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Words about liberals the past years...why I speak out still and so should you.
If we don't remember these things they could easily get started up all over again. Look at what happened in early December with the Third Way attack on Elizabeth Warren.
Hunter at Daily Kos wrote about why this happened. He posted a chart showing the Board of Trustees of the Third Way. He labeled it.
Why the Third Way hates Senator Elizabeth Warren
The obsessive centrists of the punditverse were abuzz today with praise for supposed centrist Democratic organization Third Way and their grumbling op-ed condemnation of Democratic liberal populism in abstract and "economic populists" like Sen. Elizabeth Warren in particular.
But why would the Third Way, a very reasonable and centrist organization that just wants both parties to get along and agree to cut Social Security, Medicare, and other social programs be so very worked up about Elizabeth Warren, Wall Street reform, and the mere thought of breaking up large banks? Worked up enough to launch an apparently coordinated effort against those things?
The chart is self-explanatory.
There's a reason that those in the Democratic Party who call themselves "centrists" or "moderates" have had much to say about those of us on the left for years now.
We throw a wrench into their corporate pursuits for the party, and it annoys them.
Howard Dean recognized this in 2010. His words still remain in my mind. He was 100% right.
From the Washington Post 2010:
Dean at progressive conference. Time for Democrats to 'behave like Democrats'
Dean, in a fiery speech Tuesday at the America's Future Now conference, gave voice to frustrations on the left that President Obama and Democratic leaders in Congress have not used their big majorities to pursue a more progressive agenda. "We are done with putting people in office who then forget who got them there," said Dean, a former Democratic National Committee chairman.
"You did your job," Dean added. "You elected Barack Obama. You elected a Democratic Congress. You elected a Democratic Senate. And now it's time for them to behave like Democrats if they want to get reelected. They have forgotten where they came from -- and they haven't been here that long."
Dean echoed other progressive leaders who opened the conference Monday, expressing dismay, even anger, at the White House and Congress, saying they have been too timid and compromising on issues such as health care, the economy, climate change and banking reform.
I think we have made a difference by not letting these think tanks get away with words against liberals. It seems there is now less of it. I think it is because through the years we called them out on it. With the TPP looming with Democrats' support..we need to speak out and not let them silence us with insults.
Richard Eskow spared no words either right after the 2010 losses.
Resist Wall Street's Shock Doctrine or Keep Listening to the Usual Suspects
After last night's rout, what are these experts advising? You guessed it: more of the same so-called "Centrism." That's an odd word to use for policies that most Americans oppose, like cutting Social Security or allowing bankers to enrich themselves by endangering the economy, but theirs is an Alice-in-Wonderland world.
Real centrists would defend Social Security and do more to rein in Wall Street, since those positions are popular across the political spectrum. It's a good thing the president said today that he wants to spend more time with the American people. Bankers and the Deficit Commission aren't "centrists" where most Americans live.
David Brooks had some strong words for the liberals in the party in 2007. The DLC posted the article prominently at their website. Here is the quote from Brooks at the NYT.
The Center Holds
The fact is, many Democratic politicians privately detest the netroots’ self-righteousness and bullying. They also know their party has a historic opportunity to pick up disaffected Republicans and moderates, so long as they don’t blow it by drifting into cuckoo land. They also know that a Democratic president is going to face challenges from Iran and elsewhere that are going to require hard-line, hawkish responses.
I would have ignored David Brooks and considered the source, but the then alive DLC posted it at their site.
When Tim Kaine was party chairman in 2006 he had some words about blogs and his intention to pay them no attention. Guess he did not realize he was missing out on a lot of good information.
From the Washington Post:
Blogs Attack From Left as Democrats Reach for Center
"Blogs can take up a lot of time if you're on them," Kaine said to reporters Thursday. "You can get a lot done if you're not bitterly partisan."
The Virginia Democrat said he will not adjust his speech to placate the party's base. "I'm not anybody's mouthpiece or shill or poster boy for that matter. I'm going to say what I think needs to be said and they seem very comfortable with that."
From the same article a Democratic lobbyist made it clear that liberals were needed for their money and activism, but the party should not cave to their demands.
"The bloggers and online donors represent an important resource for the party, but they are not representative of the majority you need to win elections," said Steve Elmendorf, a Democratic lobbyist who advised Kerry's 2004 presidential campaign. "The trick will be to harness their energy and their money without looking like you are a captive of the activist left."
And of course Fox News Democratic strategist Kirsten Powers had a lot to say in 2006 about how the liberals were becoming so shrill.
From USA Today:
Election signals decline of old school liberalism
It's more glacial shift than radical revolution, but change is afoot in the Democratic Party.
In a low point in Democratic Party history, Pennsylvania Gov. Bob Casey was banned from speaking at the 1992 Democratic Convention for being opposed to abortion rights. This year, his son, Bob Casey Jr., who holds the same views, was actively recruited by that same Democratic Party and unseated Sen. Rick Santorum, R-Pa.
This was a welcome move in a party that is home to vocal and organized far-left activists and bloggers who have grown increasingly shrill and threatening toward moderate and conservative Democrats. They also have excoriated former president Bill Clinton's brand of centrist politics. They argue for "party discipline," best exemplified by their jihad against Connecticut's Sen. Joe Lieberman for deviating from the party line on the Iraq war. During the past election for Democratic National Committee chair, delegates booed former congressman Tim Roemer of Indiana because he, too, opposes abortion rights.
When they attacked Elizabeth Warren for wanting to expand Social Security, the blogs and posters online hit back hard. That is how it should be. The think tanks who are not really Democrats at all but are led by investment bankers and CEOs will continue to undermine the left, the liberals. But if we speak out they won't be so noisy about it.
There are signs we might be getting across our point that what we really want is for the party to stand up and speak out for the people....not the corporate world.
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And that should no longer be the case. Look at who they represent...not us. Good post, and we do need some more to go on the offense. 
This is the money quote:
What they realized is that if they have to fight that position, then merely maintaining the current level of benefits becomes the centrist position, rather than the one they're advocating.
Especially on things like safety nets. You are right. The policies have come from them for years now.
They really are not in the middle or center at all.
You are right though, they are not a Democratic group at all.
Means a lot coming from you.
Thank you for the reminder and info. I will bookmark this for
future reference...
madfloridian!!!
I always enjoy your posts!
The first words out of the mouths of Dem strategists after the big losses in 2010 were that we needed more "bi-partisanship". In other words one big happy party just like the other one. 
In 2005 Schumer took women's rights off the table....right out loud.
Yes, those words "the center holds" drive me nuts as well.
"So I called up Governor...our number one target is Rick Santorum...let him go back to wherever he lives, Maryland, you know you heard about it, he is Pennsylvania but he tried to get exempt from the school tax there cause he lives in Maryland even though he is a registered citizen of Pennsylvania. In any case I called up the Governor of Pennsylvania, Governor Rendell, I said who is the best candidate to beat Santorum. He there is only one person who could beat him but he won't run and B you wouldn't want him to. I said why wouldn't we want him to run, he said he's pro-life. He's a deeply religious Catholic man. Bob Casey."
"I said, those days are over Ed. Yes I'm pro-choice, but we need the best candidate. We can't insist that every democrat check off 18 different issues before they get (unintelligible) we could do that, we can't anymore. And so, we persuaded, Harry using his very...Harry has amazing insights into people...and we together persuaded Bob Casey to run. A poll yesterday...national...all the polls they did...Casey 51 Santorum 40. You should see Santorum nervous and walkin on the floor."
(unintelligible)
"And we're doing this in the other states."
Yes, those words "the center holds" drive me nuts as well.
Last election, Hillary Clinton was considered neither more conservative nor more liberal than her husband ("about the same"
by 63% of Democratic voters.
So if you're someone who actually goes around writing AUTHORITARIAN in all caps in your screeds on the D.U., and think the U.S. economy was driven into the dirt by President William Jefferson Clinton, then she's the most Conservative Conservative who has ever Conservatived. But for the rest of us, she's yet another competent technocrat, likely as level-headed, and able to steer the nation in the right direction.
Unlike the anti-Democratic screamers, I won't adopt their behavior of tearing liberal lions like Senator Warren down. I think the Senator is doing a fine job too, and has a voice that needs to be heard.
- C.D. Proud Member of the Reality Based Community
She has an easily found track record of screwing her constituents as a Senator as well as being one of the architects of the so-called Bankruptcy Abuse Prevention and Consumer Protection Act, although in the end she didn't cast her vote for it ( ).
and a very Happy New Year to my favorite of all mad Floridians.
