There's an old Ziggy cartoon that is one of my all-time favorites. It depicts two stones, one labeled "Rock" and the other labeled "Hard Place." In between the stones, of course, is the ubiquitous "You are Here" sign, replete with the directional arrow.Wedging oneself firmly between the rock and the hard place is usually not the more difficult end of the transaction. It's the extraction that generally proves tricky. So it will likely be for President Obama, thanks to the squeeze applied by the progressive group Democracy for America. In an email sent to group members on Monday, chairman Jim Dean (brother of former DNC chairman, Vermont governor, and 2004 presidential candidate Howard Dean) said:Let's be clear: A health care bill without a public option is D.O.A. in the House. Period. To pass any bill in the House they need at least 218 votes but 64 House Democrats have stood up and said they will not vote for a bill without a public option. That means a...(Read Full Post)