When Lawrence O'Donell Show first started I wasn't sure I'd like it.

[napi21]

I've changed my mind. He's had terrific guests and does a great interview. He's a bit low key which is why I wasn't too sure I'd like his show much. He did GREAT again toight with clips of the Reid/O'Donnell debate, some clips from The View that were more than ust th two hosts stormng off but Barb Walters telling O'Riley where he could stick his ideas in no uncertain terms. Lawrence, you're doing GREAT!

[aquart]

1. Reid/Angle?

[napi21]

2. okay I spelled heer namewrng. Rreid/Angel debate. nt

[Born_A_Truman]

3. He also showed the video from Houston ...

I didn't catch the beginning, but I was sobbing by the time it was over.

[hfojvt]

4. I don't have cable, so I can only read about it

http://www.dailyhowler.com/dh101210.shtml

"The soul of a liberal leader: We don’t think much of Lawrence O’Donnell, but he’s a classic “liberal leader.” He’s from Hollywood; he has a movie star wife. When his liberal TV show started last month, his first big “get” was Levi Johnston. Last night, acting like a child who pulls wings off flies, he interviewed Alvin Greene. O’Donnell is a classic embarrassment:'

snip

"Their side has messaged hard for decades. Your side has Lawrence O’Donnell, who recites the other side’s talking points regarding Social Security (see THE DAILY HOWLER, 9/2/10) and engages in this kind of conduct.

Gaze on the soul of your “liberal leadership.” How hard is this pattern to grasp?"


Actually the first part of that link is excellent and relevant too.

"An unfair fight: We don’t agree with Kevin Drum this time. But we strongly recommend this post, in which he ponders an obvious problem: Conservatives have a strong, branded message, he says. Progressives and liberals just don’t.

(Kevin’s rumination is drawn Sara Robinson’s New Republic piece, “Building the Progressive Brand.” To read her piece, click this.)

According to Kevin, “our brand is never going to be as strong as theirs;” it’s in the nature of liberalism. We strongly disagree with that view. But we were struck by the way Kevin’s commenters floundered about, looking for simple ways to explain the progressive mission.

For ourselves, we think it’s very easy: The people, not the powerful! You have to explain where things go from there, of course. But that’s the essence of the progressive challenge—and it’s easy to state in a bumper sticker, despite the ballyhooed complexity of our wondrous liberal minds.

Without being checked, the powerful will eat you alive! Doesn’t everyone pretty much know that? But go ahead—read the comments, as Kevin’s readers flounder and flail, trying to explain the nature of the progressive mission.

Kevin is certainly right on one score. Everyone can explain the conservative mission. Why is it so hard to explain ours? We think that’s fairly easy too. Let’s talk about liberal leadership:

Uh-oh! Sadly, the vast bulk of our “liberal leaders” come from the same high classes as the conservative elite. They earn big money; they eat in good restaurants. They gained from Bush’s tax cuts.

They may prefer that liberal policies win, but they don’t have huge incentives to fight. By way of contrast, the people who fuel the conservative world stand to gain millions—sometimes, billions—when conservative policies prevail. They fight very hard, and they’ve “messaged” for decades, often dishonestly. They have a great deal at stake."