCain recommended or Medicare changes that Olympia Snow recommended.
“‘There were plenty of good Republicans in the past that have worked together with Democrats -- [Charles] Grassley, Orrin Hatch and others,’ said Durenberger. ‘Those people made a choice, along with the Republican leadership, to be negative this time, not to play ball. And of course that was a factor that perhaps should've been anticipated by the Democrats, but clearly wasn't.’”
It didn’t matter how much the Dems tried to work with the R’s, it didn’t matter how many Republican ideas were incorporated into reform legislation, the Republicans were not going to support it. And they still won’t.
Somehow, that message has to be part of this story: that one party wants to address a critical problem, and the other would rather see Americans go bankrupt, get sick, and die because they’re playing politics.
I have no problem with Republicans who have different ideas of what we should do. I have a problem with them refusing to do anything, and refusing to allow the process to go forward because they don’t get exactly what they want. And that’s where we have been for some time.
In the meantime, health care providers here in Minnesota can take comfort in the fact that because of the Brown victory in Massachusetts, well, we’re screwed.
In this story, former Republican Senator Dave Durenberger, who’s no longer in office so he doesn’t have to toe the party line, spells it out.
“Durenberger contends most Republicans never intended to commit to changing health care policy, even with ideas brought forward by other Republican senators -- for example, tax changes that John McCain recommended or Medicare changes that Olympia Snow recommended.
“‘There were plenty of good Republicans in the past that have worked together with Democrats -- [Charles] Grassley, Orrin Hatch and others,’ said Durenberger. ‘Those people made a choice, along with the Republican leadership, to be negative this time, not to play ball. And of course that was a factor that perhaps should've been anticipated by the Democrats, but clearly wasn't.’”
It didn’t matter how much the Dems tried to work with the R’s, it didn’t matter how many Republican ideas were incorporated into reform legislation, the Republicans were not going to support it. And they still won’t.
Somehow, that message has to be part of this story: that one party wants to address a critical problem, and the other would rather see Americans go bankrupt, get sick, and die because they’re playing politics.
I have no problem with Republicans who have different ideas of what we should do. I have a problem with them refusing to do anything, and refusing to allow the process to go forward because they don’t get exactly what they want. And that’s where we have been for some time.
In the meantime, health care providers here in Minnesota can take comfort in the fact that because of the Brown victory in Massachusetts, well, we’re screwed.
Monday, January 18, 2010
MLK Day
On this Martin Luther King Day, I am thinking about Massachusetts, and the election there. It appears that many voters in Mass. are thinking that we can solve today's problems by going back to the failed policies of yesterday.
I've had too many arguments lately with people who simply don't make sense to me. And I'm hearing too much hate and anger. So this quote seems fitting today:
“Like an unchecked cancer, hate corrodes the personality and eats away its vital unity. Hate destroys a man's sense of values and his objectivity. It causes him to describe the beautiful as ugly and the ugly as beautiful, and to confuse the true with the false and the false with the true.”
Martin Luther King Jr.
I've had too many arguments lately with people who simply don't make sense to me. And I'm hearing too much hate and anger. So this quote seems fitting today:
“Like an unchecked cancer, hate corrodes the personality and eats away its vital unity. Hate destroys a man's sense of values and his objectivity. It causes him to describe the beautiful as ugly and the ugly as beautiful, and to confuse the true with the false and the false with the true.”
Martin Luther King Jr.
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