Can't We All Just Get Along?

Thank you, Rodney King.

The election of Mass. Sen.-elect Scott Brown (Republican for the People) is a good thing. Without a supermajority, the Democrats can't push through their agenda with impunity. Heck, they couldn't push it through WITH a supermajority! Conversely, the Republicans can't play the role of helpless victims, because they now hold the power to - if nothing else - filibuster.
So now is the time to re-approach health care reform. Not that it will happen. That would require Democrats to grow backbones, and we all know that evolution doesn't happen that fast. The President was right to chide his colleagues and tell them not to head for the hills. If you didn't know better, you'd think the Republicans had taken back the House and Senate. They got one little ol' senate seat, for God's sake. The Democrats still hold 57 seats. They remind me of the French, ready to surrender at the drop of a hat.

As I said, NOW is the time to tackle health care reform again. Why? Because now the Republicans have to actually respond. Either they have to collaborate with the Democrats, or they have to put up roadblocks. And now that they'll need Republican support to pass a reform bill, the Democrats will have to play nice in the sandbox and be willing to compromise on some of their issues.

For the Republicans' part, they will have to either cooperate or obfuscate. Which means, ultimately, if the Democrats can push a more conciliatory bill through, the Republicans will be forced to filibuster. And if that bill is more palatable to the American people (as it'll have to be even to get on the floor again), the Republicans will be perceived as anti- working class American, and anti-small business, if they prevent a bill from passing.

The question is whether President Obama has the wherewithal to persuade his party to get back on the horse. If he can do that, he is the consummate politician of our age.