Joel Award Winner: Joy-Ann Reid

Joy-Ann Reid lashes out at progressives for the failure of the American Jobs Act to pass the Senate.

Every time something like this happens, I’m reminded of all the angry liberals who complain that President Obama hasn’t pursued more progressive policies on healthcare, or civilian trials for terrorists, or closing Gitmo, etc. Recall, always, that people like John Tester and Ben Nelson (and Joe Lieberman and Jim Webb and Joe Manchin) are in the Senate, and they are Democrats, too. Which means that it isn’t just Republicans who stand in the way of the kind of progress progressives (and at this point, a strong majority of all Americans) crave.

I asked Reid on Twitter if she thought a more bipartisan bill would have passed. Reid never replied to me. What I do know is in the same post Reid wrote this.

The White House is now looking at ways to break up the bill and try and pass the parts that have “bipartisan support” — which in and of itself is elusive, since most Republicans won’t vote for anything this president is for, and many Democrats are practically Republicans.

Let me get this straight. Progressives shouldn't participate in democracy by advocating for the things that want because Republicans will vote against it. However, according to Reid, Republicans would filibuster anything (and have) if President Obama supports the legislation. This is Reid's political strategy? That isn't a strategy. That is defeatism.

Obama did the Reid strategy of appeasing Republicans and and corporate Democrats by attempting to outcut the Republicans during the debt ceiling fiasco. The result was Obama's poll numbers dropped like a rock.

As for corporate Democrat Ben Nelson, his poll numbers have sucked since 2009. Nelson is currently polling behind Nebraska Attorney General Jon Bruning. Democrats should have ran a candidate in the primary against Nelson. Voters are turning against Nelson because they are finally realizing that he stands for nothing. The midterm elections saw House Blue Dogs and Blanche Lincoln in the Senate. Democrat Bill Halter polled better for the general election. The Obama administration and the DNC decided to back Lincoln. The result was Republican John Boozman winning the seat. Again I asked how does Reid's strategy of appeasing corporate Democrats help maintain majorities?

Reid lashes out at progressives for somehow forcing President Obama to back a populist jobs bill. Reid goes on to say it doesn't matter what kind of bill the President supported because Republicans were going to filibuster it. This incoherent rant wins her the Joel Award for contradiction.

The truth is Obama got something for going on the offensive. The do nothing Republican House has been sitting on the trade deals for South Korea, Colombia and Panama. Obama and the Occupy movement have been demanding jobs. The House suddenly got off their collective asses and passed all three trade agreements. Obama tried being bipartisan and Republicans sat on writing legislation for the trade agreements. Ask yourself if Republicans would have moved if Obama continued being bipartisan.