What 60 vote majority?

There has been talk in the media about how the election of Brown cost Obama his 60 vote majority in the US senate. Sorry, the 60 vote majority that the Democrats "held" was as shallow as the rain puddle on my front walk. Those purported 60 votes held by the Democrats were in fact 59 because Lieberman is a member of the Democratic Caucus in name only. After Lieberman, the list of "blue-dog" Democrats includes Evan Bayh, and Ben Nelson. 58, 57, yeah, Obama's 60 vote majority in the senate never existed.

I don't much admire George Bush for his policies (which oddly enough Obama supports, but I digress) he was able to get his legislation through the house and the senate without the daily threats of the filibuster. Yes, he used reconciliation, but that was because he didn't have the magical 60 votes. Which brings me to my point about just how jack-boot lock step the Republican party was at passing legislation. The Republicans in the house and senate were consistent in pushing their presidents agenda forward. The Democrats not so much.

And speaking of the filibuster. The Republicans oft criticized Democrats for contemplating using the filibuster against Bush's agenda. And hypocrites that all politicians are, the Republican strategy of just say no, is to say yes to the filibuster. And if the Republicans want to filibuster, I say make them get on the senate floor and actually filibuster whatever legislation they plan on voting against.

The Democrats and Obama are afraid of their own shadow. There is no leadership in always trying to seek a bi-partisan solution to the problems that ail the nation. There comes a time where proclaiming yourself the leader means you actually need to lead. And Obama isn't leading. Obama never had a 60 vote majority in the senate, and until he drops the pretense of passing bi-partisan legislation he will never bring change (he talked so much about) that I am many others can believe in.