http://www.creators.com/opinion/david-sirota/what-s-the-matter-with-democrats.html
What's the Matter with Democrats?
Ever since Thomas Frank published his book "What's the Matter With
Kansas?" Democrats have sought a political strategy to match the
GOP's. The health care bill proves they've found one.
Whereas Frank highlighted Republicans' sleight-of-hand success
portraying millionaire tax cuts as gifts to the working class,
Democrats are now preposterously selling giveaways to insurance
and pharmaceutical executives as a middle-class agenda. Same
formula, same fat cat beneficiaries, same bleating sheeple herded
to the slaughterhouse. The only difference is the Rube Goldberg
contraption that Democrats are using to tend the flock.
First, their leaders campaign on pledges to create a government
insurer (a "public option") that will compete with private health
corporations. Once elected, though, Democrats propose simply
subsidizing those corporations, which are (not coincidentally)
filling Democratic coffers. Justifying the reversal, Democrats
claim the subsidies will at least help some citizens try to afford
the private insurance they'll be forced to buy — all while
insisting Congress suddenly lacks the votes for a public option.
Despite lawmakers' refusal to hold votes verifying that assertion,
liberal groups obediently follow orders to back the bill, their
obsequious leaders fearing scorn from Democratic insiders and
moneymen. Specifically, MoveOn, unions and "progressive"
non-profits threaten retribution against lawmakers who consider
voting against the bill because it doesn't include a public
option. The threats fly even though these congresspeople would be
respecting their previous public-option ultimatums — ultimatums
originally supported by many of the same groups now demanding retreat.
Soon it's on to false choices. Democrats tell their base that any
bill is better than no bill, even one making things worse, and
that if this particular legislation doesn't pass, Republicans will
win the upcoming election — as if signing a blank check to
insurance and drug companies couldn't seal that fate. They tell
everyone else that "realistically" this is the "last chance" for
reform, expecting We the Sheeple to forget that those spewing the
do-or-die warnings control the legislative calendar and could
immediately try again.
Predictably, the fear-mongering prompts left-leaning Establishment
pundits to bless the bill, giving Democratic activists
concise-yet-mindless conversation-enders for why everyone should
shut up and fall in line ("Krugman supports it!").
Such bumper-sticker mottos are then demagogued by Democratic media
bobbleheads and their sycophants, who dishonestly imply that the
bill's progressive opponents 1) secretly aim to aid the far right
and/or 2) actually hope more Americans die for lack of health
care. In the process, the legislation's sellouts are lambasted as
the exclusive fault of Republicans, not Democrats and their
congressional majorities.
Earth sufficiently scorched, President Obama then barnstorms the
country, calling the bill a victory for "ordinary working folks"
over the same corporations he is privately promising to enrich.
The insurance industry, of course, airs token ads to buttress
Obama's “victory” charade — at the same time its lobbyists are,
according to Politico, celebrating with chants of "we win!"
By design, pro-public-option outfits like Firedoglake and the
Progressive Change Campaign Committee end up depicted as voices of
the minority, even as they champion an initiative that polls show
the majority of voters support. Meanwhile, telling questions hang:
If this represents victory over special interests, why is Politico
reporting that "drug industry lobbyists have huddled with
Democratic staffers" to help pass the bill? How is the legislation
a first step to reform, as proponents argue, if it financially and
politically strengthens insurance and drug companies opposing true
change? And what prevents those companies from continuing to
increase prices?
These queries go unaddressed — and often unasked. Why? Because
their answers threaten to expose the robbery in progress,
circumvent the "What's the Matter with Kansas?" contemplation and
raise the most uncomfortable question of all:
What's the matter with Democrats?
David Sirota is the author of the best-selling books "Hostile
Takeover" and "The Uprising." He hosts the morning show on AM760
in Colorado and blogs at OpenLeft.com. E-mail him at
[email protected] or follow him on Twitter @davidsirota.
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