As the Christmas recess approaches, Congressional Democrats are folding like cheap furniture. They’ve backed down on pledges to expand children’s health care, to require utilities to meet renewable energy milestones, and to attach withdrawal deadlines to continued funding for war in Iraq. It absolutely kills me when I read news stories referring to Democratic “negotiators” trying to work out a deal with Republicans. If this is how Democrats negotiate, I’m terrified to see what surrender looks like.
I put a lot of blame for this embarrassment on old-guard Democrats like Harry Reid and Steny Hoyer. They’re committed to keeping themselves in power, keeping their hands in the till, and not much else. I don’t think either one of them has one shred of a vision for this country, much less a progressive vision. They–and the rest of the Democratic leadership–need to start leading as if they only have another year in power. Because if this kind of political cowardice keeps up, I’m not sure they deserve another chance.
