The editors at The
Nation make a good point in the magazine’s latest issue. While in many
ways, Republicans in Congress “lost” much in this latest attack on Obama and
his priorities, Democrats are now forced to work with a budget where
sequestration levels are the new starting point. In other words, Republicans
did lose this battle, but they continue to be successful in the larger war by
pulling the government and the country further and further to the political
right.
We have to give kudos to the President for standing firm in
this latest showdown, but he has already conceded too much to Republicans and
there is nothing to keep the Tea Party anarchists from resorting to extortion
in the future to get what they want. For a variety of reasons, some good and
many bad, before this week, Obama never drew a line in the sand in regards to
the budget or anything else for that matter, and demanded that Republicans work
with him on his terms. I’ve said this many times in the past, but Democrats
continue allowing Republicans to set the parameters of the debate.
As Democrats, we should be the ones setting priorities on
national issues. We need far more angry progressives like Elizabeth Warren and
Alan Grayson and Dennis Kucinich in leadership roles and far fewer establishment
rollovers like Pelosi, Reid and Feinstein. We need our own Michele Bachmann and
Ted Cruz, passionate politicians (who aren’t clinically insane) willing to fight for
progressive causes and not be cowed by the childish, name-calling haters on the
Right.
The one great hope to come out of all of this is that
Republicans have damaged themselves enough for Dems to keep the Senate and take back the House in
the next election.
