Terrified moderate Dems terrified by the "Sanders Wing" that might actually help people

[LiberalLovinLug]

176. The DLC and the Third Way as a policy, were tied to the hips.

But one was a steering committee and one was/is a school of thought. So you are technically correct. A think tank cannot become a policy.

But the DLC died in name only. It was purchased by the Clinton Foundation, who were big supporters. Surprise surprise. They just changed their name to "New Democrats".

https://truthout.org/articles/third-way-democrats-are-trying-to-push-the-party-rightward/

However, the victory dance was premature. The DLC was dead in name only. Even before it officially dissolved, its allies were laying the groundwork to continue its agenda. “I am a New Democrat,” Obama told the New Democrat Coalition in 2009, according to Politico. Obama’s unambiguous words of support to this faction of the party was notable, especially since for most of his career he has, as Politico noted, “largely avoided the Democratic Leadership Council.”

It is indeed telling that President Obama kept his distance from DLC, but still assured their people he was on their side. He knew the DLC name would hurt his carefully crafted image in the eyes of progressives, but in terms of general philosophy, Obama’s description of himself as a “New Democrat” was accurate. He embraced industry to a fault and kept his distance from the left. He relied solely on “market solutions” to health care, despite being a long-time supporter of single-payer.

He also hired DLC alumni often and in positions of importance, most notably appointing two White House chiefs of staff who were proud DLC allies: Rahm Emanuel and Bill Daley, the latter of which is a Third Way board member. “Visitor logs show that Third Way leaders have enjoyed excellent access to the Obama White House, with at least 50 visits since 2009,” reported the Boston Globe in 2014.

In this context, the White House’s decision to vigorously oppose Keith Ellison as chair of the Democratic National Committee, a move supported by New Democrats, makes plenty of sense.