Progressive Policy Concern Trolls

There are people whose role in DC is to pretend to support progressive goals, but always thwart them. No matter what progressive policy is on the table - and it takes years to get anything to the table, usually - they'll be there to tell you there's a better way. When that better way is on the table, they'll be there to tell you about a different better way. Sometimes they just switch back and forth! 

For years I couldn't keep track of whether taxing carbon or cap and trade was the Actual Adult Climate Policy. That one spun around too fast to ever be clear. 

Their solutions are always more serious, more adult. The reformers are always silly and childish. The PPCTs are always sure they have Science And Evidence on their side, except when they don't, which is when they claim they have polls on their side. When they don't even have polls on their side, they claim some important demographic - elderly Hispanic voters! (n=27 in poll sample) - is on their side.

A very bad thing in DC is the cultural norm of treating paid liars as if they are good faith operators, Just Asking Questions and Debating In The Marketplace Of Ideas.