Just so. I like Russ Feingold, I really do. And though I share adnoto's pessimism about the prospects for incrementally reforming the Democratic Party, I think if the Worst of the Worst of our Democratic Elected Misrepresentatives-- say, the Worst hundred or so-- could be replaced en masse with Feingolds, we might get Change We Can Believe In.

However, on a few occasions in recent months I've cited Feingold's May "Democracy Now" appearance, during which Amy Goodman probed Feingold on Congress' intransigence in considering single-payer health care.

Poor Russ could only look down and all but nervously scrape his shoe-tip back and forth on the carpet as he stammered that it just wasn't possible to get through Congress, and everybody in Congress knew it. (I paraphrase.)

Of course, he coughed up a couple of rationalizations, but didn't even attempt a response based on principles, or merits.

And he certainly didn't venture the plain truth that our Elected Misrepresentatives are obliged, first and foremost, to serve their true Master-- Mammon, manifested as corporations and vested interests-- despite the fantasy that Congress derives its power and authority from the people.

To Feingold's credit, he didn't express the motivation the bemused Max Baucus has been stating matter-of-factly: to give Obama the big "Win" he tasked Congressional Democrats to obtain.

I think Feingold remains fundamentally decent enough to suffer anguish and shame, and it showed during that interview.

Still, your phrase reminded me of something I'd posted elsewhere on 07/07/2007, in response to the FISA legislation under consideration at the time. IMO, it remains on point:

True story; name changed to protect the innocent:

My mother's brother, Uncle Max, is a sweet, good-hearted man; c. 1960, he and my aunt made a tragic decision to adopt a baby boy because they couldn't have children.

Fast-forward 15 years, and the Adopted Only Child, indulged and protected by my well-meaning aunt, has grown into a morbidly obese Frankenstein who rules the house. The Kid, who just stopped going to high school because he was unpopular and unhappy, passes time by spending Uncle Max's money to fund anything The Kid desires. My aunt defends The Kid's insane spending-- as when The Kid decided (on his own) to "renovate" their kitchen, tore down the breakfast nook, and bought about a thousand dollars worth of power tools that remained piled up for months, untouched, in the ruins of the breakfast nook.

There were dozens of episodes like this one, in which The Kid blew a bundle of Uncle Max's dough, and my aunt tried to put the best spin possible on these outrages. The Kid was going through a difficult adolescence, but at least he wasn't running around on the streets committing crimes or Doing Drugs!

We would usually hear about this from my mom, and the story would always end with her mournful observation, "... and Max was so mad" It was a given that poor browbeaten Uncle Max didn't have any real authority in his own house, and that his perpetually becoming so mad didn't change a thing.

It became a standard line in our family-- whenever my mom would favor us with the latest outrage, at the conclusion we would clamor, "... and Uncle Max was so mad!" My mom would laugh in spite of herself. We all felt sorry for poor Uncle Max, but that punch line summed up his perpetual impotent wrath.

Every time I hear about "Give 'em Hell" Harry Reid supposedly taking umbrage at the depredations of the criminal cabal in the Executive Branch, I think, "And Max was so mad!"

I think the Democrats should change their name to the "And Max was So Mad" Party, but I guess no one will read the long explanation of why...

Those of a stoic or phlegmatic disposition may assume that impassioned polemicists like Your Humble Narrator harbor a deep and vicious animus for Obama, and ruminate and brood upon his perceived failings during waking hours just to remain in a permanent state of high dudgeon.

This is only mostly true.

But even with my skepticism towards the Obama phenomenon from the beginning of his presidential campaign, I truly didn't expect Obama to adopt the clichés and lexicon of the Global War on Terror developed by his predecessor.

Oh, many items have been replaced and improved-- for marketing reasons, because they were getting shopworn, not because of any underlying change in policy or philosophy.

I didn't expect Obama to sling the same dumbed-down, comic-book, intelligence-insulting rhetorical feces as his predecessor.

Obama's telegrammatic, authoritative barks do not infuse virtue into corrupt slogans, or truth into shameless fictions.

Obama's presidential pontification really pushes my buttons, especially when it's in defense and furtherance of heinous warmongery.

That's one reason I watch Obama as little as possible. I don't want to hear myself muttering "You bastard!" through gritted teeth in spite of myself.

If you don't mind, please substantiate your assertion that Glenn "accuse[s] everybody else of being retarded".

I keep up with Glenn's posts pretty well, and don't remember him using the term.

However, if I'm in error, and Glenn does accuse others of being retarded, I hope for your sake that he doesn't check out your letters archive.

Because then you're really gonna get your feelings hurt.