Howard Dean, Concerned American and Non-Shill

[geek tragedy]

If you are old enough to remember when Howard Dean was running for president in 2004, excoriating fellow Democrats like John Kerry as a "handmaiden of special interests," it may be a surprise to find him opining in The Wall Street Journal today in favor of a repeal of the Independent Payment Advisory Board. IPAB is one of the reforms in the Affordable Care Act. It's a board of experts that recommends ways to save money in Medicare if the program's expenses run above a certain level.

Dean argues that IPAB can't work and thus that "getting rid of the IPAB is something Democrats and Republicans ought to agree on." He's Howard Dean, and he represents the Democratic wing of the Democratic Party! He also represents McKenna Long & Aldridge LLP, a Washington lobbying firm.

...

Dean's bio at his lobbying firm boasts, "With an extensive set of contacts nationally, Governor Dean is uniquely positioned to develop partnerships between industry stakeholders and local governments." No mention about fighting the handmaidens of special interests, alas.

Sad.

http://nymag.com/daily/intelligencer/2013/07/howard-dean-concerned-american-and-non-shill.html

[SunSeeker]

1. An LA Times editorial ripped him today for reviving the Sarah Palin "death panels" lie.

Dean has been known to say right wing shit. I remember when he said the "Ground Zero Mosque" should be moved.

[1StrongBlackMan]

2. I saw Dean’s editorial …

And thought: “This is exactly what is wrong with the Democratic Party.” We have too many members, that stoke their followers/supporters by looking for something/anything to oppose this President, even if it requires using a rightwing frame, at a time when the rightwing, largely, abandoned the frame as thoroughly discredited and at a time when the rightwing is making the issue (in this case, the repeal of the ACA), the center-piece of their 2014 campaign.

Having played competitive athletes, I frequently am drawn to sports analogies. Here’s mine of the Democratic Party:

“It’s tied in the bottom of the 8th inning, Democrats are at bat. We have runners on second and third, with one out. The republican pitcher is pretty spent and throwing up junk and their catcher is hurting because of a home-plate collision that tied the game, on the previous play. The Democrat’s pitcher is throwing smoke and they have a strong closer.

The coach, seeing the Republican in-field playing back, signs a push bunt (left handed hitter, pushing the ball to the 3rd base side, past the pitcher). The runners on 2nd and 3rd signal, “got it” … so they’re running on the pitch. And the batter (in this case, Dean) decides, since over the course of his career, he has hit a bunch of ball out of the park (and since he’s entering free agency), he’s gonna win the game himself by swinging for the fence.
Well, it might work. He might ding it and the Democrats take a 3 run lead into the 9th. Or, he might drop one over the in-field and the Democrats for a hit and the Democrats score a run; but now have runner on 1st and 3rd (double-play zone). But what is likely to happen is he swings and misses … runner trying to score is caught half way down the line and now Democrats face 2 outs, runner on third.

Yeah … Democrats can still get the run in … but it would have been so much simplier if the batter had respected the call.

[yurbud]

3. there's a big problem with the sports analogy: it's not just about which team wins but which ideas

also, Dean's defection to the lobbying world shows that we can't rely on one hero on a white horse (or one of any color) to save the day.

We need a broad-based movement for progressive ideas. If the Democrats will enact them, great.

If not, we need to work around them or form a new party.