While the Senate dithers on health care reform: some sharply directed anger

Josh Marshall has a quote up from an anonymous "Senate Democratic Chief of Staff" whining about progressives.

There is a lot of misplaced anger coming from many of our fellow progressives about Senate Democrats (which often is just shortened to "The Democrats") inability to pass a robust healthcare reform bill, climate change, etc.

...If progressives REALLY want to transform America, they'll make an issue of the anti-democratic rules of the Senate which make real change virtually impossible. Blasting their elected Democratic officials, the vast majority of whom will vote for the Senate bill (and would also support a more robust public option if we didn't need 60 votes to achieve cloture), may make folks feel good, but is both short-sighted and stupid.

You just don't get it. WE don't run for office promising to fix things. WE don't think we ought to be returned over and over to a cushy job whether we do anything or not. WE work and contribute money to put these people in office and WE expect them to do what needs to be done to get done the things done that they promise.

THEY (these office holders) are the ones who could change the rules if that is what it takes. THEY are the people in position to corral their more conservative colleagues to get things done. And we expect THEM to get the job done.

This is a representative democracy -- once THEY get to Washington, WE expect them to do the job WE put them in position to do, not to complain that it is hard. THEY knew what the job was, THEY knew it would be hard and THEY should get on with it and stop whining.

Photo of U.S. Capitol:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/heypaul/ / CC BY 2.0