Time To Blame Progressives

By Big Tent Democrat, Section Media
Posted on Thu Sep 02, 2010 at 12:51:18 PM EST
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"Explaining" President Obama's fall from grace, Time's Michael Scherer finds the Beltway's favorite villain:

[E]ven as Obama aides were aware of a growing disconnect, it didn't seem to worry their boss. Instead, the ambitious legislative goals usually trumped other priorities. Both in the original stimulus package and then in the health care and energy measures, the White House ceded most of its clout to the liberal lions who controlled the Democratic majorities in the House and Senate. That maneuver helped assure passage of reforms, but it also confirmed some of the worst fears about how Washington works.

(Emphasis supplied.) It was those evil "liberal lions'" fault! Yes, the Beltway's predictable rewriting of history in order to blame progressivism is on its way. You think The American Prospect or Matt Yglesias might protest this mendacious account? Me neither. Telling lies about progressivism is always "civil discourse" in the Beltway. Cuz this is always what the Beltway believes:

Most experts from both parties say Obama will have to rebalance his politics in 2011 to be re-elected in '12.

Down with the DFH!

Speaking for me only

< A Different Reality Or: How I Learned To Stop Worrying And Whistle Past the Graveyard | The Narrative >

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Time To Blame Progressives | 28 comments (28 topical)

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Somehow "I told you so" doesn't (5.00 / 3) (#1)
by andgarden on Thu Sep 02, 2010 at 01:03:29 PM EST

makes this feel any better.

Yes liberal champions Ben Nelson and (5.00 / 8) (#2)
by tigercourse on Thu Sep 02, 2010 at 01:04:05 PM EST

Max Baucus. Notorious lefties.

don't forget Olympia Snowe (5.00 / 2) (#11)
by byteb on Thu Sep 02, 2010 at 03:17:59 PM EST

: You forgot Lindsay Graham (5.00 / 1) (#12)
by themomcat on Thu Sep 02, 2010 at 03:45:38 PM EST

Liberals' best friend

Even from the right side of the aisle (5.00 / 1) (#3)
by BTAL on Thu Sep 02, 2010 at 01:07:44 PM EST

it was clear the progressive wing of the Dem party was being set up as the fall guy.

So, is your role (5.00 / 1) (#7)
by christinep on Thu Sep 02, 2010 at 02:24:31 PM EST

to drive the wedge deeper? Or does it just appear that way?


Your Ying... My Yang (none / 0) (#9)
by BTAL on Thu Sep 02, 2010 at 03:02:58 PM EST

Seriously, observing from the right it didn't take a rocket scientist to see what was happening.


It seems we have more (none / 0) (#13)
by MKS on Thu Sep 02, 2010 at 03:52:52 PM EST

commentators from the Right than we used to....or the conservatives are commenting more frequently....

Perhaps because they sense a victory and that encourages them....

And, there will be end zone dances and spiking of the ball and brandishing the results in every argument....If the conservatives thought 2004 was a resounding landslide with Bush eking out a 51% victory....

And then what? I don't think there would be any real policy objectives set forth....It will be more posturing for 2012....

It is about winning....an end unto itself but not necessarily tethered to any particular policy objective....It is about vindication...the cultural chip on their shoulder......

And Liberals will blame each other as Conservatives run amok....

Some things never change...


you'd think confidence in victory (5.00 / 1) (#20)
by jondee on Thu Sep 02, 2010 at 07:51:50 PM EST

would encourage some to take the high road more often, but the Obama's-a-secret-Muslim gutter tactics also have also stepped up of late. I suppose if we were talking about 'normal' human beings, in whom a sense of personal integrity and propriety carry as much weight as the willingness to win at all costs, this would be a sign of desperation..

But, if your thesis about winning and vindication a is true (and I think it is), spreading stories about Bill and Hillary bumping people off and Barack the terrorist are allowed in the service of the conservative 'higher cause'. Kill 'em all and let God sort 'em out. And the devil take the hindmost..

Btw MK, If you think it gets bad here now, you should've been here in '04, when posters with names like Norsewolf and warriorprincess were swarming over here from Little Green Footballs to take Kerry to task for "stabbing this country in the back" etc


Yup (none / 0) (#14)
by vicndabx on Thu Sep 02, 2010 at 04:00:56 PM EST

It will be a d@mn shame once again.


Yup, I'll bet (5.00 / 1) (#15)
by dk on Thu Sep 02, 2010 at 04:07:46 PM EST

conservatives will say something like this:

"Some big, new stimulus plan is not in the offing,"

Up is down and left is right these days.


I remember Mike Farrell (none / 0) (#16)
by MKS on Thu Sep 02, 2010 at 04:09:59 PM EST

on O'Reilly in April/May of 2003 talking about WMD.....

He said he believed that Bush lied about WMD and the reasons for the War. O'Reilly scoffed....and said no one agreed with him (conservatives again patting themselves on the back about being popular.)

Farrell said that it was hard (at that time) to be heard given the conservatives' spiking of the ball, etc....Really memorable imagery imo.

Conservatives will be emboldened and will go back to their old playbook of cutting social security and taxes on the wealthy.

The Democrats know how to beat that play.....All the Democrats need is 41 votes in the Senate.....Republicans have shown how acceptable it is to stymie everything.

Pressure needs to be brought to bear--now--on tax cuts for the wealthy and social security....So as Republicans do their little end zone dance, Liberals can set the terms of the debate....

Liberals worried about Obama can do well by getting their Senators in line....


: Again, we are enabling them (none / 0) (#22)
by christinep on Thu Sep 02, 2010 at 09:48:51 PM EST

And, hey, we are doing this to ourselves (none / 0) (#21)
by christinep on Thu Sep 02, 2010 at 09:47:04 PM EST

Its nothing new: Groupthink on the right and on the left. Social club. Sorority/fraternity. All that jazz. Thanks for speaking out MKS.


Depends on which Right you are refering to (none / 0) (#26)
by Rojas on Fri Sep 03, 2010 at 08:00:30 AM EST

There was a time when civil rights issues were discussed from the point of view of policy analysis. With everything passing through a partisan lens not so much...


What a weird comment (none / 0) (#28)
by Cream City on Fri Sep 03, 2010 at 06:40:50 PM EST

even amid a legion of them.


we have ever been (none / 0) (#8)
by Capt Howdy on Thu Sep 02, 2010 at 02:40:36 PM EST

the fall guy. just as the right of the right is often the fall guy for the others.

we both make very convenient foils.


Cutting SS, Medicare, Medicaid, (5.00 / 6) (#4)
by MO Blue on Thu Sep 02, 2010 at 01:13:08 PM EST

Veteran benefits, eliminating the public school system in favor of charter schools and completely eliminating taxes on the rich should successfully rebalance his his politics for the 2012 election. Evan Bayh, Kent Conrad, Ben Nelson, Gerald Connolly, Claire McCaskill, Jim Webb and Joe Lieberman should be his point people in all states praising his courage to eliminate all domestic programs in favor of corporations and the wealthy. :-)

love this (5.00 / 5) (#5)
by Capt Howdy on Thu Sep 02, 2010 at 01:18:57 PM EST

Both in the original stimulus package and then in the health care and energy measures, the White House ceded most of its clout to the liberal lions who controlled the Democratic majorities in the House and Senate.

boy they sure dont make liberal lions like they used to.

"Lions"? More like ragdoll cats (none / 0) (#6)
by SeeEmDee on Thu Sep 02, 2010 at 02:02:47 PM EST

They go limp when you pick them up.

It was obvious from the first 'Town Hall' after the election that TPTB had made sure their man Obama was going to continue the neoliberal economic agenda, which has enriched them so much (at the expense of everyone else) and to Hell with the Real McCoy.

The One and a Half Party still reigns...with the Half beholden to the Whole...and both aligned against true progressives.

Progressives and the Tea Party? (none / 0) (#17)
by BTAL on Thu Sep 02, 2010 at 05:05:34 PM EST

Why does the Dem. party (the "establishment") leadership treat the progressive wing with such disdain and/or dismissive attitudes?

Why does the R party (the "establishment") not attack the Tea Party even though the TP has and are doing things that party leadership does not like and/or agrees with?

Are the core beliefs of the progressives really that far out of sync with the party? Some members of the TP certainly are but they are not being castigated.

I'm asking as I find it interesting that we have two groups who appear to be on the outer edges of each party's "main line", attempting to pull each party further in each direction but the Dem. appear to be very more aggressive in the handling of the progressives.

IMO, the progressives (none / 0) (#18)
by BackFromOhio on Thu Sep 02, 2010 at 05:23:06 PM EST

are not on the outer edges in the rank & file, just, perhaps in the Senate. Many progressive views are widely popular, i.e., save social security, allow competitive bidding for prescription medicines, control medical insurance costs, etc. etc.


I asked the question from a discussion (none / 0) (#19)
by BTAL on Thu Sep 02, 2010 at 05:50:01 PM EST

perspective vs one of debate or definitions of either group. That said, some (am not advocating this) can say that many TP views are widely popular. Again, that was not the purpose of the question.

Why are the two groups treated so differently by the two major parties?


What specific views of the TP (none / 0) (#27)
by Militarytracy on Fri Sep 03, 2010 at 08:00:39 AM EST

are widely popular?


: As indicated above (none / 0) (#29)
by BackFromOhio on Fri Sep 10, 2010 at 06:59:10 PM EST

Don't tamper with Social Security, allow competitive bidding for prescription medicines under government programs (i.e., lower Rx costs), etc.

Wedgie-woo (none / 0) (#23)
by christinep on Thu Sep 02, 2010 at 09:50:46 PM EST

: No. (none / 0) (#24)
by BTAL on Fri Sep 03, 2010 at 07:10:02 AM EST

Historically speaking (none / 0) (#25)
by Militarytracy on Fri Sep 03, 2010 at 07:59:48 AM EST

trying to get somewhere with the Republican party has never been equated to herding cats :) Being in lockstep though blew the party out of the water after Bush was done with it. I can't call what is going on right now a recovery from all that :) They aren't producing any solutions for anyone either. They are simply playing with voter emotions during dire angst filled times trying to get to someplace of power....any place of power.
