I Was Told There Would Be No Math

Disarray — the Republicans perfected it, but the Democrats seem determined to catch up. Read:

House healthcare negotiations dissolved in acrimony on Friday, with Blue Dog Democrats saying they were “lied” to by their Democratic leaders.

The seven Blue Dogs on the Energy and Commerce Committee stormed out of a Friday meeting with their committee chairman Henry Waxman (D-Calif.), saying Waxman had been negotiating in bad faith over a number of provisions Blue Dogs demanded be changed in the stalled healthcare bill.

“I’ve been lied to,” Blue Dog Coalition co-chairman Charlie Melancon (D-La.) said on Friday. “We have not had legitimate negotiations.”

The takeaway line comes a little later in the story: “We are trying to save this bill and trying to save this party,” said Arkansas Democrat Mike Ross.

Some might say this is the moment for a third party to arise. But to have a real third party, don’t we need two real ones already?