The individual mandate, a Republican idea which shows how far to the right the Dems have gone

[bvar22]

121. The pattern over the last 10 years is frightening:

*Paul Wellstone... KIA

*Howard Dean.... discredited, marginalized, banished

*Cynthia McKinney..... attacked, isolated, marginalized, cut off from Party support, expelled

*Eliot Spitzer...... Honey Trapped, discredited, isolated, expelled

*Anthony Wiener..... marginalized, discredited, isolated, expelled

*Russ Feingold.... attacked from The Center, marginalized, isolated from party support, exiled

*Alan Grayson .... attacked from The Center, marginalized, isolated from party support, exiled

*Dennis Kucinich ... attacked from The Center, discredited, marginalized, isolated, redistricted, exiled

The downfall of some of the above can be partially attributed to their own personal foibles,
but in every case, the party leadership was quick to condemn and abandon, and made no effort to embrace or assist any of these Liberals in their time of need. There ARE politicians in BOTH parties guilty of far more serious transgressions who managed to survive their troubles because of Party support.

*Maxine Waters... currently under attack

*The Congressional Black Caucus..... admonished by the President to quit whining, "Take off your bedroom slippers. Put on your marching shoes" and get behind the President's agenda.
(When has he EVER spoken to the "Blue Dogs" like that?)
http://news.yahoo.com/obama-tells-blacks-stop-complainin-fight-015928905.html

*The Progressive Caucus.... no seats in the cabinet, almost none appointed to positions of any power in the Executive Branch, the White House doesn't take their calls.



*Democratic Primaries 2010.... Strong pattern of endorsing and supporting Blue Dogs and Big Business Conservatives,
even including one "former" Republican running against more Liberal, Pro-Working Class challengers.
(See: Arkansas, Pennsylvania and others)

The pattern is clear.


---bvar22
A mainstream/Center loyal FDR/LBJ Working Class DEMOCRAT,
now relegated to the "Fringe Left" wing of the "New Democrat" Centrist Party.



[font color=firebrick][center]"There are forces within the Democratic Party who want us to sound like kinder, gentler Republicans.
I want a party that will STAND UP for Working Americans."
---Paul Wellstone [/font][/center]
[center][/font]
[font size=1]photo by bvar22 at the Labor Day Picnic, St Paul
Shortly before Sen Wellstone was killed[/center][/font]


"By their WORKS you will know them."