Once again, the inestimable Bill Moyers displays how a real journalist should act:
The Democratic Party has become like the Republican Party-- deeply influenced by corporate money. I think Rahm Emanuel, who's a clever politician, understands that the money for Obama's re-election will come primarily from the health industry, the drug industry and Wall Street. He is a corporate Democrat who is determined that there won't be something in this legislation-- if we get it-- that will turn off those powerful interests.
[...]
There’s this fear that Barack Obama will become the Grover Cleveland of this era – Grover Cleveland was a good man, but he became a conservative Democratic President because he didn’t fight the powerful interests – people say Obama should be FDR – I’d much rather see him be Theodore Roosevelt --– Teddy Roosevelt loved to fight – … I think if Obama fought instead of really finessed it so much . . . I think it would change the atmosphere.
Watch the video.
As we survey the grim fact that -- despite big majorities in both houses of Congress, a popular and charismatic president, and solid public approval -- we may very well not get the kind of health care changes that befit a civilized nation, it's hard not to sink into a profound cynicism. We have never had an opportunity this good, and who knows when another one will come along. Money wins the day, forever and ever, amen.
-A
H/T Digby