What Victory?

Right now, big time media (which is to say, virtually everyone) is touting Barack Obama's asskicking of the supposedly ascendant Republican party. Six short weeks (have we heard this phrase often enough?) after he called his party's defeat in the November elections a "shellacking", here he is, getting all kinds of legislation passed out of a lame duck Congress which is traditionally incapable of accomplishing anything, other than prepping their own way into the lucrative ranks of Washington lobbyists.

Granted, the things they passed are notable, not only because of their formerly controversial nature, but just by the shear volume of bills flogged into law. And the GOP has helpfully called themselves out as losers who somehow couldn't maintain their focus long enough to deny the President any victory at all. After all, that has been their strategy, often stated, since November 2008. Do they really have a reason to be so downhearted?

Sadly, no.

Think about what they have lost; The START Treaty; Don't Ask Don't Tell; Bad Food protection; extension of Unemployment benefits. All worthy bills, and we're all better off for their being signed into law. But are they essential or are they peripheral? Don't Ask Don't Tell is Civil Rights for the 2000's, and way overdue, but is any Republican going to suffer for being in opposition to it? Do they really care that it is now a reality? Would any Republican of the last three quarters of a century really have a problem with START? No, and no.

They defied the Dream Act, and they were successful. That may cone back to haunt them, as the country grows increasingly Hispanic. Yet, that is a comeuppance for another day.

What did they get, as we limped down the stretch of lame duckdom? Why they got their wealthy friends their tax break, further piling on to the national debt that they were so disgusted with during the late campaign. They kept absolutely everything that they really care about, exactly as it was before these non-essential Democratic issues were given their day. And oh yes, they also got the estate tax, which would have continued to aid in reducing the deficit, and which also provided at least some leveling to the catastrophic swing in favor of the well-to do.

Okay, I like that these other things got passed. It's nice to see Barack win a couple. It's nice to see him strut a little, and for our side to flip off the bad guys. But make no mistake; they got the big wins. And they know that they will have the whip hand a just a few days. Then, things will get truly ugly and little mercy will be shown.