The new Republican ‘strategerie’

“OK, we’ve intimidated the moderates in the Republican Party, and that hasn’t worked out very well, so let’s try to put the squeeze on the moderate Democrats!” Can they be serious?

Rep. Eric Cantor (R-Va.) and other Republican operatives actually believe that they can pressure Democrats to join their “Party of No” and stop progress on healthcare, education, climate change, you name it.

The imaginary sound of galloping hooves bearing down on those poor, unsuspecting Democrats — quaking in their boots — how ridiculous!

Here is the fallacy of their argument — and let’s leave their misreading of the election results aside — why, for heaven’s sake, would moderate and Blue Dog Democrats want to campaign in 2010 under the banner: “We stopped Obama, crushed healthcare reform, slam-dunked an energy bill, prevented real change!”?

Hmm, yes, you elected us to actually accomplish something and now we want you to know just how close we are to the Republican Party and how glad we are that nothing was done in 2009-2010. That is what Eric Cantor and Rush Limbaugh and Glenn Beck want Democrats to campaign on next year? That is their reasoning for trying to intimidate moderates to join them on the floors of the House and Senate?

Sorry, but moderate Democrats are already making a real difference in crafting legislation that holds the line on spending, compromises on tough issues like abortion, and brings together business interests, so why in the world would they possibly become obstructionists and go to the voters as part and parcel of the “Party of No”?

Good try, but not smart strategerie.