Please keep using this analogy because it is completely appropriate. I am a licensed counselor and have worked in a domestic violence agency for almost eight years. I ve done weekly groups with both abusers and victims, men and women, and am now working in an actual shelter setting with abused women.

In other words, I have been immersed in observing the dynamics of abuse for years — and you are right. The current dynamics between Republicans and Democrats are EXACTLY the same. Democrats need to learn the same lessons as abuse victims:

* You can t  work with people whose primary motivation is to WIN. Those kind of people don t respect you. They don t care about you. They don t value you. Your safety and well-being means NOTHING to them.

* Being  nice to people like that doesn t work. They force you to to play into their win/lose dynamic — even if it s against your nature, and even if you don t want to or like to. If you don t play by the rules they are forcing upon you, you will be destroyed.

* When you do finally stand up to them and start playing by their rules, they will genuinely perceive you as being  mean,  unfair and  abusive. And they will genuinely perceive themselves as the  victim. That is their problem.

* When they get angry and upset at you, and start attacking you, it is a compliment. It means you are doing the right thing. It means you are winning the contest they are forcing you to play. Keep doing it.

If anyone reading this site has access to Harry Reid or Howard Dean, I am hereby offering to hold a crash course in abuse dynamics for Democratic leaders. Seriously. I will even do it for free if it means making our country safer and stronger.

Dugger

For God’s sake listen to Howard Dean and stand up to these guys that have never apologized for anything…

Apologizing to 1700 dead Americans would be a good start.