This is insane.

That a so-called progressive activist would work this hard to persuade progressive legislators to join ranks with Republicans in defeating a health care reform bill that, while flawed, would still help tens of millions of Americans (and serve as a first step toward something better, as with Medicare and Social Security when they first passed in their flawed, incremental forms) is just beyond gob smacking.

In her Ahab’s quest to defeat the most progressive health care reform since Medicare, Jane Hamsher has been coordinating with Grover Norquist and the Tea Party movement. Shouldn’t rolling over and seeing such ugly, greedy, demented bedfellows make you think twice about the whole sordid menage a trois?  Apparently not.

The bill is this close to passing.  But we need every progressive Dem in the House to vote yes because the vile Stupak posse (who should all be primaried out of the Party) won’t vote yes unless poor women are denied access to abortions.  We know they’re too fucking blinkered to understand how vital this bill is to so many Americans.  But the progressive caucus has no excuse.  Nor do progressive activists. 

With those stakes, this is how Jane Hamsher is using her time, energy and voice?  Really?  Seriously?

How about this instead: If you really want a better bill (which is a mathematical impossibility at this point, unless you can find a GOP Senator to vote yes on a more progressive bill (maybe Inhofe?), while getting yes votes from Lieberman, Nelson, Landrieu, etc. – and good fucking luck with that), why not pass this first, then use all of your clout to fight like hell to improve it down the road?  As the history of Social Security and Medicare have shown, improving ambitious progresssive legislation is easier than passing a perferct bill initially (there isn’t as much opposition from interest groups that have already lost the primary fight, and voters are more insistent on more and better of the same).  

Guess what though Jane: You won’t have Grover Norquist or the Tea Party movement as allies in that fight. There’s a reason for that.  Think about it.

I mean, is there any doubt that Jane Hamsher would have been fighting tooth and nail to convince Democrats to vote against Social Security and Medicare when they first passed because they each were inadequately progressive?  Awesome.

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