Serves Mary Landrieu right, instead of embracing

[Erich Bloodaxe BSN]

8. Even though I use the word 'principle' myself, I actually don't think of such things as

'standing on principle', but actually simply being the smart things to do in the interests of society over the long term. People who 'don't stand on principle' still have principles, they just place more value on their own power, economic wellbeing, or illogical or shortsighted beliefs.

There's no value on 'standing on principle' for 'principle's sake'. You're doing it because it's actually the smart and correct thing to do. It's a good idea not to risk polluting massive aquifers, especially when you're moving into a period when droughts are going to become more prevalent over parts of the country. Ditto having a public option that takes the 'profit motive' out of healthcare expenses and removes some middleman bloat that doesn't do anything to actually provide healthcare. It's not really about ideology or principle, it's about sitting down and working out what works best overall, for decades to come, not just 'this quarter'.