But because the Republicans are willing to punish severely those who break ranks, whereas the Democrats (rightly so) embrace individual expression, Snowe and Collins rarely express that sentiment.  There is an argument to be made that if the Democrats are willing to embrace the conservative Dem openly (rather than begrudge the fact we have the Senator Nelsons of the party) we might get the likes of Collins and Snowe to switch.  That is, if they thought the voters would put them back in office even though they had a D next to their name.

Oy. 

Hee! 

Yeah, I know how you feel about the screaming at the monitor thing....politics is such fun, ain't it?

Anyway, a toast to your health!

Jayzuz Aich Christ, and here I am letting you raise glasses in toast!  Fer shame!!!

Hide the bottles, mon!  And git to bed!!!  A lad yer age needs his sleep.  Ach.

I've got twenty years to prepare myself, luv.

First off, I'm not asking anyone to cheer on anyone.  There is very little to cheer about. 

Do I ever tire of losing, you ask.  A long time ago.  But just because one is tired of losing doesn't mean one can choose what dynamics one wants to believe are in play.  Of course there is a lot of corruption, incompentence, and cowardice amongst the Dems.  Yet - here's one little facet of it all: the Republican agenda is facilitated by having its party members corrupted by wealthy elite forces, whereas the Democratic agenda is thwarted when its members are corrupt.  Guess which side is going to win more often.  Do I cheer that? No. If there is something other than rant on and on about it, I'll give it shot.  In the primaries, if a better alternative is there I support him or her.  Yet for the time being these are the folks in my coalition.

Is having the committee chairs worth having the likes of Sen. Nelson and my former senator Bayh in the coalition? Sometimes I wonder.  Would it be better to be more pure and in the minority?  There are days I say yes.  Would I like to see the Republicans have 63 seats in the Senate? Hell no. 

Now, in my humble opinion, I have concluded -- based on some serious speculation on my part - that your exact assessments about the nature of what is happening there is based on the erroneous belief that all the Democrats are as one entity, much like the borg.  This leads you to make assessments on the outcome of their behavior based on the idea that they are operating with the same agenda, the same perceptions, the same conclusions, and the same priorities. In my humble opinion, nothing could be further the truth (well, there are some things a little further the truth, but that is another matter). 

And I would agree with you in general that the far left is right on the issues, over and over again.  But the far left ain't got no power (thanks to the people.)  Now the far left can look to see who has some power that be aligned with, but this means a little compromise.  But the liberal moderates are very few and far between, too.  So get a little more power, one finds oneself aligning with the moderates, as well.  Some more compromise.  And even then, not that much power.  One could give up and just the conservative moderates align with all the conservatives and basically rule without resistance.  Or one can compromise some more and yank some of them into the coalition.  And there we find ourselves.  This particular view of the dynamics doesn't align with your "they're all corrupt and incompentent cowards" meme so you can't accept it.  I understand.

Just as it is hard to deal with the fact that much of the current outrage has to be sustained by the absolute belief the Republicans would have caved in the few weeks that they had to hold out. Remember what a failure the Bush messaging team had when they tried to paint the Democrats as obstructionists when they controlled Congress?  Most Americans only look to see who has the majority and don't concern themselves with things like cloture votes.)

And two more things:

You're calling me smug and self-satisfied?

And

 Do you ever tire of offering lame, demonstrably illogical and false excuses for the players that keep throwing the game?

What you don't understand is that this isn't a game.  Somebody recently told me that.  I think it was on this thread.

Peace.