The line between ideology and pragmatism is blurring.

This fight is bringing out the worst of the Democratic party and I haven't seen it this bad since the Iraq War resolution.

it is actually splitting the party.

Ok I am optimist, it already did.

and punish dissent more harshly.

MISSION ACCOMLISHED!

Their plan worked better than they ever thought it would....keep fillubustering everything, not as much gets done as Obama said would be done or legislation does not go as far as it should, and the liberals, who want change yesterday and legislation to be PERFECT everytime, will blame Obama and we break up the dem party! Mission Accomplished!

It isn't about enough or how quickly but actively maintaining the status quo and/or digging the hole deeper.

It certainly isn't about perfection because nothing anywhere within eyeshot of such has ever been up for conversation.

Obama is fully onboard for most of the shenanigans as evidenced by the way he has handled things directly in his control. All one has to do is look at his despicable cabinet, his placing the coast guard and EPA under control of BP, renominating fucking Bernake, his hands off approach to BushCo and Wall Street crimes, his nonsense military adventures, and the beat goes on and on.

He's working these deals that sell out the people. The obstruction is cover fire for our own means to identical ends.

It knows enough to act embarrassed about supporting the status quo, and purports to want "change". But make no mistake: preserving the status quo, and restoring it when it stumbles, and covering its nakedness when reveals its utter bankruptcy, is what "pragmatism" is really about. It is hostile to change and illiberal in practice.

Because no human drawing breath is going to get by on my watch claiming to be a Pragmatist in one instance and a faith based, Bible thumping defender of Marriage as a Sacrament the next.
Pragmatism is an ideology, it is not the lack of one. The President claims to be a Christian, loudly. In Christendom, Pragmatism is a heresy. One can not be a 'faith based pragmatist' anymore than one can be a Baptist Muslim. Or a Christian Atheist.
This 'Pragamatism' routine is a word game. What those who speak of it mean is merely 'situational ethics' which is not the same as being a Pragmatist, which has actual parameters and values. The DLC 'pragmatists' actually define 'that which is good' as 'that which I am doing'.
No Pragmatist would fight the 'Af-Pac war'. No Pragmatist would claim rights above other's due on the basis of being 'sanctified by God' as the President does.
Words mean things.