| Americans did not vote for Republican policies last month; they rejected them.
Americans did not vote in favor of wimpy Democrats whose every instinct is to give in to Republicans; they voted for strong and principled Democrats.
Americans did not vote to encourage Republican obstructionism in the US Senate; they voted to end it.
And Americans certainly gave no mandate to retiring legislators who can't stand the heat and are getting out of the kitchen to do one last bit of damage to the Middle Class while in office:
Here's as good a reason as any to just go over the damned fiscal cliff curb: waiting until we have a new Congress to resolve it would mean retiring Sen. Kent Conrad won't be around to screw it up.
Here's what he proposed on Fox News Sunday.
"My own belief," Conrad said, "is what we ought to do is take Speaker Boehner's last offer, the president's last offer, split the difference, and that would be a package of about $2.6 trillion."
As Ezra Klein points out, Conrad is one of a handful of Democrats whose response to Republican intransigence is to reward their temper tantrums with more concessions. And the response from Republicans? No compromise. To which these Senate Democrats will say, "okay, here's just a little bit more of a tax cut."
Conrad isn't the only problem Democrat, just the most vocal and annoying one. They would give up all the leverage the White House has in this fight, and Republicans know it.
I'm glad Kent Conrad, Ben Nelson and the like are leaving the US Senate. Republicans never seem to back down, but our guys always do.
It's time to take the mantle of the mandate give by voters this last November. Republicans policies were tried to their fullest extent over the last 12 years. They do not work. It's time to return to tried and true Democratic/Progressive policies that are common sense and supported by majorities of Americans.
Lame Ducks be gone! |
