Agitated by 'Pathetic Centrists,' Progressive Populists Strike Back

[xchrom]

http://www.commondreams.org/headline/2013/12/07-2


Senator Elizabeth Warren. She may not run for president, but as one of the Congress' leading proponents of fighting economic inequality, her role has become increasingly important in the battle of ideas. (Credit: Reuters/Joshua Roberts)

Progressives on the march? Perhaps a bit premature, but a string of DC-based headlines this week suggest that the "corporate-friendly centrists" in Washington policy circles are losing the rhetorical battle when it comes to the national discussion surrounding economic populism:

Coalition of Liberals Strikes Back at Criticism From Centrist Democrats (NYT)

‘Centrist’ think tank attacks Warren, sparks major blowback (MSNBC)

Elizabeth Warren Calls Third Way 'Flatly Wrong' In Social Security Fight (Huffington Post)

Bye-bye, fake liberals: The Warren Democrats are winning! (Salon.com)

The Wall Street Journal’s pathetic attack on Elizabeth Warren (Salon.com)

Economic Populism Still the Right—and the Winning—Choice (EPI.org)

Third Way’s Anti-Populist, Anti-Warren and Deceptive “Dead End” (CAF)

Adding evidence to the notion that progressives are willing to go on offense against the forces of the "establishment's faux centrism"—represented by former public officials, corporate-funded Beltway pundits, and the mainstays of the mainstream media—a series of scathing attacks against the group "Third Way" have continued nearly a week after two prominent members of the group published an op-ed calling for cuts to Social Security and a rejection of the populism that is bubbling up across the nation.

In just the latest hit on the Jon Cowan and Jim Kessler op-ed that appeared in the Wall Street Journal at the beginning of the week, economist Paul Krugman called the so-called "centrism" of the 'Third Way' representatives "pathetic." Describing their arguments as intellectually bankrupt, Krugman concluded:

It’s just so tired and tiring. If being a “centrist” means fact-free denunciations of progressives for not being willing to cut entitlements, who needs these guys?

[KoKo]

1. Recommend!

[whathehell]

2. +100,0000 n/t

[L0oniX]

3. K & R ...but they plan to run a Dem centrist for POTUS.

[pangaia]

14. Not if I have anything to say about it.. Which I pretty much don't.

[JEFF9K]

4. Didn't centrist Democrats used to be called ...

... "Republicans?"

[Autumn]

6. When a "Democratic" President says he would be seen as a moderate Republican

in the 1980s, that shows you where we are.

http://thehill.com/blogs/on-the-money/domestic-taxes/137156-obama-says-hed-be-seen-as-moderate-republican-in-1980s

[A Simple Game]

15. I had a DUer tell me that they considered right of center Democrats to be liberals. n/t

[Ace Acme]

18. The term "neoliberal" has brought confusion to the term "liberal". nt

[A Simple Game]

20. In another post I saw the same poster call themselves a liberal.

In this case I think the poster wanted to be able to call themselves a liberal and the only way to accomplish that was to move the bar...considerably.

[Egalitarian Thug]

21. It's not an accident that we've had our words taken from us. When words lose their meaning,

it results in an internal isolationism that creates a void within the mind (nobody understands me).

Humans are social animals and when the comfort of the protective community is put in doubt or is taken from these social animals, it sets up a continuous state of anxiety. Combine this state with a 24/7/365 input and one can twist the receiving mind into any form you wish.

[MisterP]

25. it's not nearly as bad as when "prog" means "defending Reaganesque plans because a Dem did it"

[Moostache]

5. Like FDR said so many years ago...

I welcome their hatred!

The small minded, bought and paid for whores in the media and the lily-liveried cowards of the Third Way ilk are just reminders that the entire system is rapturously enthrall to the idea of being liked by big business. And the interests of big business are simply the amoral pursuit of profits above all other concerns. Nature, mankind, all of life itself in fact, are of subordinate concern to the driving force of unfettered capitalism - GREED.

I do so hope that Elizabeth Warren refuses to EVER board a private aircraft.

[WinstonSmith4740]

8. Totally agree!

I do so hope that Elizabeth Warren refuses to EVER board a private aircraft.

But I'll take it to the next step and say I hope she never boards ANY kind of aircraft. Those bastards would have no problem bringing down a fully-loaded commercial flight to get to her.

[great white snark]

7. CommonDreams=whiny Greens spewing divisive themes.

Little Saturday morning rhyme in remembrance of CD's prolific propagator BBI.

[DireStrike]

9. Centrist solutions are divisive.

[Egalitarian Thug]

22. Not even solutions, just more diversions to keep the trough open. n/t

[99Forever]

12. Republicans really hate Common Dreams, don't they?

Hmmmm?

[Autumn]

17. Yes they do. They really hate web sites that have a liberal slant.

Or web sites that point out facts.

[rhett o rick]

30. If you dont like Common Dreams, what do you stand for? nm

[me b zola]

10. K&R

[Augiedog]

11. In drag

Centrism is nothing more than a right wing wet dream dressed up as reasoned thought. As long as pro football team owners get hundreds of millions of taxpayer dollars for their stadiums while at the same time starving children's parents food stamps are being cut, centrism will be nothing more than a social death panel in drag. The average American knows something is wrong but they are not sure just what it is yet. Elizabeth Warren is defining that wrongness in a framework that resonates with the inner sense of moral and ethical correctness that is at the heart of the vast majority of Americans belief system. Hopefully a wave is coming that will wash away the irrational anti American right wing Republicans, Tea Baggers and other extremists and flush them into the sewer along with the-other disgusting American traditions like the John Birch Society, the KKK and McCarthyism. Senator Warren is leading the way and hopeful Democratic Presidential candidates wisely will pay attention to the light she is shining on real American sensibilities and values.
Never forget that we are a nation that is a Republic based on Democratic principles that has chosen to allow capitalism to be the functional economic system for our society. If capitalism becomes destructive of this Republic then it must be moderated before it kills it's host.

[dougolat]

16. Well put, and agreed....nt

[sendero]

24. Well said.

.. and welcome to DU.

[99Forever]

13. Pathetic centrists is putting it diplomatically.

And actually far nicer than what they truly deserve.

[Ace Acme]

19. We're not really going to get hope and change

until the discouraged workers muster enough hope to start looking for work again, and the discouraged voters muster enough hope to start voting.

[Enthusiast]

23. Recommended 1000X and kicked too.

The term "centrist" is being misused too.

These Third Way Democrats that claim they are "centrist" are nothing of the kind.

"Centrist" is preserving the social safety net.

A sure way to lose the mid-terms is to propose austerity for the 99% while protecting the criminal 1%.

[BlueHounds]

26. Thumbs up - Progressivism is what America is really about

America has been straining for too long under the weight of a kleptocratic plutocracy built on a skewed tax code enabling large-scale larceny and resulting in one of history's most socially unequal civilizations. This simply cannot continue. Sen. Warren is among the few voices who seems willing to tackle this head on through existing institutions. She is not alone. Through concerted action, Americans can reclaim their society, economy and politics from the moneyed interests which are drowning the voice and livelihood of the American people. Let's move forward!

[progressoid]

28. Welcome to DU BlueHounds!

[rhett o rick]

31. Well said. nm

[gopiscrap]

32. Welcome to DU

[YOHABLO]

27. "There's Nothing in the Middle of the Road but Yellow Stripes and Dead Armadillos:.." J.H

That's a great saying and so true. Who do these ''third way" folks think they're kidding. They're so tied to the trough they can't help themselves. Sickening and I want them out.

[mother earth]

29. Centrism is the equivalent of status quo BS & is anything but democratic, it's a sham! TPP is such

nonsense and a farce.