An Optimist Perspective on the Debt Bill

Here’s a fascinating article that says the recent debt vote was actually a huge victory for liberals.

I don’t have time to do the fact-checking (I’m actually going on vacation in an hour and a half)—but taking the anonymous author’s claim that the claims have been verified at face value, it’s clearly a better bill than the media has reported, with half the original cuts and triggers to take extras out of right-wing pet programs.

In any case, I support the author’s call for massive voting. The paralyzing focus of the House this term could have easily been avoided by better mobilization of Democrats and progressives in 2010, and it will get much worse if there’s a Republican President and Senate majority next time around. Though I’d still love to see a Left challenge to Obama, whom I’ve been calling the Great Conciliator lately.

Whether this is indeed a victory, or simply less of a loss, is something I’ll leave to your judgment—and I’d love to see a spirited debate on this in the comments section, below.