A year ago, I was an idealist democrat with a small d: I believed that our party was interested in representing a majority of the people, and that among our first principles was that everyone gets to vote, and that we count all the votes.

Then the RBC enacted a rule that said 2.25 million votes don't count. And then I read more and more about just how undemocratic caucuses are: no private balloting, public intimidation, no opportunity for millions to participate because of the time commitment required, and so on. And then I learned that in one state, we actually allow people to vote twice.

And yesterday, just as I had been almost reconciled to the fact that rules were rules and can't be changed in the middle of the game (despite the fact that the rules violate a first principle of what I believe in), I watched the RBC completely ignore the rules and seat MI delegates arbitrarily rather than in accordance with the vote (or even not seat the delegates at all, which at least would have been in accordance with the "rule").

I was happy to see that Congress has come to it senses on the Bush tax plan.

But of course, somehow any increases in the plan are the fault of the democrats:

Said Republican Rep. Jim McCrery of Louisiana, "Democrats are quietly but very assuredly paving the way for a massive, economy-choking, tax increase."

Leaving aside the issue of why this is actually good tax policy, it's important not to let the Republicans portray this as Democrats raising taxes. The truth is that any pending tax increase is due entirely to legislation proposed and signed by President Bush with the full support of a Republican congress (and over the objections of Democrats, in fact). Remind everyone that if, in fact, their taxes increase under the law, they have only President Bush and the Republican Congress to blame for that legislation.

For some time, I've been trying to figure out why so many people are adamant that the FL and MI delegates should not be seated. I wish I could ascribe some principle to that stand, but I cannot: the only principled position to take is that 2.25 million votes must be counted, and hence the delegates must be seated. For reasons why, continue below the fold.