Ro Khanna's excuses

He was on Hartmann's show today and was asked why he and other progressives did not use their voting block to hold up the Rescue Bill for the inclusion of the $15 minimum wage. I don't remember all of his excuses but for the following.

He first wanted the caller to look at all the good they did. And indeed, they did have some influence over the Bill which included a lot of much needed and beneficial policies. They are to be applauded for that good work. But then he got to the excuses for not forcing a vote in the wage hike.

He said that we don't want to be another Tea Party using tactics like that. I guess that means he finds using the power of the vote to help the American people somewhat crass or dastardly? The Tea Party, by using that power, got immense results from such tactics, arguably transforming the Party into revealing who and what they really are. So progressives using them would have the same positive result in that it would also transform their Party while revealing who and what they really are: Like their counterparts across the isle, also toadies for big money. Plus the liability of upsetting their Party against them isn't much of one, as their own Party hates them anyway. The huge upside is that we the people will sing their praises and elect even more of them since they showed us they're willing to fight for us against a Party many of us think is part of the status quo problem.

Then Khanna said that we had to do it now as it is in order to save America or it would be delayed. First of all, it has already been delayed given the Repugs had the Senate. Secondly, I seriously doubt that Biden would have delayed it much if at all because he had to have this legislative victory or himself lose confidence with the American people. Therefore to block the vote while demanding the wage hike be in it would not fall on the progressives for blocking it but on Biden and the Dem Senators for giving up on it. Sure, the Party would blame them and use the corporate media to reinforce that narrative. But progressives have used their own alternative media power before when they were campaigning and won, so could use their own considerable networks to counter the status quo narrative, even making part of it that it is indeed the status quo in their own Party who are responsible. As we well know, that narrative is quite popular with we the people, who would respond in droves to our representatives, senators and executives to put up or shut up.  And yes, it would bring to the forefront the internal battle in their Party, but we are already well aware of it as is everyone else. So embrace it and use it as leverage. Again, a base or dirty tactic? Only to those whose idealism is part of the problem.

Bottom line is that progressives would win this and every other popular issue that comes up for consideration. It's just that our progressive representatives aren't up for the sort of fight with their own Party to get it done. And us progressive people outside of government find that cowardly and ineffective, and ultimately against their own best interest in keeping their jobs and electing more of them. If/when they start losing elections to the fascists they will have lost the power of their voting block and then the situation will be even worse yet again. They have the power now and need to learn how to use it. No more excuses. Just do it.