The Tea Party celebrates, progressives suck their thumbs.

That wonderful political group known as progressives, a group who formerly called themselves liberals but didn't have the guts to stand up to Republican attacks on liberalism and so changed their name, were left out in the cold again with their noses pressed up against the White House window pane ( or is it pain?) as they were again sold out by Barrack Obama on the debt ceiling, just as they have been every day he's been in the White House.

These are the people who, along with many in the press,  for three years going back to the 2008 Democratic primaries went into a fetal position on the subject of race for Obama's benefit, throwing away the content of his character ( which wasn't much), and judged him by the color of his skin, and still haven't come out of it while they watch Obama further destroy the Democratic Party and everything they have traditionally stood for.

Only two weeks ago, the Progressive Campaign Change Committee delivered a petition to Obama with a dire threat, warning Obama in no uncertain terms that if he cut social security and medicare and capitulated to Republicans, they would vote for him anyway.

That gets first prize as the most pathetic political petition in world history.  There were serfs in Saxony in 1056 who wrote stronger petitions to the king than the PCCC gave to Obama. Their petition told Obama that if he sold out again, this time they would not work for him or donate money. But made it clear they would vote for him anyway. I guess that meant that if he sold out on Medicare and socical security and didnt get rid of the Bush tax cuts they would refuse to wear Obama beanies in 2012 or set up card tables outside the local Stop N Shop.As for not donating money considering what Obama might get from the banks for selling out financial reform and from the health insurance industry for selling out the public option I dont think Obama will notice their money is missing.  I have no doubt that privately Obama and those around him laughed at their petition.

So while progressive groups like the PCCC and MoveOn continue to show symptoms of BOSS -- Battered Obama Supporter Syndrome, the Tea Party who really know how to threaten politicians and make their presence felt, are celebrating.And so are Republicans who once again demonstrate they know how to wield power and made the Democrats look like amateurs.

And speaking of MoveOn, ( who should change their name to MoveOver) how pathetic are they?  I received an email today from MoveOn. This is what was in the first paragraph::

" Tea Partiers hijacked the debt ceiling deal threatening to crash our economy to protect tax breaks for the wealthiest 1% and most Democrats caved in to their demands".

 The Tea Party hijacked the negotiations?  It's the Tea Party's fault that Obama is missing the part of the anatomy that James Carville said he's missing? It's the Tea Party's fault that MoveOn backed a candidate with no princples, no backbone, no convictions and no qualifications to be president? The truth is MoveOn is mad at the Tea Party because those people had more guts,were more galvanized and were willing to make more credible threats against their members of congress than MoveOn, the PCCC or anyone else was against Obama. And that's the Tea Party's fault?   It's the Tea Party's fault that they were able to do what MoveOn and the PCCC and other so called progressive groups were too timid to do by threatening to find credible challengers to those who dont vote to support their agenda?   Yes the demands of the Tea Party were close to treasonous in supporting an American default,  their values have no place in America because all they care about, all that motivates them is more money in their pockets and to hell with their childrens education, healthcare for everyone,a healthy economy and low unemployment. But whose fault is it that they won? Notice how they say, "and most Democrats caved into their demands". "Most Democrats" didnt. Barrack Obama did. Nancy Pelosi did. Harry Reid did. The Democratic  Congressional Black Caucus called Obama's deal a "sugar coated Satan sandwich" the closest anyone has come to telling Obama to go to hell. But for MoveOn and their racial neurosis,  its everyone else's fault but Obama. Thats why I call their disease BOSS -- Battered Obama Supporter Syndrome. They are like battered women who, without help, without wanting to see the truth, keep going back to the batterer and wont admit where the problem really is and that what they need to do is get out, slam the door and never go back. Instead they make excuses and go back for more.

And how truly pathetic was Obama on the debt ceiling negotiations? As pathetic as he was in caving in to health insurance lobbyists in dropping the public option, as pathetic as he was in caving into to Wall Street and banks on dropping the language from the financial reform bill that would have banned derivatives, the financial instrument banks gambled with and lost which caused the financial meltdown in the first place, and as pathetic as he has been in not once, not twice, but three times caving in on the Bush tax cuts for the wealthy, something he vowed to end since he began his run for the presidency, and something he has reneged on ever since.  And all that is the fault of the Tea Party? Even now Obama is trying to sell his snake oil saying that there must be tax increases on the wealthy and pledging to get them. Which shows neither he nor MoveOn know the rules of the game. Because its three strikes and youre out not four.

This is how useless Obama was in the debt ceiling negotiations compared to Republicans and what MoveOn's ridiculous email tries to ignore.

Obama: "Am I happy with the bill that passed? No. But its compromise"

Boehner: "We got 98% of everything we wanted".

Now, does that sound like a compromise to you? Maybe it's me. Maybe I'm just a sanctimonious purist. But that sounds like Obama's negotiating strategy was " heads you win tails we lose".

Boehner also boasted to the Tea Party that " we changed and framed the debate". That they did. But when you are debating someone with debating skills below that of a throw pillow that's not too hard.

The most disheartening ( for Democrats) example of just how pathetic Obama was during the negotiations, something by the way, that never would have occurred had he taken the bull by the horn and the recommendations of his own commission a year ago when Democrats controlled both houses of congress, were these significant comments about the Republican position in contrast to what Obama and the Democratic leadership agreed to:

" I agree that we need large tax increases to pay down the deficit and that the wealthy in this country should be the first to pay. Obama folded twice before on ending the Bush tax cuts and he just folded again".

Guess who said that? David Stockman, Ronald Reagan's Budget Director and he said it the night the House passed the debt ceiling bill.

The Republican position and tactics on the debt ceiling was publicly attacked and criticized from another quarter on four major points and the four points of criticism against Republicans are reprinted here verbatim:

1. Forcing the US to the verge of default

2.Shrugging off the needs and concerns of millions of the unemployed.

3. Protecting every single loophole, giveaway and boondoggle in the tax code as a
    matter of conservative principle.

4. Massive government budget cuts in the midst of the worst recession since WWII.

Those on target criticisms of the Republican and conservative position were made by David Frum, Republican and former White House speech writer for George W. Bush.

Here is a clue to MoveOn. When you are a Democratic president and your negotitating position is to the right of Ronald Reagan's budget director and a White House speech writer for George W. Bush you should be finished as a Democratic president. And when Reagan's budget director and Bush's speech writer can make a more cogent and effective case again the Republicans than a Democratic president, its long past time to find a challenger to Obama for the Democratic nomination. And long past time for progressive groups like MoveOn and the PCCC to take their collective thumbs out of their mouths and realize that ":daddy" is never going to be what they deluded themselves into thinking he is.

Unless progressive groups stop sucking their thumbs and grow up, and unless the Democratic party itself recognizes the catastrophe that is Barrack Obama and that this catastrophe will only continue and get worse, unless they find a credible challenger in the primaries for the Democratic nomination, a challenger that almost surely would win, they can kiss the White House goodbye and their agenda at least until 2016. And they deserve to.

There is at least two credible potential Democratic challengers out there, ( and possibly more) who would not only beat Obama handily in the Democratic primaries but win the general election. And he would energize the party and end the stupor and malaise caused by and perpetuated by Obama and the progressive groups still suffering from BOSS. ( or is it "YES BOSS"?) . Democrats in congress and every progressive group in the country should do everything possible to try and get challengers to run. And two that could win are Senator Bill Nelson of Florida,a former astronaut and the other is Al Gore.