Welcome to DU! The truly grassroots left-of-center political community where regular people, not algorithms, drive the discussions and set the standards. Join the community: Create a free account Support DU (and get rid of ads!): Become a Star Member Latest Breaking News General Discussion The DU Lounge All Forums Issue Forums Culture Forums Alliance Forums Region Forums Support Forums Help & Search

merrily

(45,251 posts)
124. Why I never call myself a progressive, by merrily
Thu Jul 24, 2014, 01:24 AM
Jul 2014

When the DLC first formally organized, Koch Industries donated to it and one of the Koch brothers had a seat on its Executive Council.

http://americablog.com/2010/08/koch-industries-gave-funding-to-the-dlc-and-served-on-its-executive-council.html

(According to Jean Mayer of The New Yorker, this was about the same time as the Koch brothers began planning the Tea Party.)

http://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2010/08/30/covert-operations

The first two full-time employees of the DLC were Al From and Will Marshall. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Democratic_Leadership_Council

Marshall later founded the Progressive Policy Institute. It's web home page used to say something like, "Welcome to the Progressive Policy Institute, the place for pragmatic progressives."

I haven't checked lately, but the last time I checked, it no longer said that. Perhaps Tom Tomorrow got to PPI?



Anyway, PPI was founded in 1989, only a few years after official formation of the DLC. In 2003, Marshall, who is still President of PPI, signed the PNAC letter, urging Bush to invade Iraq.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Will_Marshall

How's that for progressive? How's that for pragmatic?

This message was self-deleted by its author 1000words Jul 2014 #1
. bigtree Jul 2014 #2
Think about the courts before not voting for Hillary or any Dem candidate Demsrule86 Jul 2014 #91
This message was self-deleted by its author 1000words Jul 2014 #104
We can't afford another bad Democrat like Hillary making appointments to the courts either. Chan790 Jul 2014 #105
If the lesser of two evils is your only realistic option, what do you do? nomorenomore08 Jul 2014 #126
Good enough for me. conservaphobe Jul 2014 #3
I do. Bill Clinton advised McCain during his Presidential campaign. They are a twofer. roguevalley Jul 2014 #14
Please see my post #35 -- campaign donatinos of three possible contenders for the Democraticn JDPriestly Jul 2014 #41
liberal republican maybe nt msongs Jul 2014 #4
No Spider Jerusalem Jul 2014 #5
I wonder what kind of rift she must have had with her husband if she is a New Deal liberal? Douglas Carpenter Jul 2014 #6
Dynasties aren't my thing. I won't vote for her in the primaries. octoberlib Jul 2014 #7
I knew there were a lot of lobbying and pressure groups, but Ron Green Jul 2014 #8
that's a strange way to look at it bigtree Jul 2014 #9
how do you have an 86% rating with the ASPCA? JEez. I'm poor and animal charities roguevalley Jul 2014 #16
I support the right to lobby 100%. Shame you don't. NCTraveler Jul 2014 #82
Hmm. Way NOT to encourage anyone to vote for Hillary? merrily Jul 2014 #10
I think a majority of DUers will not vote for her in the primary, but... Amonester Jul 2014 #11
No self-fulfilling prophesies, please. I've been hearing those since October 2012, merrily Jul 2014 #15
See my post #35 re: her campaign donors compared to other possible candidates. JDPriestly Jul 2014 #42
If you're holding her Goldwater teen years against her then I assume Warren is completely off the Metric System Jul 2014 #32
Interesting. Your only reaction to everything in my post is merrily Jul 2014 #38
They're terrified of Elizabeth. Scuba Jul 2014 #61
I guess that precludes discussion of facts about Hillary. merrily Jul 2014 #64
Warren was a Republican during Reagan and Bush 41, when they were viciously anti gay Bluenorthwest Jul 2014 #87
Yes, I raised those facts on another board, maybe this one as well, when merrily Jul 2014 #96
If you read her book, you learn why she changed, came from a conservative background, JDPriestly Jul 2014 #111
Respectfully, if you are gay, you may not agree that the economy merrily Jul 2014 #130
Elizabeth Warren supports gay rights. JDPriestly Jul 2014 #138
My intent was not to imply that Warren is anti-gay. merrily Jul 2014 #139
Pushing the TPP and being in favor or the Iraq war are not liberal, period. eridani Jul 2014 #12
Precisely, no doubt Hillary has a 100% rating from Wall Street bankers. Some liberal . . . haaaahh! InAbLuEsTaTe Jul 2014 #37
See my post #35. JDPriestly Jul 2014 #43
Phenomenal post JD; should be reposted in every Hillary thread to remind everyone who's side she's on (hint: it's not the 99%). InAbLuEsTaTe Jul 2014 #51
She's an impressive woman. NanceGreggs Jul 2014 #13
Whether or not she is impressive is a different issue from whether she is a liberal. merrily Jul 2014 #17
You've missed the point. NanceGreggs Jul 2014 #18
No. LWolf Jul 2014 #99
Well, thank you very kindly ... NanceGreggs Jul 2014 #120
But that WAS the point of the OP, LWolf Jul 2014 #148
They might be DU mortal sins but, that is the GOP strategy and that is how they win. Tuesday Afternoon Jul 2014 #19
Rethugs back winners? Not lately. In 2008 and 2012, they tried to back merrily Jul 2014 #20
I understand about the national level and yes things are changing but those four rules that Nance Tuesday Afternoon Jul 2014 #22
Before Obama, we had Bush and before Bush Clinton. merrily Jul 2014 #24
you left out a Bush I think. Also there are a lot of campaigns besides Presidential. Tuesday Afternoon Jul 2014 #25
We are talking here about Hillary for Pres., not other elections. merrily Jul 2014 #26
I agree with Nance, point. you missed it entirely. First off. Hillary has not declared so it is Tuesday Afternoon Jul 2014 #27
Hillary's failure to declare so far does not affect anything I've posted on this thread. merrily Jul 2014 #28
good lord. no shit. Tuesday Afternoon Jul 2014 #29
All I did was respond to things you said in your posts. merrily Jul 2014 #30
I understand what you mean about "dynasties". NanceGreggs Jul 2014 #21
agreed. She is a person in her own right and if she: first off, declares and runs and Tuesday Afternoon Jul 2014 #23
This is a point lost on so many. joshcryer Jul 2014 #34
See my post #35. Apparently her donors don't think she is all that liberal. JDPriestly Jul 2014 #45
How can you vote for her? You're a Canadian. n/t BuelahWitch Jul 2014 #84
No, I'm an American citizen ... NanceGreggs Jul 2014 #102
Could'nt of said it better myself minivan2 Jul 2014 #31
Well yeah. joshcryer Jul 2014 #33
Check mu post #35. It lists the donors for the Senate races of Hillary and Elizabeth Warren. JDPriestly Jul 2014 #36
The vote is the only thing that matters. joshcryer Jul 2014 #39
Hillary's top donors (for a Senate race no less) tell the real story: JDPriestly Jul 2014 #35
Bingo! B Calm Jul 2014 #40
Why wouldn't the financial industry support her? joshcryer Jul 2014 #44
I am beyond game theory on this. JDPriestly Jul 2014 #46
Game theory isn't amoral. joshcryer Jul 2014 #47
I love your inventiveness with the language. Now bankers and their supporters are the NEW liberals. Romulox Jul 2014 #53
I am merely pointing out how the statistic is derived. joshcryer Jul 2014 #59
I think you're failing to convince anyone--even yourself. I bet you'd feel silly saying it out loud Romulox Jul 2014 #60
Yeah? Show me one corp telling their employees how to vote. joshcryer Jul 2014 #63
Wall Streeters know on which side their bread is buttered. This is just a bad line of argument. nt Romulox Jul 2014 #65
Not when the Republicans get more of them. joshcryer Jul 2014 #67
They've gotten more subtle. merrily Jul 2014 #133
How people vote in primaries? We're still over a year away from a primary. merrily Jul 2014 #58
There is speculation there will be no primary. joshcryer Jul 2014 #62
No mystery. You said game theory is how people vote. I asked if you meant voting in merrily Jul 2014 #68
In first past the post, plurality systems. joshcryer Jul 2014 #71
I understand the system. My question went more to merrily Jul 2014 #128
I just don't like irrational Dem bashing. joshcryer Jul 2014 #132
Also not responsive. merrily Jul 2014 #134
I'm on record that I am not enthused about 2016. joshcryer Jul 2014 #137
If Sanders runs, I fully believe it will be to move the merrily Jul 2014 #143
P.S. finding it hard to buy that you will go to great lengths to defend Hillary merrily Jul 2014 #144
It's unfortunate you are so distrustful. joshcryer Jul 2014 #146
Ding! Ding! Ding! We have a winner!!! +10 InAbLuEsTaTe Jul 2014 #49
Those are **LIBERAL** multinational financiers. Romulox Jul 2014 #55
Also known as fascism. joshcryer Jul 2014 #69
Nice one. Also, people who even *mention* Goldman Sachs are just like Hitler. Romulox Jul 2014 #70
Struck a nerve, I see. joshcryer Jul 2014 #72
Indeed. BULLSEYE! Bankers are the new "liberals", everybody else are FASCISTS! Romulox Jul 2014 #76
Didn't say that. joshcryer Jul 2014 #78
They are buying access, but per the OP they are not buying votes. pampango Jul 2014 #86
Really excellent point. Htom Sirveaux Jul 2014 #107
She sat on the board of WalMart when it was not even merrily Jul 2014 #131
She's a sneaky calculating weasel who not only voted for the IWR but pushed for it behind the scenes w4rma Jul 2014 #48
But "these are not the droids you're looking for" worked so well merrily Jul 2014 #57
She's a centrist, with some relatively liberal views and some conservative ones. nomorenomore08 Jul 2014 #50
I don't think "progressive" and "liberal" are synonyms. merrily Jul 2014 #56
The distinction between the two can be tricky, I suppose. nomorenomore08 Jul 2014 #73
Neither Obama nor Hillary is to the left of liberals. merrily Jul 2014 #77
Yeah, the meaning is quite subjective. I call myself a Social Democrat because that has a more nomorenomore08 Jul 2014 #85
Socialism may be another of those subjective words. merrily Jul 2014 #122
There are different degrees of it, just as there are different degrees of capitalism. nomorenomore08 Jul 2014 #123
It means government ownership of the means of production, not just merrily Jul 2014 #125
That would be socialism in its purest form. I have my doubts about such a system nomorenomore08 Jul 2014 #127
No, that would be socialism, period. merrily Jul 2014 #129
I'm all for collective ownership of the essentials - education, health care, utilities, etc. nomorenomore08 Jul 2014 #140
I am unsure how much socialism I am for, but I am for merrily Jul 2014 #141
I guess that's why I say I'm a Social Democrat rather than a socialist per se. nomorenomore08 Jul 2014 #142
The US electorate may be ready. merrily Jul 2014 #145
I hope so too. I think this country is desperate for real change. n/t nomorenomore08 Jul 2014 #147
I'd love a new word, LWolf Jul 2014 #109
See, and I don't think neo-liberals are economically liberal. merrily Jul 2014 #112
Economic liberalism LWolf Jul 2014 #117
Progressive Policy Institute comes to mind Dragonfli Jul 2014 #121
Why I never call myself a progressive, by merrily merrily Jul 2014 #124
P.S. You may want to glance at this. merrily Jul 2014 #135
I needed a laugh this morning. hobbit709 Jul 2014 #52
You shouldn't lead with your chin, bigtree. Hillary is no liberal, and it just makes her look bad Romulox Jul 2014 #54
Hillary is about as liberal as Dick Nixon. Scuba Jul 2014 #66
If Hillary is a liberal, then I'm the King of England. InAbLuEsTaTe Jul 2014 #74
And LWolf Jul 2014 #108
Neo. MannyGoldstein Jul 2014 #75
What if... joshcryer Jul 2014 #83
hillary is more of the same......clinton/bush/obama enough already bowens43 Jul 2014 #79
Positions on the issues Thinkingabout Jul 2014 #80
I have said it many times here. NCTraveler Jul 2014 #81
Nope. LWolf Jul 2014 #88
Yep. And one of those dogs is a biter. progressoid Jul 2014 #94
Yet, given deceptively similar names. merrily Jul 2014 #136
Yes. LWolf Jul 2014 #150
As opposed to all the political slogans that advocate not moving at all or merrily Jul 2014 #151
lol LWolf Jul 2014 #152
On those issues, you are preaching to the choir. merrily Jul 2014 #153
Hidden in all that bulky blather is a trend Bigtree will not speak to...her ratings from Human Bluenorthwest Jul 2014 #89
It's not an endorsement, Bluenorthwest bigtree Jul 2014 #90
She herself rejected the label 'liberal', in 2007 muriel_volestrangler Jul 2014 #92
I feel obliged to point out to those posters rock Jul 2014 #93
Well, you're correct about the ass of you part, anyway. LWolf Jul 2014 #100
It may not be equivalent to being pleased with them rock Jul 2014 #101
Nope. LWolf Jul 2014 #106
If that "sure thing" is going to perpetuate anti-working-class policies, Maedhros Jul 2014 #110
Would you like bush* or the equivalent (say bush#3)? rock Jul 2014 #113
I will vote for the candidate that best represents my values. Maedhros Jul 2014 #115
Nothing. LWolf Jul 2014 #118
One actual benefit to having a "demonic Republican" in the White House Maedhros Jul 2014 #119
I've often had that thought. LWolf Jul 2014 #149
My conscience does not let me vote for Hillary. JDPriestly Jul 2014 #116
Well, she’s either 10/11 or 11/11 for Warren’s 11 progressive values Chathamization Jul 2014 #95
So the Third Way candidate is kinda cool after all. L0oniX Jul 2014 #97
Hillary hired the same PR firm that does "the list" for Obama yurbud Jul 2014 #98
That's great, D.C. institutions like her. Htom Sirveaux Jul 2014 #103
A few of these concern me KamaAina Jul 2014 #114
Latest Discussions»General Discussion»Resolved? Hillary Clinton...»Reply #124