Today's NYT has a FP story about MA-Sen featuring the following gem by Evan Bayh:
Senator Evan Bayh, Democrat of Indiana, said the atmosphere was a serious threat to Democrats. "I do think there’s a chance that Congressional elites mistook their mandate," Mr. Bayh said. "I don’t think the American people last year voted for higher taxes, higher deficits and a more intrusive government. But there’s a perception that that is what they are getting."
This one quote sums up every reason why, 14 mos after the party's most resounding triumph in 44 years, the Dems seem to have largely squandered the mandate that the triumph offered them. Exactly what higher taxes have been imposed on the American people since 1/20/09? There is a highly unpopular excise tax that will be imposed on more expensive health care plans in the future if the pending health care bill passes. That tax, however, is being insisted upon by a body in which Bayh is a proud member, and I've yet to hear him utter a word against it.
The individual mandate is a classic example of "intrusive govt." While economic arguments can be made in favor of mandates, politically, it's a tough sell. Last time I checked, however, Bayh was no more upset by it than he was by the excise tax.
Bayh takes the deficit hawk posture. Too bad he didn't take it when W/Cheney were beating the war drums in 2002. Come to think of it, I've never heard him complain about rampant profiteering, poorly monitored outsourcing, and basic unaccountability on the trillion or 3 we'll ultimately end up pissing away on a war that should never have been started.
It's interesting to note, furthermore, that JoeMentum (JM) is repeatedly cited as 1 of the 2 main excuses for why the HC bill will differ so markedly from what we hoped as recently as a month or so ago. Bayh was one of JM's chief apologists in the immediate aftermath of the 2008 elections. In an interview on Faux News 2 days after the election, Bayh said the following:
BAYH: And I think if Joe came before the caucus and said look, if I said some things that came as offensive, I’m sorry, but they were, you know heartfelt in my support of John McCain. I think we had to just let bygones be bygones. We’re going to need him on healthcare and energy independence and education and a whole lot of other things.
How, exactly, has that worked out, Sen. Bayh? How, exactly, has JM helped us on HC? JM was one of the Senate's 2 driving forces on the total abandonment of the PO and the other cave-ins on the things that meant that most of us.
Like all Kossacks, I understand how important it is for Coakley to win on Tuesday. I also understand, however, that the unexpected crisis in MA cannot and should not be cause for the party "leadership" to abandon progressive principles once and for all. Obviously, Bayh wants for it to do so, and thwarting his efforts in the coming months is as important as anything that happens on Tuesday.