Legal Commentary

Hating "the Left"

By Big Tent Democrat

Jon Chait writes:

The left has often played a destructive role in the health care saga, ultimately helping convince many liberals that the health care bill currently fighting for its life is a worthless compromise not worth fighting for.

The other day, Kevin Drum took the same line. Indeed, it is the consensus Village Dem line.

I do not understand the point anymore. Whether you think the Senate bill is the "most progressive legislation since 1965" (the Villagers) or just marginally better than the status quo (me), it simply is not very persuasive or helpful to attack the people you want to help you pass that bill. The irony in all this is that the folks they need to convince - the unions - do not care what "the Left" thinks, or what the Village thinks or any of this. They want the excise tax fixed. And if that does not happen, they will oppose the Senate bill. Why is this political reality never absorbed? Rahm Emanuel said "'There are no liberals left to get' in the Senate[.]" Perhaps so, but he needs to get "liberals" in the House. And that won't happen without union support. That is the political reality.

Speaking for me only

Full post as published by TalkLeft on February 10, 2010 (boomark / email).