If the Democratic leadership yo-yos through the healthcare debate and ultimately gives reluctant assent to a decent proposal, they are still going to have to bear the blame for dragging matters out so long and making us work so hard for it. They may have achieved something but, in the process, will also ahve shown themselves to be untrustworthy and venal, ready to work against the overwhelming majority of the voters. That can’t bode well for a re-election campaign. My so-called “centrist” Democratic senators and congresswoman recently changed tack and said that they’d support some watered-down sort of public option while calling for an up-or-down vote on the public option. But the dmage is largely done. Any plausible primary challenger will be atttractive–and we’ve got one that is very attractive by comparison.

If, on the other hand, the Democrats labor mightily and come up with a travesty, then they will have to take the blame AND face the special fury that comes when you lead people on and encourage false hopes.

So how, exacgtly, is this smart politics? I don’t get it.

The fact that liberals stayed focused and relentless on the issue required the media to keep asking the question in public opinion polling and keeping the issue on the forefront of the agenda long after the establishment just wanted it to go away. It’s been a demonstration of a good progressive strategy.

Bullwinkle Moose: “This time for sure!”

How not to be driven to distraction?

Professor Slinkerwink sets a great example. suggest those of you who don’t stray over to her Big Orange diaries go over and skim just a few of her threads – look at all the oh so groovily worded temptations and attacks – and how she moves just enough to get out of the path.
that is what not taking your eye off the ball looks like.