By Michael J. Smith on Tuesday February 27, 2007 02:31 PM
Owen P. and m-cat pass along this road-to-Damascus
moment on Matt Stoller's part:
You may not want to believe it, but the DLC is still in charge of the party in the form of the New Democrat and Blue Dog caucuses, as well as a whole crew of consultants warning the party off of dealing with Iraq. Business lobbyist centrists rule the roost, with progressives pushed to the side everywhere from the think tank world to Congress to the Presidentials (no, there is no progressive in the race, and though several have instincts that way no one has developed yet into a genuine liberal).I would have said they were all genuine liberals. But let's not cavil.
Matt isn't willing to go quite as far as David Sirota, though:
The Associated Press today tells the story of how Democrats in Washington clearly do not want to end the Iraq War.... The renewed refusal by Democrats to use their majority in even the most basic way to stop the war is a declaration that the new majority is not close to using even the most basic powers afforded to it to stop or slow down the war. In other words, in backing off, the Democrats have just weeks after the 2006 anti-war election mandate effectively declared themselves as supportive of the Bush administration's stay-the-course policy - a truly sickening act of cowardice.And even David doesn't yet understand that it isn't cowardice at all, it's commitment. The Democratic party as an institution is committed to continuing the war, and with all respect to Owen's FSO mole, Mr. Y, I think they're probably committed to expanding it.
Matt has a solution to the problem, and man is it a bold one:
The mechanism for doing so is criticism, and perhaps primary challenges against some prominent Democrats who are among the worst of our obstacles.Don't you love the "perhaps"? Gasp! Matt, you sans-culotte, you!
When I hear the phrase "primary challenge" I go for my Browning.
Comments (6)
i see is a stall here
no more no less
and will the media help make the stall last
longer
by keeping
poll results like
60% of the american electorate say:
"okay with me if the congo dems squeeze
the iraq mission...
go right ahead anyway you can "
at some point the dem core will shift
to cover that gaping gap
between where they arein reality
and where they say they are in morality
by moving to where they say they want to be
i suspect the realists of hegemony americana
make a simple pitch
"sure bushco fucked up in iraq
but we got a planet wide
reputation to maintain here
some times you gotta
do some extra sheriffin after
yer sheriffin has flown back up your own ass
just to show your too nuts to figure out"
sort of like why
englishmen went out in the mid day sun
there's zillions of wogs down there
watchin and we gotta keep um guessin'
just how far
we fuckin loons will go
AFTER we knew
we're in a completely loser deal
it tends to discourage um
wogs are funny that way
they don't worship senseless sacrifice
whereas we know
its
the basis of civilization and empire
Posted by owen paine | February 27, 2007 3:52 PM
Posted on February 27, 2007 15:52
"Iraq is going to be there
....it’s just a question
of when we get back to it"
so quoted
is OUR majority leader
senator tumble reid
of
the party of the whole people
nothing but the whole people
and only the whole people ....
so help me god
Posted by owen p | February 27, 2007 4:04 PM
Posted on February 27, 2007 16:04
I'm kind of surprised that Stoller says there's "no progressive in the race." I mean, I have the same gripes against Kucinich that everyone else here has, but I'd certainly imagine he's left enough to be a progressive by the standards of a pwog like Stoller. (If he'd get over his self-serving attachment to the Democratic party, he'd be a fine Green, by all accounts.)
Or am I focusing on the wrong words? Is it that "in the race" doesn't reasonably apply to Dennis?
Posted by Djur | February 27, 2007 4:25 PM
Posted on February 27, 2007 16:25
djur :
"Is it that "in the race" doesn't reasonably apply to Dennis?"
yes
i think its a matt ....snub
Posted by owen p | February 27, 2007 6:39 PM
Posted on February 27, 2007 18:39
Stoller: Eric Alterman on Valium.
Dennis is short and ethnic and Not A General and Stoller doesn't wanna' get cooties. Tsk. I feel just terrible for both of 'em. No, really, I do. I wept over Anna Nicole's corpse, too. I'm very sensitive.
Posted by ms_xeno | February 27, 2007 8:12 PM
Posted on February 27, 2007 20:12
Primary challenges! Why, the poor DP elites much be quaking in their Guccis at the mere mention of a hint of dreaded pwoggie primary challenges. Just imagine the massive tsunami-like repercussions! If you can!
Plus, that crucial 4% of total campaign cash derived from pwoggie on-line donations would be gone. Gone, I say! It wouldn't just mean the collapse of the Democratic Party! It would mean the very destruction of Civilization As We Know It! Pwoggie Political Apocalypse!!!
How could Stoller even think of unleashing such a devastating force upon the hapless child-like innocents of the Democrat Party? Doesn't he realize how immense, nay, near omnipotent is the power he wields? The big bully! For shame! SHAME!!!
Posted by AlanSmithee | February 28, 2007 9:28 AM
Posted on February 28, 2007 09:28