Sirota again: "Debunking Centrism"...Al From foaming at mouth.

[madfloridian]

http://www.thenation.com/doc.mhtml?i=20050103&s=sirota

SNIP..."Looking out over Washington, DC, from his plush office, Al From is once again foaming at the mouth. The CEO of the corporate-sponsored Democratic Leadership Council and his wealthy cronies are in their regular postelection attack mode. Despite wins by economic populists in red states like Colorado and Montana this year, the DLC is claiming like a broken record that progressive policies are hurting the Democratic Party...."

SNIP.."From's group is funded by huge contributions from multinationals like Philip Morris, Texaco, Enron and Merck, which have all, at one point or another, slathered the DLC with cash. Those resources have been used to push a nakedly corporate agenda under the guise of "centrism" while allowing the DLC to parrot GOP criticism of populist Democrats as far-left extremists. Worse, the mainstream media follow suit, characterizing progressive positions on everything from trade to healthcare to taxes as ultra-liberal. As the AP recently claimed, "party liberals argue that the party must energize its base by moving to the left" while "the DLC and other centrist groups argue that the party must court moderates and find a way to compete in the Midwest and South."

SNIP..."The American Heritage Dictionary defines "centrism" as "the political philosophy of avoiding the extremes of right and left by taking a moderate position."

SNIP..."Same thing with prescription drugs. DLCers like Senators John Breaux and Evan Bayh, who both pocket thousands from the pharmaceutical industry, have vehemently opposed bipartisan legislation allowing Americans to import lower-priced, FDA-approved medicines from Canada. But polls consistently show overwhelming support for the proposal. A March 2004 AP poll, for instance, showed that two-thirds of Americans favor making it "easier for people to buy prescription drugs from Canada or other countries at lower cost." The measure is so popular among average Americans that even some ardent Republicans like Senator Trent Lott have been embarrassed into supporting it. But apparently the same can't be said for some corporate factions of the Democratic Party...."

SNIP..."Now an effort is under way to set this faux "centrism" in stone. One of the leading candidates for Democratic National Committee chairman is Simon Rosenberg, a former free-trade lobbyist and head of the business-backed New Democrat Network. His group is joined by even more organizations designed to push the party to the right. The Washington Post reports that a group calling itself the "Third Way" (read: "Wrong Way") is forming to tout "centrist" policies for Democrats. Instead of leaving the Beltway and holding a town meeting to gauge the pulse of red America's working-class core, the group held its initial meeting "over dinner at a Georgetown mansion." Instead of engaging in grassroots funding efforts, it is openly relying on corporate contributions....."END SNIP

I am very impressed with Sirota's writing lately. His DaVinci Code article for TAP was excellent also.

[Tandalayo_Scheisskopf]

1. This article, bounced off of the Salon article...

Triangulates on what is exactly wrong with the Dems and the DNC at this time. "Dinner at a Georgetown Mansion" says it all.

Time for the party to get its heads out of DC and into the fray. Time for the DLC to take its place in the larger tapestry. We can no longer afford their illusion of party primacy.

[madfloridian]

4. Question about New Dems and Rosenberg and DLC....may be splitting.

I never can get the story straight. Some say as does Sirota that Rosenberg is still a strong part of the DLC. Many say they actually split over Dean's role in the party. I just don't know.

I know Kos has this up, and he disagrees with Sirota on Rosenberg, and says to go after Blanchard as the anti-Dean for the party chair... I had heard that also.

I can not wrap my head about the DLC and its goals. I think they love to make the grassroots angry and enjoy picking on us and trying to squash us as little annoying bugs.

I just wonder why? Do they want that banquet hall all to themselves?

[Eloriel]

5. What's not to get about the DLC?

Don't mean to be flip, but it seems to me fairly obvious.

They are antithetical to everything that the Democratic Party SHOULD be standing for. They are openly antagonistic to ALL the groups that traditionally make up the Dem Party base -- minorities, women (feminists), labor, etc.

They want to either destroy the party or make it into something it's not, something it can't be (and hope to survive), something that only helps Republicans.

If the GOP has always been for the wealthy and corporations, the Democratic Party's only raison d'etre in my view is to stand up for and represent The People. I think there's a healthy tension there as long as neither group gets TOO much power (tho IMO any healthy balance ought to be about 66% or even 75% pro-The People).

This means (in Eloriel's somewhat simplistic version of Political Science 101) that to the extent the Dems abandon their traditional role and natural base, they cease to be relevent in ANY way, and have set up -- are asking for -- their own demise. It hardly needs to be pointed out that we don't need TWO parties that cater to and serve the wealthy and corporations.

i will also point out that the DLC has been funded not just by corporations but by some very rightwing groups including the Bradley Foundation, Koch Industries, etc. That always reminds me of this:

The best way to control the opposition is to lead it ourselves. -- Lenin

[madfloridian]

7. I mean Rosenberg. Agree about the DLC.

Not sure what I think about the New Dems...NDN. I hear it being said he was pushing Dean and the split occurred because of that.

Now, I say that because I have heard it from various sources. My thought is...it is hard to back off from your origins.

If he was part of the DLC, and the group arose from there...I am being very cautious.

[charlie]

8. I'd heard it was 2 things that caused the rift

between Rosenberg and From -- his noncommital interest in Dean and his Hispanic outreach efforts. Nothing terrifies From more than seeing Democrats pandering to what Republicans call "special interest groups."

[reprehensor]

2. Yup. The DLC is going down.

Like a dog that done got the hydro-phobie.

[FarLeftRage]

3. I have said a few times before

and I'll say it again:


DUMP THE DLC!!

[bobbieinok]

6. sent them an email....told them Moore represents me more than they do

told them I'd been voting since 64

asked them to PLEASE listen to grassroots instead of DC

[Cheswick2.0]

9. It is so clear that democrats are voting in the interests of corporations

when they get money from them. The DLC is not working for the interests of the people of this country. They have no place in the party of the people.
If there is a rift between Rosenberg and the DLC that is a good sign that Rosenberg is headed in the right direction. Bayh and Breaux can take their DLC money and join the republican party for all I care.

[chaska]

10. Amen, but...

What are we going to do about it? Are we going to wait for the guys at the top to work out which way our party is going? We already know what that means. Or are we going to get off our apathetic asses and tell those rat bastards which way this party, OUR party, is going?

[Cheswick2.0]

11. I joined DFA to do exactly as you suggest

We do have the power to change the party if we decide to use that power. Voting and organizing is still the ultimate power. People just have to believe they can make change.

[morgan2]

12. I think what people need to realize

The people in the middle tend to not vote on issues. They vote on the attitude and story line of a candidate. You can look at poll after poll showing most people agree with you, but that doesn't mean they'll vote for you. The problem with this is the media plays a huge roll in how the public perceives these things. You have to get them on your side, or be able to manipulate them.