The Exponential Idiocy of 'Moderate' Democrats

By Ginna Green, Shakesville. Posted August 21, 2009.

There is nothing more revolting than the "moderate" Democratic Senators and Reps who do whatever they think is necessary -- i.e. vote against progressive reform -- to keep their stupid jobs on the premise that, if they don't, a Republican might grab the seat and, I dunno, vote exactly the same way or something.

So they vote like Republicans to keep their job, as if it that D behind their names is itself providing some sort of benefit to people. Um, nope. That D doesn't make a goddamn bit of difference if the person whose name it follows doesn't vote like one.

But there's this persistent idea that just having Democrats in Congress is important, an idea that seems positively intractable even when (some of) those Democrats vote like Republicans and avoid reform to stay in office.

Even when they got into office by promising reform.

So actual progress just keeps getting kicked down the road by people who say they can't risk their seats by voting for reform or else real reform will never happen, and who continually count on the fact that no one ever notices the giant snake eating its own tail.

They're masking naked self-interest behind a promise of reform they'll never deliver, because they care more about keeping their jobs than just enacting reform and, yeah, maybe losing their jobs but having actually accomplished something in exchange.

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Melissa McEwan writes and edits the blog Shakespeare's Sister.

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