I always have to remind myself that Labour did the Iraq War

I was thinking about Labour losing (numerically if not organizationally) and it struck me how amazing it is that they managed to survive joining in an illegal war detested by a strong majority of citizens. But the Tories were for the war also so it couldn't be used effectively as a club against Labour.

If I lived in the UK and there was a half-way viable party to the left of Labour I'd certainly have been voting for them since 2003.

(And in a parliamentary system it would be a reasonable thing to do.)

the fact that Labour has been calling the shots for a long time,
and the news has been bad for a long time.

The Tories, long out of power, have been "retooled",
and folks forget why they voted them out so long ago.
It's the pendulum swinging and short memories
and a more activated and Murdoc owned media.

I hope that Obama is watching this. Labor moved too far to the right. The British decided that as long as they are going to have a right-wing government no matter who is elected, they should have the right-wing government with the most high-class sounding accents.

Back when I lived in the UK, a person was judged by his or her accent or dialect. I remember a woman with a Scottish brogue who was taking lessons in British pronunciation so that she could advance in her career in London. Maybe things have changed. But I doubt it.

The Labour Party compromised traditional Labor values -- just like the DLC does. Big, big mistake. Dance with the one who brung ya'. Obama and Rahm Emmanuel need to remember that. If they betray the unions and working, middle-class constituencies, they will fail in November.

So far Obama has not done that well in terms of staying true to Labor values. Democrats need to rethink this.