This Is Why We Can't Have Nice Things

Heckuva job, Democrats:

“I think the American people are very skeptical of big pieces of legislation,” Senator Bob Casey, a Democrat from Pennsylvania, said in an interview Wednesday, joining a growing chorus of Democrats who prefer an à la carte version of the bill despite White House resistance to that approach. “For that reason alone I think we should break it up.”
[...]
But Democrats, as is their wont, are divided over their objections, which stem from Mr. Obama’s sinking popularity in polls, parochial concerns and the party’s chronic inability to unite around a legislative initiative, even in the face of Republican opposition.
Some are unhappy about the specific types of companies, particularly the oil industry, that would lose tax benefits. “I have said for months that I am not supporting a repeal of tax cuts for the oil industry unless there are other industries that contribute,” said Senator Mary L. Landrieu of Louisiana.
A small but vocal group dislikes the payroll tax cuts for employees and small businesses. “I have been very unequivocal,” said Representative Peter A. DeFazio, a Democrat from Oregon. “No more tax cuts.”

I suppose it would be too much to ask for these prima donnas to just shut up and support the President's agenda for a change. That is what political parties do when they want to get something done. Just look at what the Republicans did with the Paul Ryan plan. They mainstreamed making Medicare into a voucher program while cutting trillions in taxes for the uber wealthy and whipped their entire caucus behind it in both houses of Congress despite it being terrible politics, policy, and overwhelmingly unpopular with the public. And the President can't even get his own party to shut up and unify behind a much needed economic plan in the middle of a flagging economy and 9% unemployment. In an election year.

Ostensibly, a number of the Democrats cited in the NYT piece oppose the American Jobs Act as a paltry attempt to burnish their conservative bona fides. I'm not quite sure what it will take these people to realize that having a 'D' next to their name ensures they will get pasted in any election in a conservative district or state. Just look at 2010 - the largest swath of Democrats that got ousted from the House were Blue Dogs. It's not terribly difficult to comprehend when the Right spends all of its time reading Ann Coulter books and listening to people on Fox News breathing fire about how Democrats are evil and treasonous and hate America and want to kill your children in their sleep. They hate you because you are a Democrat. It's very simple. 

In other words - shut the fuck up and support the President's long overdue jobs agenda already. The opposition party just introduced an identically titled bill that seeks to eliminate corporate taxation in its entirety. As a "jobs" bill. These are the people you're dealing with. These are the people you are implicitly supporting by whining about how Obama is mean or how his bill isn't what you'd like it to be. And they will be coming after your seat in 2012 regardless of how you act or vote. So despite whatever ill founded and delicate political misgivings you may have, Mr. & Mrs. Conservative Democrat, it's time to get on the right side of this issue.