Democrats Didn't Cave. They Saved People from Needless Suffering. [View all]

Robert S. McElvaine

“What, WE worry about the people suffering?”

My initial reaction to the reports that a sufficient number of Democratic senators had “caved” to the Republicans to bring an end to the government shutdown was, “Not again! What the fuck is wrong with them?”

Upon further reflection, I see it a little differently. The fact that the Trump Administration has made it clear that it has no problem with starving Americans, causing them to be unable to have health insurance, and preventing them from joining their families for Thanksgiving, while King Donald I parties like it’s 1928, builds his own Versailles on the grounds of the People’s House, has goons attacking Americans on our own streets, seeks to prevent millions from voting, and collects tribute from billionaires and foreign leaders, made what to do at this point a tough decision.

Whichever side of this Democratic decision you think was right, the first imperative is to assure that we do not blame the other group on the Democratic side for what is a wholly-owned Republican catastrophe. Every minute spent attacking other Democrats is, at best, a wasted opportunity and, at worst, shields Republicans from the blame they deserve.

I do, though, strongly (as Trump likes to say to hide his weakness) agree with Jay Kuo that if a group of Democrats was “going to move to end the shutdown, they needed to lead with messaging, not explain themselves after the fact. The public needed to hear much more about how the Republicans refused to deal.”

https://www.lincolnsquare.media/p/democrats-didnt-cave-they-saved-people