I’m a liberal and I’m considering voting for Republican Scott Brown in Tuesday’s critical Senatorial election in Massachusetts. A news report today in the Boston Herald cites a new Suffolk University poll indicating, “an astonishing 17 percent of Democrats report they’re jumping ship for Brown.” Suffolk pollster David Paleologos suggests that’s because of “Coakley’s laser-focus on hard-core Dems, potentially at the exclusion of other Democrats whom she needed to win over.”
I disagree. I’m pissed off at the weak-assed performance of my President and his Democratic majority in Congress. They’ve let a minority of tough Republican (and conservative Democrats) oppositionists obliterate their primary legislative agenda: Healthcare. The current, watered down Senate bill sucks and I’m apathetic about its passage. The agent of “Change” I financed and voted for moved so far right after Election Day I haven’t had the chance to enjoy George Bush’s retirement. Yeah, Dubya’s gone, but many of his policies remain and Barack Obama and the Democrats haven’t shown the stomach to fight for the priorities that got them into office:
- The wars? – Still going strong. Not wanting to appear weak on “terror,” they’re funding and “surging” in the Bush-Cheney unwinnable conflicts.
- Healthcare? – Healthcare stocks are up double-digits since the Senate bill passed without a public option.
- Wall Street Greed? – Insiders like Geithner and Summers dominate Obama’s team and Barney Frank’s House Banking Committee “reforms” has gums, not teeth.
I have to give credit to the Republicans. After getting their asses handed to them in November of ’08, they’ve dug in to defend their assets… big corporations. It’s so ironic that they can still successfully sell that bullshit Reagan “Big Gubment” nonsense (the exception of course being when the big government is a fiery fucking war machine), but have no problem with our asses being owned by big defense contractors, banks and insurance companies. The left just isn’t willing to fight as hard for “the people” and “fairness,” especially when campaign contributions from the same corporate masters drains their gumption, leaving them pale and lifeless.
So while the right fights, the left acquiesces. When Bush and a smaller majority than the Democrats currently have wanted his tax cuts for the rich passed in ’01 and ’03, they used a legislative “reconciliation” procedure to get it done with a simple majority, not the 60 votes the milquetoast (see: Harry Reid) Democrats have been ass-kissing and compromising to get. The Republicans don’t give a fuck if you like them. They’re Al Davis’s Raiders before they totally sucked: “Just win, baby.”
And could Massachusetts Democrats have run a less compelling candidate than Martha Coakley? Jesus, she’s like a female Walter Mondale.
It’s such bullshit. I was so fired up going into the presidential election and elated at the “mandate” the blue numbers that November night meant. Since then the Donkey’s been bitch-slapped by a feisty minority Elephant and will pay for that weakness in this year’s elections. In my opinion it’s because they have gutlessly moved right to appease the phony “teabagger” protesters, Dick Cheney and Rush Limbaugh.
So Mr. President, you want to govern from the center and sustain Dubya’s policies after we on the left put you in office? How ‘bout I vote to send Scott Brown to help you out?
I won’t do it, but I’m sure not too happy to stop “giving a shit” about all of this.
and…there you are…whew..glad to have you back in the discussion.
Did you feel that – that was teddy rolling in his grave – or… maybe not.