I've been calling them the "business as usual" campaign handlers that are trotted out like clockwork every couple of years and who seemingly follow a course designed to get Democratic candidates defeated. You want Party money? Accept the handlers. Then the handlers toddle back to their regular jobs. Most are lobbyists.

We're seeing so many good candidates but they're getting defeated because they're following such incredibly bad advice from inside the beltway wonks.

The raw courage to stand up to the free traders, the Wall Streeters and other conservatives entrenched within the party hierarchy has got to begin at the bottom. Waiting for it to happen at the top is futile.

At all. And now we have two years of Republican majorities in both houses because our party doesn't realize that their failure to embrace populist positions and OWN them is what is losing them elections.