It's become tiresome to see progressive politicians act like a pouting teenager who seems to think it's a sin to ever admit satisfaction with anything. Their lukewarm reaction to Senate passage of the admittedly ill-named Inflation Reduction Act won't help energize the voters Democrats need to avoid conservatives regaining Congress in the upcoming midterm elections.
"This reconciliation bill goes nowhere near far enough in addressing the problems facing struggling working families," said Sen. Bernie Sanders (I., Vt.) after voting for the measure Sunday. "But it is a step forward and I was happy to support it." The House is expected to pass the measure Friday.
Sanders is shortchanging legislation that may not reach his loftier goals but takes major strides toward them. Perhaps the most significant is it's finally allowing Medicare to negotiate some prescription drug prices, a goal advocates have sought and failed to reach for decades.
