Sam Stein in the Huffington Post (my emphasis):
With just weeks remaining before tax rates revert back to pre-Bush levels, Senate Democrats have come to the fragile conclusion that they should and will hold a solitary vote to extend rates for the middle class while letting those for the wealthy expire. ...Talking with Rachel Maddow (see below), Stein calls that first vote "symbolic."
"A lot of people want to have that contrast vote, to make it clear what we stand for," said one Senior Democratic aide. "So we take that middle-class vote first, then we look to a compromise and see what's in the grab bag."
What's in the grab bag could end up being the key towards passage. Democrats may be willing to give in to Republican demands that the rates for the wealthy be extended (at least temporarily) but not without getting some legislative goodies in return. ... [Yet] the prevailing belief is that GOP lawmakers would be willing to scuttle the whole tax cut package. "I don't see the Republicans going for anything this administration has proposed," the aide said.
This whole Maddow segment is rich. The graphs at 5:54 in the clip are worth the price alone (the first is the clip's preview image). The discussion of the Democrats and the Stein interview starts at 8:35. The phrase "that first symbolic vote" turns up starting at 10:20.
Linger on this for a moment: The Senate aide says "a lot of people" want to take a symbolic vote "to make it clear what we stand for."
Good, and thank you for being clear. Here's what it looks like Dems stand for — symbols for those easily fooled by PR, followed by deeds that say just the opposite. You stand for fooling people with PR. Again, thanks for being clear.
So there's this modern novelist who was asked by members of her family, Why do you write such bad things about us? Why don't you write better things? She always answers, Well, I'd write better things if you did better things.
Just sayin'.
GP
