Monday, March 8, 2010

"Yet there are more and more folks wondering if Obama really is for Main Street, or is simply a Trojan horse for Wall Street."

By The Left Coaster's Deacon Blues TLC

As Taylor Marsh and Jane Hamsher have noted, there is something quite objectionable about the willingness of House and Senate Democrats, even progressives like caucus chair Lynn Woolsey to appease the Bart Stupaks of the world. In their zeal to get any health care bill through and heed the call from the Obama administration to not let them down, House and Senate Democrats are letting Stupak and the other DINO knuckle draggers steer the car and toss out women in the process. It’s bad enough that an allegedly Democratic White House is eager for this betrayal, but do the House and Senate Democratic caucuses really think the base and women in particular will be flooding the voting booths this fall after a sell-out like this?

At the risk of inflaming the True Believers once again, I have one question: Would a President Hillary throw away decades of reproductive freedom just to get illusory moderate votes for an industry-friendly, no-public-option "reform" bill? Of course she wouldn't. But we're supposed to salute when Obama does?

But I have a bigger question, one which has been raised around these parts before: Does the Obama administration really want the Democrats to win this November, or is he simply more comfortable running against something than leading?

Having the GOP gain seats back to a rough parity and gridlock this fall allows him to blame others for his failings at legislative strategy, rather than accept responsibility as the supposed leader of the Democratic Party. Plus, those that are likely to lose their seats this fall are purple state Dems or DINOs from the Blue Dogs/New Democrats who have been more trouble than they are worth. But for this theory or question to gain traction, it’s predicated upon the assumption that Obama really wants to pursue a moderate or even progressive reform agenda, but is precluded from doing so because of the real pro-corporate preferences of his alleged allies in the Congress. Yet there are more and more folks wondering if Obama really is for Main Street, or is simply a Trojan horse for Wall Street.

Lastly, if the Obama White House is comfortable with the GOP regaining control of one house of Congress because they feel they can play against that, does that calculation include having to deal with a GOP willing to use its newfound subpoena power against an administration too squeamish to hold the GOP accountable themselves?