No one seems to be writing opinion pieces quite the way I would, so I decided to do it myself.

The name? Taverns are places where one goes to discuss the interesting events and things in the world, so this is my tavern.

I will offer my views on politics, economics, and whatever else strikes my fancy.
I will occasionally publish the entire article from another journal for purposes of causing discussion.

 

What does the loss on Medicare say about the Democrats?

MSNBC discusses the difference between the discipline the Republicans are showing in both Houses and the lack of discipline demonstrated by the Democrats in the Senate. A key statement in the article is:

Longtime party strategist Harold Ickes was at a loss to see any upside to a Republican victory in an area Democrats have always owned. He said he was flabbergasted that key Democratic senators, led by John Breaux (La.) and Max Baucus (Mont.), went along with it.


Clearly the failure starts in the Senate with Tom Daschle, who needs to be replaced. In addition, if John Breaux and/or Max Baucus are running for reelection, the Democrats should select and fund someone to run against them. Clearly they should find no further Democratic support for their projects for as long as they remain in the Senate.

There also needs to be some mechanism for developing a Democratic position on issues other than just waiting to see who wins the Presidential nomination. Terry McAulife at the DNC perhaps could address this? Not unilaterally, of course.

posted by Richard at 5:17 PM