[Cross-Posted On OpenLeft]
I've been thinking about what is the right path to take for those of us in the base, given the likelihood of tremendous policy failure...at the hands of our own leaders.
The Left could stay home next year, just like we did in 1994, and literally end Obama's political career, as well as let the Senate slide towards 50. We've already been down that road; no one wins but the Blue Dogs. They get to keep their chairs, and even if they don't, still get all the limelight and the donations, and are under no pressure whatsoever.
Or we could hit Obama, and effectively allow the Blue Dogs to drive a wedge between us and the President. Again, that doesn't really help us...even if Obama is milquetoast on most issues, 1)the Presidency is just way too much capital to throw away this early in a term, 2)a lot of important policy and staffing occurs down-level in the various alphabet agencies, and 3) The bully pulpit of the presidency is our best counterweight to the ongoing domination of right wing media.
The House appears to be in good condition for progressives, and besides, has too many potential races to educate people on, rally them behind, attract alternative candidates, and fund.
And that brings us to the Senate, which has been the real problem here. Even if Obama had "space to his left", he needs someone in a position of power who will drive that agenda in the Senate. Remember: health care reform started to turn for the worse when, the day after Obama gave a news conference calling for a vote (with a public option) by the August recess, Baucus and Conrad (members of his own party) mocked him, the Senate Majority Leader (also of the same party)sided with Baucus (and has been practically mute ever since), and several members of the Senate, again of the same party, and including "liberals" like Udall and Merkely, signed an open letter to Baucus stating their support of his delays, because they were concerned with the cost of...what I have no idea, because there was no proposal at that point. Now those signees could have taken a wide number of measures if they were concerned about costs: writing a letter to the President, meeting with the President, meeting with budget director Orszag, doing the media circuit back home in order to distance themselves from the cost of a bill that had yet to exist, ...maybe even come up with their own idea. Instead, they explicitly signed an open letter that undercut the President, the reform efforts of their colleagues on the HELP committee, the reform efforts of the House, etc, etc. [NOTE that most of the other Dems stood by and did not intervene to stop any of this].
Collectively, Baucus, Conrad, Reid, and many of the Senate Dems not only wounded a newly-elected President, but then threw the House to the wolves, as they then had to go back to their districts without even a bill to defend.
That is what got us to where we are today.
And if we get this kind of treatment on health care reform, you can sure believe we'll get it on finance reform, education reform, environmental reform, and anything else with the word "reform" in it.
So speaking for myself, I think it's clear that the Senate should be our focus, that we should identify two or three Senators to go after each election cycle, and literally destroy their political careers.
Run against them in the primaries.
Run against them in the general.
Be willing to vote for and fund a Republican, in order to beat them. Blacklist their staff from other jobs, if possible.
Harass their institutional donors.
Basically, find a few races where we can concentrate our efforts, and do a scorched-earth policy.
We already have Sestak to champion in PA, so I would think that leaves the base with the capability to push one or two additional races. Since leadership turned on us in the Senate, I urge we behead the Senate leadership. Reid is the top choice, and he is already behind in his home-state polls. Patty Murray is also a member of the leadership,and she is up for re-election. If you end their careers, you will not only send a message, but will directly impact the Senate leadership team. We have to get a Majority Leader who is willing to fight for strong legislation, and to crack skulls if that's what it takes to get there. Otherwise, we'll be in this position indefinitely...
And as soon as Nov 2010 comes to a close, you can create a PAC to go after Conrad and Nelson in 2012.