The Perfect, The Good and The Enemy

Posted on 12/20/2009 at 12:34 pm by Bob Cesca

Steve Benen:

Remember: nothing becomes law in this Congress unless Ben Nelson and Joe Lieberman approve. Literally, nothing. That’s not an encouraging legislative dynamic, and it’s a huge impediment to progressive lawmaking.

It’s not within President Obama’s power to change that. It’s not within Harry Reid’s and Nancy Pelosi’s power to change that.

What we have, unfortunately, are Conservadem obstructionists who are willing to stand in the way of good policy simply because they can. And we have a progressive caucus that is rightfully unwilling to filibuster good things for the sake of blocking some objectionable things.

In other words, Lieberman, Nelson, Stupak, Landrieu and the others merrily block legislation that will help save lives simply because they’re willing to kill bills regardless of the good they’ll do. It’s transparent posturing devoid of morality or reason. Lieberman, for example, filibustered the bill as vengeance against progressives — and was willing to let reform die because of it. I can’t imagine lawmakers like Bernie Sanders, Ron Wyden and Al Franken filibustering major subsidies for poor and middle class Americans in order to settle a score or to demand perfect legislation. It simply isn’t within the capacity of most progressives to behave like this — and I’m glad, even if it means we don’t get perfectly progressive laws.

President Obama has a respectable list of successes so far. Successes that have done- and will do a lot of good for a lot of people. In order to achieve these successes, however, he has been forced to worm his way around enemies as unprincipled as the Republicans and Conservadems. So what we have are achievements that are, to some extent, imperfect. Imperfections proportional to the power of the obstructionists.

So when senators like Lieberman are willing to filibuster for childish reasons, it stands to reason that it’s going to negatively impact anything that requires Joe Lieberman’s vote. It’s a shame that the stimulus couldn’t have been bigger, or that the public option couldn’t be saved, but I don’t believe these are reasons to walk away from the other good things in a given bill. And I can only imagine the screeching from both the president’s right and left flanks if these successes had been abandoned in lieu of refusing to compromise.

By the way, there’s nothing wrong with taking a tough stand for or against what we believe in. But until we’re willing to be as immoral and unreasonable as Joe Lieberman, our leverage will be limited. And I’m happy to suffer from a lack of Lieberman obstructionism. We can win without it.

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  • grs

    “And I’m happy to suffer from a lack of Lieberman obstructionism. We can win without it.“As much as I dislike Lieberman, his politics, and his ethics, he’s not doing anything illegal. He’s simply using procedural tools to do whatever he wants to get whatever he wants. Don’t get me wrong, the guy is completely hypocritical and serves his own means, but liberals in the legislature need to start using the tools that are before them. Republicans will use them and the Corporations will use them and lobbyists will use them.Until the laws are changed, I see no reason why not to use the same procedural leverage. Fact is, Lieberman is getting what he wants and forcing people to bend at his whim. Lieberman doesn’t act for childish reasons. He acts for himself. Progressives need to unify in the legislature and look out for themselves.When it comes time that Lieberman, Landrieu, Nelson, et.al, are in need of something for their home districts, f’em. They don’t get what they’re asking for. The people that vote for these legislators need to learn there are ramifications for sending these people to DC other than getting pork for your own district. Their actions affect the rest of the country.I know, I know, “But grs, not everyone in CT voted for Lieberman. You can’t punish a whole state for one man’s actions.” Yeah. Yeah you can. Until the majority of CT realizes Lieberman is messing with he rest of the country, they have to deal with the ramifications from his actions.I am all for rational compromises, but that’s not Lieberman has brought to the table. Lieberman is just taking. There aren’t any negotiations so to speak. It’s just meeting Lieberman’s demands. That’s just not reasonable or realistic. When someone acts unrealistic and unreasonable, well, they have to deal with the consequences. (To this point, there haven’t really been any, have there?)

  • roxsteady

    BINGO! Sadly, we have to realize that the legislative body is the problem. Or rather, some of them. Regardless of how much the president does or does not fight in public with them, it almost doesn’t matter if a minority of Democarats are allowed to continue to obstruct what the majority of the party and the country wants. They should go into the next session and pass Harkin’s amendment to the filibuster rule. Each time someone attempts to obstruct the majority, the number required to defeat it will decrease by 3. This could also work in reverse someday. Let’s say their is legislation that the majority wants but, the minority is attempting to add bullshit to the bill or water it down. Someone from our side could deliberately filibuster, reducing the number of members required to pass the bill. So that when it’s time to vote on the final legislation, they will have taken away the Nelson’s and Libermans.

  • jhw22

    But if you look at OpenCongress.org, Lieberman votes LEAST with Ben Nelson, so what does “nothing becomes law in this Congress unless Ben Nelson and Joe Lieberman approve” say? I think it says no wonder we feel like we’re on a seesaw so much lately.http://www.opencongress.org/people/show/300067_Joseph_LiebermanJennifer

  • ceu

    I know, I know, “But grs, not everyone in CT voted for Lieberman. You can’t punish a whole state for one man’s actions.” Yeah. Yeah you can. Until the majority of CT realizes Lieberman is messing with he rest of the country, they have to deal with the ramifications from his actions.You think we don’t already know that?? It’s not like he’s a little boy who’s acting up in the store & we can take him out of there. But, what the hell, let’s punish – or boycott (via Michael Moore’s call) 3.5 million people because their Senator is a douche & they haven’t been punished enough. Because it’s all our fault, and no fault for this fucking mess rests with those states who have GOP Senators, ALL of whom refuse to vote for any part of HCR.

  • roxsteady

    I just hope that when their time comes, they are voted out. When are people going to wise up. I do have more faith in the people of CT right now than I do in people in Nebraska. Sadly, the smart people in many of the blue dog states seem to be outnumber by the idiots! Let’s just hope they’ve had enough.

  • Gottverdammt Klaus

    grs is right. In a federal government designed for slow action and routine gridlock, the politicians we admire are those who, through force of will/argument/bully pulpit/arm twisting manage to realize their goals. Incrementalism, as Bob has often noted, is how the government operates. That’s why we admire the Jeffersons, Jacksons, Lincolns and Roosevelts of our history. One of those tools, as Lieberman has so helpfully reminded us on the left, is Senate procedure. A group of 20 senators acting in concert can practically run the joint (Gang of 14, anyone?).On the subject of Lieberman, if 70% of Connecticut residents oppose his obstructionism that’s a matter between him and the voters of Connecticut. Once installed in office, it’s the legislator’s prerogative to do do what he thinks is right. Or whatever he feels like. If you don’t like it, we have elections for that. Michael Moore’s latest political flatus is useless at best; in fact, it’s probably helped Lieberman more than anything.

  • Gottverdammt Klaus

    Because it’s all our fault

    In fairness, he won the election, so… kinda, yeah.But I have no room to criticize – I’m in Nebraska!;)

  • eljefejeff

    ceu, you’re usually pretty reasonable but you always get defensive and bent out of shape when the rest of us get pissed at CT. This should feel embarrassing for you. I’m embarrassed for my fellow Californians who actually thought it would be a good idea to have the Terminator as our governor. Floridians should be embarrassed by the 2000 elections. All three examples exposed terrible decisions made by voters, even if you weren’t one of them, there were enough of you that it says to the rest of us, “What the hell were those morons thinking?”

  • grs

    ceu – you’re totally right on the GOP too. My above rant was already long enough so I kept it on topic with Lieberman. All the GOP folks who shot down the stimulus money but are now milking it for all it’s worth: hypocrites and potentially negligent for initially rejecting said funding. And they continue to fail to do what’s best for their constituents.The dichotomy between net fed donor/recipient and red/blue state really needs to be looked at. Subsidies need to be looked at. All these GOP buffoons just voting no on everything? They should get nothing. It’s as simple as that. Again, there’s a big difference between coming to the table and compromising with opposing plans versus coming to the table with jack shit and demanding everything. People are elected to do a job and advance this nation based on sound rational ideas and proposals, not just saying no and not doing jack shit.I would love to go work and not do a damn thing and still get paid. How the hell do these people get away with it? They’re federal employees and my taxes pay their salaries too, not just their home district constituents. People need to start working or gtfo.

  • ceu

    Of course I get defensive, eljefejeff. WTF should I & my fellow nutmeggers get the blame? Get pissed at LIEBERMAN, not at the 3.5 million people whose views he does NOT represent.

  • eljefejeff

    ceu did you vote for him? I admit I voted for him for VP. I don’t understand, why don’t you say “Yeah I know, those nutmeggers are stupid, I don’t know what’s wrong with those people”? At least I can say I didn’t vote for Arnold Schwarzenegger. I can proudly say I voted No on 8 but I can be embarrassed that I know many people who voted yes.I’m pissed at Lieberman AND the 33% of CT democrats who voted for him. He’d already proven himself to be a cancer to the party and they chose to keep him around and now look what he’s done. We would probably at least have a medicare buy in if those democrats weren’t off their rockers. If you were one of them, sorry to offend you, but really, what were they (I’m assuming not you) thinking?