This feels like a sequal to the Iraq War vote -- Except there was a strong President then

[Armstead]

There's a sense of deja vu in this whole health care debacle. Even though it is an important issue, why does what is happening also seem so much bigger and worse than this one issue?

IMO because it is the latest chapter in a long pattern that keeps getting repeated. One of the largest example is the Iraq War resolution.

After months of a "public debate" in which liberal common sense was pushed aside as "fringe leftism" by both Democratic and Republican leaders and the media, Congress had a chance to either be stamp for President Bush,or do the right thing and tell Bush to take his war and shove it.

And here and elsewhere, opponents of the war lobbied and marched and vented and did whetever else we could to do prevent a needless war that we saw as a huge mistake and likely disaster.

Naturally we wrote off the Republicans because we knew that with a couple of notable exceptions they would go along with Bush. No matter what their private misgivings might have been, they went along because they did not dare to oppose their president and party.

The Democrats? Well hope springs eternal. We pushed. Some, including Holy Joe, were right there with the GOP as cheerleaders for the war. Other Democrats were opposed to the war and fought valiantly to prevent Congress from going along with it. And a lot of other Democrats were wishy washy wafflers.

Those progressives who presented all of the information and arguments against the war were told to quietly go away because we were naive fools or "purists." The Democrats in Congress who were fought against the war were marginalized by the party "leadership." Centrist Democrat wafflers told us we had to "keep our powder dry" and not fight this one. Instead, wait for the day when Democrats would regain control of government.

When it came to the vote we bit our nails did whatever we could -- AND THEN WATCHED AS TOO MANY DEMOCRATS either caved into Bush or enthusiastically supported his war.

Variations of the same "pragmatic" reasons for capitulation were given to us then as are being given now. "Don't let the perfect be the enemy of the good....You people don't understand real politics....Let the adults handle this....etc."

So opponents of the war lost and yet again we were told to settle for crumbs, just as we are being told that now.

We went to war in Iraq. And we all know how well that one turned out.

[goldcanyonaz]

1. I was and still am greatly disappointed that so many held town hall meetings on HCR

Paid operatives showed up and yelled the speakers down and that's what made the news, causing feigned mass hysteria.

I don't recall one town hall meeting in regards to the IWR.

Why do we Dems have to talk everything to death instead of just getting the job that the people elected them to do????

I also thought they would pass this bill immediately during Obamas honeymoon phase.

I was very wrong and I'm greatly disappointed to put it mildly.