Happy for How Long?

A great victory for democrats?  Or republicans split into three factions and fighting amongst themselves without any concern for what the democrats care?  Yes, their nasty health care bill isn’t going to carry but that does not mean that the nastiness has in anyway been neutralized or even diluted.  Yes, some of the no votes were a response to constituent outcry, but not all that many, really.  It was the Freedom Caucus that held sway and the Freedom Caucus people didn’t vote against the harm it would do real people who need access and availability of health care they can afford.  They voted against it because it did not deprive people of even more.  The republican “moderates” helped but they were not the ones who won the day (ten moderates, fifteen “hardliners” and eight others by NYT’s count).  That this “win” in anyway is indicative of what is to come is hope beyond sensible hope and the possibility of real moderates and progressives advancing a humane agenda with the presidency and two houses under republican control nil.  Yes, calls to Senators and Representatives did give those moderate republicans something to think about but while this bill was the focus of attention, republicans were doing other things that real moderates and true liberals should be screaming bloody murder about.  Despite Pelosi’s gloating today, the democrats did nothing but do nothing because they really couldn’t do anything.  And their inability to do anything but nothing is bound to be devastating—republicans have only just begun to do what they are going to do with the power they have accrued.  Celebrate if you think there is reason to celebrate (indeed, good numbers of people will not—for now—lose their health care and Trump is eating crow) but watch your backs because the new order is only just beginning to find its way to smashing much of what is good in this nation.