For those who might be unfamiliar with the battle, Waterloo was the site of a major battle that pitted British and German (Prussian) forces against the French, and essentially ended the Napoleonic Wars (1799-1815). At one time Napoleon had fashioned himself a revolutionary, because he was spreading the ideas of the Enlightenment. But he went too far when he decided that all of Europe needed to be guided by his "benevolent" and inspired insights. This united European monarchs against him.
Napoleon's defeat at Waterloo (in present-day Belgium) ended those aspirations. Since then the world has enjoyed "Waterloo" as a metaphor for epic defeat.
Given last night's vote, it appears that President Obama didn't meet his Waterloo. Instead, he may have achieved what Justin Miller suggested would be his Verdun.
The Battle of Verdun occurred in 1916 during World War I, and saw French forces take on a massive German offensive, which the Germans initiated to break the stalemate on the Western Front. Early history suggests that the offensive was supposed to draw the French in and "bleed them white." With Tea Party protests, the Fox News noise machine, and the entire Republican Party marching lock step to oppose anything President Obama proposed on health care, there's little doubt that health care opponents believed they could delay and bury the health care efforts of the Obama administration.
Their efforts, opponents of health care believed, would force President Obama to expend precious political capital that he could not recoup.
While more than 250,000 perished in the Battle of Verdun, and another 500,000 were wounded, the French resisted and were able to outlast the Germans until the United States joined the effort, and decisively turned the direction of the war. The political casualities of this health care battle appear to high as well, with the Tea Party movement taking the biggest hit.
Specifically, Tea Party members spit on a lawmaker and yelled epitaphs - calling out "nigger" and "faggot" to Representatives John Lewis (D-GA), Andre Carson (D-IN), and Barney Frank (D-MA) - suggesting that some of the opponents of health care reform have no problem taking America back to a day when unbridled hatred, and ignorant caricatures, ruled some segments of society.
On the positive side, Republican leaders appear ready to distance themselves from these tactics.
In all cases, I'm with the Dailykos' BarbinMD on this. I have to think this is what Waterloo looks like to Jim DeMint today.
- Mark
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