The squirming spreads towards the center

Peter Beinart, one time editor of The New Republic:

Yes, the Democrats are going to get throttled this fall. But Obama has had so much success that he can afford spending a little time playing defense.

It's a strange moment in Washington. With the stimulus bill and health-care reform now law, and serious financial regulation gaining momentum, Democrats are witnessing the greatest run of policy success of my lifetime. The victories have been so large that I suspect some liberal wonks are actually having trouble adjusting. As a liberal (not to mention a Jew who grew up rooting for the Boston Red Sox) I know that when you've grown accustomed to tragedy, and built an entire communal identity around it, triumph can be destabilizing.

Ah....excuse me, how do you define success over there? Last time I saw a self congratulatory ode it said "MISSION COMPLETED"

Passing a bill is not success.Success is when it works, Considering the Dept of Human Services prediction this week that the health care FIASCO (you know, the opposite of success) would, despite all the tortuous phrasing, 2700 pages and caterwauling imbroglios, as all sensible people understood - COST MORE MONEY WE DON'T HAVE, than if we had done NOTHING, claiming that Obama's narcissistic days have been so successful, defense is fine is pretty obviously watching someone attempting to remove the fog from the medicine cabinet mirror with eyes closed in HOPE.

Sort of like hearing that things went so well for J Carte viewing the r from 76-78 that the little disturbances around the embassy in Teheran won't really change how history views that admin.

We have watched over the past year as the left of the left came apart watching the Tea Party THEY CREATED grow and grow, each time they mentioned themselves, their plans, the govt and racism or radicals.

Now the left of center, some of whom MUST regret this incredible fix we are in after jumping out the pan, enters the self deception game.

This is when we cross from amusing to sad, and comedy to tragedy.

As the impact of our deluded middle east east policy hits, as we pass another 'reform we must have now' bill which creates a bottomless self refilling $50 billion company buying slush fund, and a computer system which analyzes all financial transactions as they occur, as cap and trade come thru AGAIN, as Chavez signs up with Mahmoud and Castro's death's chance to REALLY reform someplace fades among our problems, as a GM owned by the govt creates more OUTRIGHT LIES in advertising unchecked because they ARE the govt's arm, as allies fall away and become silent, as even MORE heated polarization here sets in this post polarization admin and they blame the other guys, perhaps SOMEONE to my left will ask real questions to attain real answers instead of creating word groups design to hide the fact that not only is this administration not filled with successes, but is speeding by Carter on the way to James Buchanan land.

And it didn't have to be this way.

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