Call it whatever the hell you want to.

You can call it purity, if you so desire. I don't really care what it's named anymore. But I'm a democrat for many reasons.

Those reasons?

I believe in fairness.

I believe in unions.

I believe in a living wage.

I believe in holding corporations accountable for their business practices.

I believe in government programs to help those less fortunate than us, that cannot help themselves, for we, as a nation are only as good as our weakest links.

I believe in protecting the environment, at any cost.

I believe in my freedoms.

I believe in preserving the constitution.

I believe in taxes and big government.

I believe in holding our leaders accountable to the rule of law, and to the the provisions of our constitution, which contain remedies for politicians who have committed high crimes and misdemeanors.

I believe we SHOULD NEVER GO TO WAR based on lies.

I believe we SHOULD NEVER SUBVERT THE CONSTITUTION, by diverting hundreds of millions of dollars marked for war against the Taliban and al-qaeda in Afghanistan, so that we can overthrow the leader of a different and sovereign nation.

I believe that we should never be taught by our leaders to live in fear.

I believe in the freedom of choice, and that includes a woman's right to abortion.

These are just some of the things I believe in that make me a democrat.

Now, it has become painfully clear, beyond a shadow of a doubt, that the republican party of this era holds beliefs which are antithetical to everything I've mentioned above. It is also clear that, while our democratic leadership made a lot of noise before the 2006 mid-term elections, most of the noise pandering to the liberal wing of the party, they have ended up becoming most ineffectual in stopping this administration, and in some cases have actually collaborated as co-conspirators to acts that may be construed as unconstitutional, and contrary to the good of our citizens.

So I have had to ask myself, since most of my beliefs are, for the most part democratic beliefs, then why are my democratic leaders continually caving in, showing no backbone, always ready to spout feel good rhetoric, but never digging in their heels and fighting tooth and nail for what is right for our party and this country? What kind of leaders are they, that always cave in to this most corrupt of administrations? We count on our leaders to do our bidding. We count on them to side with us.

I said the other day that to me, the definition of a moderate is someone who hasn't paid attention, or just doesn't care. I believe right now, at this moment in time that there SHOULD BE PARTY PURITY. There should be a unified effort by our democratic leadership to stop this war, and to hold those responsible for undermining our constitution. And anyone who is not part of this solution is part of the problem. Our party leaders should either lead, follow, or get the hell out of our way. And the only reason they are able continue down this road of incompetence and acquiescence is because we are impotent, as the liberal wing of the party. We are not organized, like the religious right became, within the republican party. And because this is so, we will continue to be ignored.

A little party purity right now? I say DAMNED RIGHT!!

:woohoo: :applause:

Nominated.

both of whom outnumber us in the party.

'kay. Personally, I thought that purges and splits weakened a coalition, but, you know, that's just me.

most of our "moderats" are right of center.

That's a ridiculous statement - how can you say something like that with a straight face?

and yet the minority party is walking all over us. We get so excited everytime congress throws us a bone but for the most part they allow veto to go through and vote more right wing thugs into office. Its not that they are spineless but that they have been subverted.

I don't disagree that it is frustrating at this time with our "majority" that can't seem to get done what we want, but the solution is to elect more Democrats, not less. Unless you have another alternate to the situation that we are in now?

out all the dems that side with the repubs, and especially get some democrate leadership that reflects their base.

We need to hold our own and add more seats, thus having the luxury to marginalize the Dems that are being pansies now. I bet you that more of the "marginal" district Dems will fall in line when we have a bigger majority though.

Get rid of all the blue dogs and in practically all cases they'll be replaced with repukes or... other blue dogs. I don't know how man times I have to say this: Nebrasksa is not Vermont. Alabama is not Massachusetts. And you are not the base. You are part of the base. Yes, I'd like new leadership, and more liberals in Congress, but I know that the way to empower liberals and progressives is to vote more dems in- even if like Mark Warner and Jeanne Shaheen, they're moderates.

has no choice but to cater to us. They haven't a clue. We must take hold of the reigns of the leadership of this party. It has moved way too far to the right.

Any other division is a red herring designed to keep the Rest of Us confused and ineffectual in opposing the machinations of the Owners.

Our "leaders" do not work for us. They work for the Owners. The sooner people understand this, the sooner we can actually improve our lives.

sw

then there are the "politicians."

And there aren't more than a handful of those that are worth more than a warm bucket of spit.

The Decline and Fall of the American Empire is in full swing.

then there really is no hope, as long as they are in their positions of power.

But I'll try to do my part.

So glad I spotted and read your thread! :applause:

and I agree with you on almost all your list items.

Does purity mean kicking out those who are a little different? What gives you the right to decide on your own what is pure and what isn't? Why is it right for a subset of the party to dictate what the rest should do?

Want better Democrats? Put some you think are better on the primary ballots. Campaign for them. Then we can all decide together what Democrats should be.

I suppose you like the status quo? Do you like being ignored by the dem leadership? That's what gives me the right, and the way I see things, is that anyone who doesn't feel that way right now is just an enabler of the continuation of corrupt and inept politics.

democrats.

I tell them

The Democrats = Corporate Responsibility and Individual Freedom.
The Republicans = Corporate Freedom and Individual Responsibility.

see it live on the DLC website. "We are the new democrats. Ours is the third way, in between the old democrats and the republicans". As if there were anything in between.