Dissent Of The Day

A reader writes:

You wrote:

... "[Obama's] major problems right now are a) an apoplectic and incoherent opposition that feels it is doing something by randomly harnessing populist frustration in a recession and playing the Rovian politics which is all they know and b) a useless bunch of disorganized morons and cowards who make up the Congressional Democrats"...

With all due respect, this totally ignores the fact that 100% of Senate Democrats support healthcare reform (all 59 of them), but because of the antiquated, undemocratic filibuster rule, which is being used as a daily weapon by Senate Republicans, we aren't able to pass it.  As a Chief of Staff to a Democratic Senator, I can't tell you how dispiriting it is to read stuff like what you wrote--and which I read on other weblogs and hear from my friends...

I understand the anger at not passing healthcare reform--hell, I feel it, too--but folks' anger should be focused on 1) the tool that is being used to obstruct passage, and 2) those who are using the tool!  There needs to be a movement to change this rule--and believe me, it won't be easy (it's my understanding it takes 67 votes to change Senate rules)--but you can play an important role in helping folks understand the need to do so.  However, calling us a "useless bunch of disorganized morons and cowards" because of our inability to reach 60 votes--a very difficult goal to reach when you don't have a single Republican willing to support you--is neither fair nor accurate.