Democrats Feud as Bush Falters

[Q]

Democrats Feud as Bush Falters
By Sam Parry
August 13, 2003

Just as George W. Bush is starting to look vulnerable, the Democratic Party is showing signs of splintering. Oddly, the break is less about policy than about which wing of the party is most likely to doom the Democrats to defeat next year.

Progressive Democrats call their centrist rivals Bush-Lite sell-outs who would re-run the disastrous 2002 campaign. In this view, the centrists would follow the losing strategy of cowering before Bush as the strong leader in the "war on terror" while trying to pitch a few moderate domestic policies to lure away voters.

To the centrists, the progressives are juvenile purists who invite replays of the 1972 and 1984 electoral disasters by offending swing voters with unpopular policies. In recent weeks, this name-calling has picked up with the centrist Democratic Leadership Council and its presidential favorite, Sen. Joe Lieberman, lashing out at former Vermont Gov. Howard Dean and other Democrats who opposed the Iraq War.

On Sunday, appearing on Fox News, Lieberman went so far as to say that Democrats don’t "deserve" to win if they resist past lessons about voter aversion to big government, higher taxes and softness on defense. Earlier, Lieberman, the party’s vice presidential nominee in 2000, had said the progressives are buying the party a "ticket to nowhere."

The DLC, which claims credit for crafting the pragmatic messages that helped Bill Clinton win the White House in 1992 and 1996, has justified its alarming rhetoric by citing a recent poll that the DLC commissioned. The poll purports to show that swing voters, especially white men, will not support a candidate who isn’t perceived as strong on national security issues.

http://www.consortiumnews.com/2003/081303a.html

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- It seems clear that the DLC is working AGAINST the Democratic party and blocking the way to Bush* government accountability. Using the same anti-liberal and anti-government rhetoric as the Bushies...the DLC is actually helping the GOPers turn the fabled 'swing voters' against the 'ticket to nowhere' Democrats on the left.

- I'm now convinced that the DLC is helping to rig the 2004 election in Bush's favor by keeping the Democratic party off balance and encouraging infighting.

[Q]

1. Never before have I seen Democrats attack the Democratic party...

...and refer to its history, principles and values as a 'ticket to nowhere'.

- The question becomes: why can't the DLCers promote their agenda without attacking other Democrats and the liberal ideology?

- DLCers like Lieberman have much more in common with Bush* than the Democratic party. What does this tell you?

[Jacobin]

2. They aren't dems, IMHO

They are PNAC corporatists who are worse than neo-cons because they are on the inside of the Dem party rotting it out.

[twilight]

3. Lieberman ... ughhh

<On Sunday, appearing on Fox News, Lieberman went so far as to say that Democrats don’t "deserve" to win if they resist past lessons about voter aversion to big government, higher taxes and softness on defense. Earlier, Lieberman, the party’s vice presidential nominee in 2000, had said the progressives are buying the party a "ticket to nowhere." >

Yep, and that's right - vote NO on the California recall and vote for Bustamante - Holy Joe's pimp!

We need to be saved alright, but it is going to require devine intervention at this point.

Bustamante ... yeah right ...

:kick:

[unblock]

4. so be strong on national security!

blindly supporting whatever war bush drags us into isn't being strong on national security.

but lieberman has a point in that democrats MUST take care to show that we arestrong on national security. we just have to emphasize how we are, while bush is just pretending.

it isn't good for us simply to oppose the war/occupation. this does leave us open to (false) accusations about being soft on national security. we must couple our opposition to bush's iraq policies with fist-pounding demands for genuine national security.

[Democat]

5. Democratic moderates are getting attacked by both sides

There are three groups attacking Dean and other moderate Democrats:

1. Republicans
2. Right wing Democrats - DLC / Lieberman
3. Far left Democrats - Kucinich