"snap"

David Sirota writes:

Let me be crystal clear in where I come down on this one: a person who describes themselves as a Democrat or a “liberal/progressive,” yet who advocates purging the grassroots while pushing a right-wing agenda on fundamental issues is just as dangerous- if not more dangerous- to both the progressive movement and the Democratic Party's long term viability than any Republican. Why? Because they use the guise of speaking for the Democratic Party to attack it, giving those attacks a false sense of credibility, when in fact they speak for no one except the tiny cadre of insulated snobs who barely ever travel more than 5 miles outside of Washington, D.C.

Because of this insular Establishment, the Democratic Party is now at rock bottom. Yet the same Establishment that got us here now rails against progressives, parrots right-wing language, and reads the grassroots the riot act. Are we really supposed to just shut up and take it? No. Its time to finally have the debate between the Establishment and the progressives they demonize, and its time for us- progressives- to not FEAR having that debate, no matter what the tired old pundits and political consulting class says about it being "counter-productive." The fact is, the conservative Establishment is the one most viciously engaging in these attacks. And they believe they- AND ONLY THEY- have the exclusive right to attack their opponents, and to ruthlessly call for purges of the party. Standing up against this kind of behavior and this weakening of the Democratic Party's principles is anything but “counter-productive”– it is vital to the future of the progressive movement and the Democratic Party’s long-term viability itself.

Again, this is not about just railing on the Establishment just because it is fun. It’s far more important than that– it’s about reconnecting the Democratic Party with its working class roots, and thus bringing it back into the majority. That means having the guts to look at the current situation honestly, instead of constantly pretending there's no problem. It’s about calling out the sellouts for what they are because they hurt the cause, instead of pretending everyone is "on the same team." It's about admitting there's a problem when people who claim to speak for liberals/progressives are being promoted by the far-right.

Remember, just because you call yourself a "Democrat" or on the "left" or a "liberal/progressive" doesn't mean you really represent the party of the working class, and doesn't mean you are on the same team as everyone else. The recent Democratic votes on bankruptcy and class action reform, for instance, should make that point loud and clear. If those examples don't make the point, then just think back to how Zell Miller referred to himself as a Democrat, even as he took the stage at the Republican National Convention ...


complete post: Stop Crying, Start Shaking...And Dems Will Start Winning