I wish we could. But we cant sit back and do nothing and hope it works out ok. Now is the time for progressives to speak out.

I want to point out that progressive organizations like moveon.org and Progressive Democrats for America are fighting hard to keep our safety nets. This is what our party should be doing.

Link: http://www.thirdway.org/co_chairs

All six are listed as "part-way there or wavering" by Move-On. Move-On gives them credit for being part-way there if they have made no statement. I think agreeing to be a Third Way Honorary Co-Chair is a statement. Third Way has been an active promoter of a "grand bargain" that would cut Social Security benefits. One of their publications here: http://www.thirdway.org/publications/613

The six: Carper and Coons, (DE), Hagan (NC), Udall (CO), Shaheen (NH), and McCaskill (MO).

We have a military designed to fight a Cold War sized nation and we're using it to chase a couple of hundred terrorists, who could best be neutralized by intelligence agencies, special forces, and preventing our "allies" like the Saudis from funding them.

To get anywhere close to a respectable near-superpower adversary, we'd have to piss off Russia, China, and the whole EU at once and they'd have to gang up on us.

Given how dedicated politicians in Washington are to keep defense spending going, they might just do that on purpose, as they are trying to do with Iran, which could escalate into a war with Russia and China.

to any politician.

I love what this huge Progressive Coalition is doing now. They intend to become more independent of the political parties and to use money normally donated to candidates rec'd by the Party, to primary any Dem who goes along with cuts to SS.

Moveon, having learned finally I guess, that caving to the DLC/Third Way lost them many of their members have realized that their success came from representing the people, not from 'gaining access'.

They intend to use money donated to them to put into ads exposing anyone who betrays the American people on SS.

I refused to donate to them after they caved to the DLC leadership a few years ago. But now I will definitely donate to them as they prepare to challenge any Dem Senator or House member who votes for a single cut to SS.

No longer can we trust elected officials. If we want change, the people have to do it themselves. And finally this has begun to happen.

In the Dec 24/31 issue of The Nation mag there is an article "How to Save the Democratic Party". Very interesting article and then followed by a number of responses to the article. The article explains how the Democratic Party has failed in recent decades and then goes on to tell what is needed. The responses are interesting perspectives. One response tries to give credit of the limited progressive progress we have achieved to the Democratic Party. I have been involved with a couple of progressive groups as well as the Party. IMO the party has done very little since Howard Dean was dumped. There have been many many calls to action whether it be donate to progressive candidates like Alan Grayson, email/phone calls promoting issues, Occupy, protests, etc., but none were spearheaded by the Party. The progressive groups outside the party have driven these advances.

Having said all that, I want to also emphasize that the progressive movement needs to co-opt the Democratic Party. Let The Third Way start their own party. Yes the oligarchs have their talons into the party but we must get it back.

...that page from the OP, or HERE

PB

"Obama-opposing progressives and their right-wing tax-hating TP brethren" to defeat a shitty offer put forth by a (supposedly) Democratic president.

Sigh.

Speaking for myself, I support issues, like saving Social Security. Hopefully Pres Obama agrees.

To call progressives the brethren of the tea party is just vile. Are you interested in discussing issues or just trying to cause trouble?

It's the damn turn-coat Third Way Democrats that may turn on the people.

have done. No one gets off the hook when it comes to SS.

And now credit is going to Republicans for turning down the offer made by the President and saving SS. Of course, Republicans did not intend to save SS, they wanted that part of the proposal. They saved it by accident. However, it would not be surprising to hear them claim that it was they who stopped a Dem President from cutting SS benefits.

Our other Ohio senator is a puke. Literally.


I'll call him anyway but it's a waste of time.