Say Anything Blog

The Democrats started out this term the way a man who is way too convinced of his own prowess in certain areas starts out a night on the town with his buds.

There was the inevitable and even mandatory bragging about their prowess, nudge nudge, wink wink, all bluster and swagger, loud and convincing to everyone, even themselves. They sweet talked and cajoled, and wooed the voters to their side. They thundered about how they were in fact the man with the plan, and that they could satisfy America in a way the Republicans just couldn’t even touch.

Then came closing time and the election was over. They won. The American public swooned on their arm. The Democrats stumbled home with their prize, flush with victory and with the self confidence that no job was too big. They could do it ALL. They were The Man.

And then...oopsie.

A funny thing happened on the way to the performance. 

It turns out that they just haven’t been able to satisfy their partner the way they promised. In fact, they’ve accomplished almost nothing since the election. So....how do they explain themselves about their somewhat flaccid performance on the Hill? Easy. Just like every other braggard who just couldn’t quite get up to snuff:

Blame somebody else. And that’s exactly what Harry Reid did today:

Tired of Republican crowing about winning on Iraq funding, the budget battle and the energy bill, Reid (D-Nev.) shot back on Tuesday afternoon.

“We hear a lot of Republicans boasting ... because of their unprecedented obstruction,” Reid said.

Indeed, Republicans have gotten their way in the battle over spending, have forced Democrats to jettison rollbacks of tax breaks for oil companies, and have beaten back attempts to pay for expanded children’s health care programs with a tobacco tax increase. Even though they’re in the minority, the GOP, backed by President Bush, has used the filibuster to block Democratic priorities over and over this fall.

“Who’s winning?” Reid asked a group of reporters. “Big Oil, Big Tobacco. ... Al Qaeda has regrouped and is able to fight a civil war in Iraq. ... The American people are losing.”

Uh, Harry..... it’s not the American people who are losing. It’s you. And.....Big oil? Big tobacco? Your insecurities about your competition and perhaps your own performance anxieties are showing. But, I guess it’s okay that you look around for someone else to blame for your own shortcomings.

It can happen to anyone.

Thanks to Weasel Zippers for the tip.