Why We Need More Democrats in the Senate

Alan Blinder provides a succinct statement describing our current dilemma:

Let's remember what happened to health-care reform (a success story!) as it meandered toward 60 votes in the Senate. The world's greatest deliberative body turned into a bizarre bazaar in which senators took turns holding the bill hostage to their pet cause (or favorite state). With zero Republican support, every one of the 60 members of the Democratic caucus held an effective veto—and several used it.

Paradoxically, the thoroughly inept job that the Democrats did in passing health care reform argues for our need to elect more Democrats. With more (and more left) Democrats, misbehavior by Democratic Senators would go down, not up.

The original article appears in the Wall Street Journal. Thanks to Economists View for the pointer.