Aide-memoire

I think I've reached that point in life that I will function tolerably well if I merely remember what I already know. A post at MyDD reminds me that a small Democratic majority in the House would be a very good thing because it would be accomplished without the Confederate Dinos of my youth.

That is, back then the Dems had solid House majorities, but a signficant chunk of those majorities consisted of Southern Democrats-in-name-only who voted with the Republicans on many issues. The country was less "Right" in the 70s and 80s -- and you also had the countervailing force of Reagan and Old Bush in the White House -- so perhaps it is not so clear from looking at the historical record of laws passed how great a drag those Southern House members were on progressive politics.

But they were. And even a small Democratic majority achieved in November without those "legacy" Democrats would give hope for a more progressive future. So MyDD argues, and there is merit in the argument.

Maybe that's whistling, jitterbugging and high-fiving past the graveyard, but it's certainly true the House had a conservative majority on many issues back when the Democrats were nominally in charge. That's a fact no matter what lessons we draw from it.