I won't even waste time; here's a heads up to the diary police: flame away. This diary probably isn't necessary in anyone's view but my own, so flame away. But the fact of the matter is
I told you so
I am as quick and rabid as anyone else in calling out the
Vichy Dems when, in my view, they deserve to be called out. Last night, many people, in many different
threads, got all over Harry Reid for offering the compromise that Frist
never could have taken.
And in my defense of Reid, I got a few accolades, and a few brickbats. Whatever. This isn't solely a nyah-nyah-nyah diary, saying "I'm right and you're wrong." But I think it deserves to be pointed out that we are a bit too quick to jump down the throats of the Democratic leadership at every turn. Maybe I've done the same (perhaps even in the diary I linked above). If so, I'll take the criticism on that. But the fact of the matter is that we've been begging for the Dems to play savvy politics for roughly two years now, and Reid has finally done so. What does he get from the Kossacks? On balance, he gets accused of selling out. Well, fuck that. Reid knew he had Bill Frist's balls in a vise, and he played it perfectly. Now Frist can take his claims of obstructionism and shove them right up his kitty-killing ass.
Thanks to Harry Reid.
I say, kudos, Senator Reid, on playing this situation perfectly. Frist doesn't have the votes right now, and even if he twists enough arms and the Dems have to shut down the Senate in response, the GOP still look like the extremists they are. Reid's "compromise" has made this a win/win for our side.