The Liberal Dilemma - WSJ.com

Not that I care if liberalism’s agenda gets strangled, but I’m curious to observe the debate on that side of the isle and if there is courage to take on gold-plated public pensions.

 

Daniel Henninger: The Liberal Dilemma - WSJ.com

 

The Democratic Party's capture by public unions and professional politicians is strangling much of liberalism's agenda.

 

Listen to Jeff Adachi, a San Francisco Democrat and the city's elected Public Defender:

"San Francisco is the most progressive, pro-union, you know, lefty, and I'm probably the poster boy for that in many ways. But the reality is, if we don't do something, all of the important programs, not only public defense but we're talking about children's programs, after-school programs, education, senior programs, everything that we care about as progressives is going to be lost because it's being sucked up by the cost of pensions."

This downward spiral won't stop when the economy returns. The unions will get theirs; the vulnerable categories will get the shaft. For this to change, the modern Democratic Party would have to change. It's got to decide if it wants to do more for real people and less for gerrymandered politicians and union protectorates. Lifetime pol Joe Biden says the stimulus "is working." It is, for the boys in the clubhouse. Honest liberals and progressives distraught over the harsh math of 2010 have more in common with the tea partiers than they imagine.