And Howard Dean. And any other fire-breathing, to-hell-with-the-consequences liberal putting their left foot down loudly.
Bernie Sanders commented recently (I think it was on Countdown) that he should have been outside the White House during the Clinton health care debate, burning the President in effigy. Because he didn't want the bill to pass? No, because "then they'd see just how moderate your proposals are."
Not only are the Jane Hamsher's of our political world giving liberals in Congress the political cover they need to negotiate from a stronger position (see my last diary about why you should stop spazzing out when our side says "kill the bill" after we've been listening to every other mother's son saying the exact same thing the entire time because it's a negotiating tactic...), but they also provide cover for moderates to act all smugly moderate to their supposedly moderate constituents without having to come down even farther to the right.
This isn't a diary supporting the bill or saying to kill it. I have mixed feelings. But it is a reminder that without a fired up, rowdy left (yes, even one that is willing to loudly tell the President to go to hell), the "center" keeps sliding farther and farther to the right.
So if you support Jane in her efforts to play hardball, I'll be cheering you on even when I don't feel like joining you (though some of the time, I do). But if you don't support Jane, you should remember that she's still doing us a favor.