Where did the phrase "bleeding heart liberal" come from?

[coloradodem2005]

I have heard it before and it is kind of offensive. Where did that bullshit come from?

[HEyHEY]

1. Maybe Pierre Trudeau

[Skarbrowe]

6. When you feel the pain of other people, it's as if

your heart bleeds.

I know. A bit over the top. It was the first thing that popped into my head. I have no idea where the expression originated. O8)

[flowomo]

2. here's one answer:

Reply Re: Bleeding-heart liberals Here is our old friend Lewis Joplin II quoting Safire:

...' The expression was introduced into political usage in the thirties by columnist Westbrook Pegler...Its origin may be the Order of the Bleeding Heart, a semireligious order of the Middle Ages honoring the Virgin Mary, whose 'heart was pierced with many sorrows.'...

http://p066.ezboard.com/fwordoriginsorgfrm1.showMessage?topicID=10970.topic

[GoddessOfGuinness]

7. In the thirties!

It's hard to imagine a lack of compassion for people during that era!

I wonder whatever happened to Westbrook Pegler...

[jdots]

3. 19th. century Fox News

Probably a put down by some shmuck to put down people who care.Stary eyed idealist, Peace Freak.,damn those conservaseniles are clever !

[Kusala]

4. What's offensive about it?

Proud bleeding heart here.

[Tandalayo_Scheisskopf]

5. Me too!

I am a proud Bleeding Heart Liberal. The difference is that I have no compunction about sharing the bleeding part with the neanderthals. In the interest of comity and fair play, mind you. ;-)

[vinnievin777]

8. It is a term used by right-winged Christians to criticize

true Christianity and the compassion that it permeates and the others who share this compassion. They contend that it is weakness but they are wrong because it takes more strength to be kind.
Vinnie Vin
http://www.vinnievin.com

[flowomo]

9. Remember when we used to be called "egghead liberals"?

don't hear that much anymore.

[VOX]

10. Now it's "tax-and-spend liberals"...

It's all about money, now.

"**Your** money -- don't let them dad-gum tax-and-spend lib'ruls take your hard-earned dollars an' hand 'em out to welfare cheats!"

One of my life-goals is to get the word "liberal" back into some kind of respectability. That's a big order, considering all the decades it's been dragged through the mud.