AGREE TO COMPROMISE: Why Progressives Should Support Obama

The current uproar in the progressive community over the proposed compromise on the Bush tax cuts is understandable but misguided.  I share the frustration of the president’s liberal base over his seeming unwillingness to stand up and be a tough negotiator.  No one would have ever anticipated that President Obama and his administration would be so poor at communication and messaging.  But, to be so outraged as to be willing to scuttle this compromise is misguided and fails to take into account the current political environment and recent history.

Back in September, I recall several people at Daily Kos writing about the need for Congress to separate the tax cut issue into two bills, one for the middle class and one for the wealthy.  The writers pointed out that after the midterm election there would be a real possibility of getting nothing done to further progressive causes if we suffered the size of loss that was being predicted.  Inexplicably, Nancy Pelosi did not act on this issue in the House.  And in the Senate, where filibuster abuse is rampant, Harry Reid was never going to persuade 60 senators to agree on decoupling the Bush Tax Cut package.  So there was no action.

The political environment has not changed since October.  The Republicans in the Senate are not going to stop their obstructionist tactics and suddenly go along with Harry Reid on the issue of taxes.  Progressives must face the reality that the Republicans do not care what happens to the American people and are willing to let millions suffer to gain political power.  The American people are on our side in this issue and have been all along.  And yet, they voted overwhelmingly for Republicans in the midterms.  With no electoral consequences, why would Republicans change their approach?

Adam Green of the PCCC has appeared on MSNBC over the last several days saying that the president should use the power of the bully pulpit and go out to the people and convince them to support the progressive position on taxes.  In Mr. Green’s mind, an appearance by the president will somehow magically convince a senator to vote with him on any issue.  He has cited what the president did with Dennis Kucinich during the health care debate as proof of how this would work.  I would like to have Adam explain how an appearance by President Obama in West Virginia is going to change the vote of Senator Manchin.  Or, an appearance in Nebraska is going to win over Ben Nelson.  The same could be said in Missouri with Claire McCaskill, Indiana with Evan Bayh, Arkansas with Mark Pryor, Virginia with Jim Webb, and in Connecticut with Joe Lieberman. 

The situation gets even worse for progressives in January 2011 when the Republicans take over the House and our majority in the Senate shrinks to 53, including ConservaDems.  How will we get anything we want like an extension of unemployment insurance passed under those circumstances?  We won’t.  Republicans have no interest in helping Americans in need if it means taxes will be raised on the rich.  They would be perfectly happy to let taxes increase for the middle class and blame President Obama and the Democrats for it.  That is why I strongly urge progressives to support this compromise.  A divided Democratic Party could give our country a President Palin.  We should never forget that.