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It’s easier for [Democrats] to believe that their liberal and progressive base is naïve than to acknowledge that we are not alienated for their failure to pass appropriate legislation, but for their failure to fight for such legislation. And our upset with Obama is not that he didn’t accomplish what he couldn’t accomplish, but that he didn’t do the one thing he could do: consistently speak the truth, tell us and the country what was really happening in the corridors of power and what the constraints are that he was facing.
”Rabbi Michael Lerner, editor of Tikkun Daily
“One of the reasons I wanted to be on your show is to tell the progressives out there, ‘Get in gear, man… There’s a lot at stake here and our progressive base, you should not stay home. You better get energized because the consequences are serious for the outcome of the things we care most about.”
VP Joe Biden Challenges the Left on Maddow last night
“I hear these people [“professional left”] saying he’s like George Bush. Those people ought to be drug tested,” “I mean, it’s crazy.”
“They will be satisfied when we have Canadian healthcare and we’ve eliminated the Pentagon. That’s not reality.”
“They wouldn’t be satisfied if Dennis Kucinich was president.”
Robert Gibbs blasted liberal naysayers…
The White House, constantly under fire from expected enemies on the right, has been frustrated by nightly attacks on cable news shows catering to the left… Just last week, MSNBC host Rachel Maddow described Obama political adviser David Axelrod as a “human pretzel” for his explanation of the administration’s position on gay marriage.
continue reading… thehill
In 18 short months, we went from “hold me accountable” to “get drug tested.”-Glenn Greenwald I understand why the WH is frustrated by liberal dissatisfaction, but not why they complain about it in interviews.-Ezra Klein
Sen. Al Franken at Netroots Nation - Keynote Address - Las Vegas
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For years, pundits and politicians on the left have been calling themselves “progressives” to avoid the apparent stigma of the word “liberal.” But a USA Today/Gallup poll released today indicates that a majority of Americans still aren’t sure what “progressive” really means.
According to the poll, 54% percent of adults are unsure if the word “progressive” describes their political views. Fifty-seven percent of self-identified liberals, 65% of moderates, and 45% of conservatives just don’t know if the word aptly characterizes their political outlook.
”The Top 25 Progressive Twitterers
Here are the 25 essential liberals to follow on Twitter.
via Politics Daily
“Many liberals look at this White House and see a presidency adrift — unable to respond effectively to the crisis in the gulf, incapable of rallying the country to great tasks like the quest for clean energy, and unwilling to do what it takes to jump-start the economy.”
Ross Douthat - The Agony of the Liberals - NYTimes
Chis Cillizza extracts that Douthat quote in a post: “Are Liberals Falling Out Of Love With Obama?” Both are interesting reads.
