All this hand wringing over teabaggers at town hall meetings!

Republicans don't want a debate, they want a debacle, something to distract the media from any serious consideration of what's actually at stake. But it's futile to worry the point. The media need a narrative. Let's give them one. Let's march on Washington. (I know this idea has been raised before; if there's anything in the works I'm unaware of I invite your commentary.)  

There are advantages and pitfalls to planning a march. Does sufficient interest exist? My gut tells me its out there. In spades. If that's true, and we produce the type of rally I'd expect, the teabaggers get dunked.

We should be careful not to step on our own message. The likely participants are a diverse group with varied interests and a range of opinions on what's needed. The rallying cry, I believe, should be non-specific: "A Health Care March on Washington!" The goal is to frame only the problem, not the solution; there are better venues for that.

Imagine an endless stream of speakers taking turns at the podium, real people, each with a deeply personal story to tell. We'll hear from those who could not obtain insurance, whose claims were denied or whose policies were rescinded. We'll hear from doctors who've been thwarted in their ability to help those in need, from family members who've suffered along with a loved one, from mothers and fathers bankrupted by caring for a sick child...the list goes on and on.

How many column inches could we fill? Who would dare shout us down? This could be a watershed moment, a truly historic event. And what politician wouldn't think twice about being on the wrong side of history?

   ---s

Florida, November 24, 2000, the General Election. Republican operatives brandishing "Sore Loserman" signs target canvassing boards and, most memorably, the Broward County courthouse in a brazen attempt to disrupt the recount by any means possible. Their methods---paid agitators, bused-in protestors masquerading as local citizenry, willful intimidation, disorderly conduct bordering on actual riot---are of a piece with current efforts to sandbag the national debate on health care reform.

The resurrection of this particularly ugly page from the Republican playbook has not gone unnoticed. Josh Marshall makes the connection in a recent post under the heading "And for the Blue Team?" in which he asks his readers for a sign, any sign, of an organized response. Where indeed are the Progressives? It's a valid question, one for which I hope a convincing answer emerges soon.

But as we join the fray we must remain especially vigilant, mindful not to allow the scorched-earth tactics of the opposition to reduce all attempts at rational discourse to a rancorous din. That is their aim. It's the trap they have set for us.

The higher the volume is turned up, the less inclusive the debate will become. The media will always fixate on the most intemperate voices. As the cacophony ratchets to a feverish crescendo, the very people whose support is most essential to forcing a satisfactory outcome will have all but tuned out.

It's a dilemma, to be sure, but by no means checkmate. Elements of a winning counter-strategy are already in place. By highlighting the truth about the opposition, exposing their outrageous conduct, and tracing it back to the real architects, we advance our cause. We must hold the talking heads of the traditional media relentlessly accountable to the facts. As the most recent Presidential election reminds us, when Republicans overreach, when they reflexively double down on the boldest of lies (remember the "Bridge to Nowhere?") the scales do fall from pundit's eyes. Not all of them, of course. But even a few reasonable voices can help turn the tide.

Democrats, alas, tend to hyperventilate at the first hint of adversity. We must remind ourselves sometimes that the American people are not stupid. They sense when they're being manipulated. But commitment to a principled stand, simple honesty and genuine conviction can still carry the day. We can win this battle if we find a way to fight it on its merits.

Let cooler heads prevail.

   ---s