Do you think they're shell-shocked after Bush? After so many years of not mattering, Maybe Cantwell doesn't remember how to be a Senator anymore. NONE of them do. Congress seems like they're just keeping their heads down, afraid to say anything about anything for fear of getting it wrong. Look how eager they are to proclamate about stuff that doesn't matter, or doesn't have anything to do with them, like Iran.

Clinton charged out of the gate his first year in office and fucked up a number of things badly, including health care. It seems like they're all scared of screwing up, and it's disappointing that Obama seems content to play it safe and be a mediocre president rather than a great one.

What an impotent president Barak Obama has turned out to be. What exactly HAS he followed through on? It feels much worse to be betrayed by him than it was to be put upon by Bush. May he remain an enemy of slog until he gives us what he promised. I hate him right now.

yup -- I hate to use an outdated vernacular but they are pussies.
The sad thing is all the time they are negotiating and appeasing and playing long games with themselves they are teaching the Amurkin public "why yes of course the GOP is actually right, we cravenly must bow to their fundamental message point in thelast 50 years that govenrment can't do anything and it's evil and too big, we totally agree with the GOP on that you see that's why we only offer this weak ass govt. option and furthermore, why we won't insist on it, hey it's okay if we fool around with mandates for ten more years and then maybe pretty please have some govt. option? You know, because THEN we will be able to have "more evidence" tje private system does nto work and by then we will grow balls and be able to fight the GOP to have a govt. option?"

forfeiting the chance to tell people the truth:
1. SINGLE PAYER WORKS ALL OVER THE WORLD AND PRODUCES MORE HEALTH AND COSTS LESS.
2. THE RIGHT WING AND GOP ARE LYING SCUMBAGS FOR TELLING YOU THE OPPOSITE.
Hope, change and boot licking, that's what this is. I'm going to start advocating we petition BC to let us join them. seriously our democrats can't do jack shit. And meanwhile, how about a expose of the senatorial health plan. I don't read about THEM going bankrupt with co pays. what are the benefits exactly? How much does Maria Cantwell pay a month? Does SHE have a lifetime cap on payouts like some of us have to deal with? does she have to pay $1200 a month like that couple described in the NYT this wekend? Is there ONE senator whose family is crushed by health care costs?
why the fuck do they tax US to support THEIR government option health care -- if they won't even fight for OURS?

@3,

Obama has accomplished a great deal so far in office. I'm sorry you don't pay enough attention to the news to know that. He's proving himself to be a perfectly competent moderate president. Hate him if you must, but if you equate him with Bush, there's something very wrong with you.

To use a basketball metaphor, Obama and the Congress look to me like a playmaker without an open man. To really make things happen, the Pres and Congress need to work together, but the Congress isn't there for him, or for anyone. Maybe his failure on gay rights is an effort to free them from one entanglement so they can get open on health care.

Wait - what? - was I just dreaming that I was reading the other day about how Obama's health care success was proof of his being a Higher Being compared to, say, The Clintons?

Congress - both houses - continues to be the Missing Man in the Full Court Press that has to happen for real change.