Marc Ambinder takes a historical look at last night's budget vote. "Democrats lost only 20 members in the House this year versus 41 who defected from Clinton," he notes. "Two senators -- Evan Bayh and Bill Nelson -- voted no this year, versus six who went against Clinton." One major difference between 2009 and 1993 is that the Democrats are no longer composed of two parties. The Dixiecrats have been wiped out. There are Senators and Congressmen we would classify as a conservative Democrats now, but no longer members of the Caucus who political scientists group into an alternative party, or who are likely to switch over to the Republicans and distinguish themselves as particularly conservative members of the opposition.
