My favorite part is the reductions committee. Instead of voting to cut Medicare, we've set up a group of people who we can throw under the bus and blame 100% for inevitably cutting Medicare.
Depends. Sometimes Dems on committees are less likely to cave than the party at large.
Course, as I understand it if the committee can't agree it just gets sent back to the full Senate, but that means the committee doesn't get the blame.
I think this is the moment when some Democrats are truly going to start sharpening their knives for Obama.
Eh. We've had a handful of No votes, and some grousing, but I doubt we'll see anything more than that. No way will there be a primary challenge.
Any great compromise leaves everyone mad. Unfortunately that seems to be the case here (note that I don't actually think this was a compromise.
Oh, it was a compromise. Between right-wing Republicans and extreme, far-right Republicans.
Over/under on how long it takes before we start seeing a leftist extreme bunch?
Depends what you mean. In Congress? Don't hold your breath. Kucinich represents the liberal end of the Democratic Party, and Sanders is an avowed socialist, but I don't see either of them representing actual "leftist extremism".
If you're thinking more in terms of liberals supporting a third-party candidate, I don't see that happening either. Everyone's still gunshy after Nader's scapegoating in 2000, and the last wave of grassroots liberal activism got us Obama. The grassroots are FUCKING DEMORALIZED right now.
I don't see liberal backlash starting a movement. I see liberal disappointment dismantling the movement.