Titus tells truth, clarifies, apologizes

When Politico reported that Rep. Dina Titus’ lament that the Democrats were “f---ed” and could lose re-election if they didn’t learn from last week’s Republican U.S. Senate victory in deep-blue Massachusetts, the press focus generally has been on exactly what the freshman legislator said and how rapidly she ran to apologize and clarify her statement to Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid.

Not that Reid would know what it’s like to speak candidly and put your foot in your mouth, you understand.

Frankly, Titus’ remark was refreshing — no matter what exactly was said. Whether she was talking about Reid specifically or the Democrats from the President on down to herself — makes no difference. She was telling the truth.

Massachusetts was no miracle. For Democrats it was an omen.

The party has done too little nationally and in Nevada to go to the people to explain its plans for a massive health care reform, and that
failure enabled their enemies to pound away, foment fear, and eventually stop the bill in its tracks.

The Democrats should have taken a partial victory weeks ago and moved on — we are mired in a great recession, and the economy should have been their focus from the start — but instead they’ve buried themselves. They can’t abandon health care, or they’ll look like
failed socialists.

Titus was right in her assessment — even if she really did say Reid was doomed come November if he didn’t fully appreciate the importance of the Massachusetts mauling.

In a statement, Reid said he accepted Titus’ explanation. He also said she had nothing to apologize for.

That, too, is right.

Now that both appear to have acknowledged the truth, they need to work overtime to unf--- the state with a 13-percent unemployment rate.

Meanwhile, Obama needs to work overtime to ensure he isn’t remembered as the upside down FDR, who in a time of crisis bailed out
the fat cats and failed to create jobs for the working people who got him elected.