Must See: Naomi Klein on Obama

Klein speaks about Obama and the intellectual and political integrity of the progressive movement:



Bio:

Naomi Klein is an award-winning journalist, syndicated columnist and author of the international and New York Times bestseller The Shock Doctrine: The Rise of Disaster Capitalism. Klein's previous book No Logo: Taking Aim at the Brand Bullies was also an international bestseller. Klein is a former Miliband Fellow at the London School of Economics and holds an honorary Doctor of Civil Laws from the University of King’s College, Nova Scotia. For more information on The Shock Doctrine visit http://www.naomiklein.org/main

Technorati tags: Naomi Klein, Barack Obama, John McCain, Corporations, 2008 Campaign

Majority of Middle Class Supports Progressive Policy

AlterNet:

"A new poll from the Drum Major Institute shows that most middle class Americans agree with progressive platforms."

Technorati tags: Drum Major Institute, Polls, Liberals, Progressives, Democratic Party, Politics

Is Obama a conservative or a progressive realist?

The Real News Network:

Alterman and Escobar debate if Obama is a conservative politician or a progressive who knows how to win

Eric Alterman argues that Obama is a political realist, a consensus politician who understands that he must compromise in order to be electable.

Technorati tags: Obama, The Real News, Politics, Foreign Policy, Election, 2008, Presidential

Couldn't Agree More....

Jason Rosenbaum: The Obama Problem:

"...The harsh reality is, Barack Obama can and will tack towards the center on issues that are important to progressives during the general election. We can argue until we're blue in the face that this is not a smart thing to do, and by extension, that the country is ready for real progressive leadership, but Obama will do what he wants to do. Unless we are willing to actively work against him, we have no leverage.

I am not willing to actively work against him. I'm not willing to call on people to pull their money and their volunteer hours either. But two can play at Obama's game.

To me, Obama's methods are obvious. He is selling out a constituency without leverage (progressives) to burnish his centrist image, which he believes will bring him more votes in November. Obama is practicing, as BooMan puts it, "raw political calculation." Well, guess what; I can do that, too!..."

Continue reading.

Technorati tags: Obama, Election, Progressives, 2008, President

Progressive Dems Unveil Plan to End Iraq Occupation

Are you listening, Hillary & Barack?

"Unlike plans offered by both Democratic presidential candidates, the congressional challengers' plan opposes any residual forces."

Technorati tags: Iraq, War, Progressives, Liberals, Withdrawal, Democrats

Progressives, To Arms!

FORGET ABOUT BUSH—AND THE MIDDLE GROUND.

Why progressives should forget the middle ground | By Paul Krugman | Slate Magazine

"Here's a thought for progressives: Bush isn't the problem. And the next president should not try to be the anti-Bush.

No, I haven't lost my mind. I'm not saying that we should look kindly on the Worst President Ever; we'll all breathe a sigh of relief when he leaves office 405 days, 2 hours, and 46 minutes from now. (Yes, a friend gave me one of those Bush countdown clocks.) Nor am I suggesting that we should forgive and forget; I very much hope that the next president will open the records and let the full story of the Bush era's outrages be told.

But Bush will soon be gone. What progressives should be focused on now is taking on the political movement that brought Bush to power. In short, what we need right now isn't Bush bashing—what we need is partisanship...."

Continue reading.

ILLUSTRATION: Slate Magazine

Technorati tags: Paul Krugman, Progressives, Liberals, Bush, 2008 Presidential Election, Partisanship

"Fringe Liberal Bloggers"

Glenn Greenwald (Salon) reports:

When establishment journalists speak of the liberal blogosphere, it is virtually an article of faith that it represents the "far left," that it is composed of the radical and fringe elements of liberalism. This week, the increasingly dishonest Fred Thompson castigated Harry Reid for participating on a conference call with bloggers from some of the largest liberal blogs by describing the participants as "fringe elements of the blogosphere who think we're the bad guys. This is a place where even those who think the 9/11 attacks were an inside job find a home."

Before I began blogging in October, 2005, I was an avid reader of blogs. What motivated me to begin blogging was that the most insightful and informed political analysis was to be found, far and away, on blogs, and I wanted to be part of that discussion. And, as is true for thousands of people, I believed (and still do) that the most insightful political analysis of all came from the keyboard of Digby, who -- until now -- has shielded all parts of her identity, including her gender, behind her pseudonym.

Yesterday, Digby unmasked herself. Appearing at the Take Back America Conference in Washington, she accepted an award on behalf of all liberal bloggers and gave a truly superb speech about the blogosphere, which can be viewed here.

The speech in its entirety is worth watching, principally because it provides one of the most accurate portrayals of who bloggers are, what motivates them, their demographic diversity and the role they play -- certainly far more accurate than the trite caricatures which are typically embraced by media mavens, including (albeit to a lesser extent) Jonathan Chait in his much-discussed New Republic cover story on the "netroots."



But I want to focus on one part of Digby's speech, where she identifies what she contends (accurately, I think) are the core, commonly held views defining the "progressive blogosphere": (Continue reading)

Technorati tags: Glenn Greenwald, Liberals, Bloggers, Digby, news, commentary

Good News Poll: Young Americans Are Leaning Left

(Click Graphic for Larger View)
The New York Times reports:

Young Americans are more likely than the general public to favor a government-run universal health care insurance system, an open-door policy on immigration and the legalization of gay marriage, according to a New York Times/CBS News/MTV poll. The poll also found that they are more likely to say the war in Iraq is heading to a successful conclusion.

The poll offers a snapshot of a group whose energy and idealism have always been as alluring to politicians as its scattered focus and shifting interests have been frustrating. It found that substantially more Americans ages 17 to 29 than four years ago are paying attention to the presidential race. But they appeared to be really familiar with only two of the candidates, Senators Barack Obama and Hillary Rodham Clinton, both Democrats.

They have continued a long-term drift away from the Republican Party. And although they are just as worried as the general population about the outlook for the country and think their generation is likely to be worse off than that of their parents, they retain a belief that their votes can make a difference, the poll found.

More than half of Americans ages 17 to 29 — 54 percent — say they intend to vote for a Democrat for president in 2008....

Read more.

Maybe there is hope for the next generation. Ours certainly has botched things up royally.

Technorati tags: New York Times, Polls, Public Opinion, Health Insurance and Managed Care, Homosexuality, Immigration and Refugees, Progressives, Liberals, Democratic Party, news, commentary, op ed

EPN Program Launched

Progressive Democrats of America Announces the Launch of their Elected Progressives Network Project.

This is a terrific grassroots initiative effort and you can help build it and assure its success. Just click on the link above for details.

What is the Radical Middle?

Thom Hartmann Radio Show:

"The Founders of this nation represented the first Radical Middle. Back then they called it 'being liberal.' As George Washington said, 'As Mankind becomes more liberal, they will be more apt to allow that all those who conduct themselves as worthy members of the community are equally entitled to the protections of civil government. I hope ever to see America among the foremost nations of justice and liberality....'"