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Broder Discovers The Center: The Democratic Agenda

By Jeralyn, Section Other Politics
Posted on Thu Sep 28, 2006 at 04:43:30 PM EST
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(Guest Post by Big Tent Democrat)

What a sad spectacle is David Broder. He has spent the last few weeks making a fool of himself - lionizing the Mealymouthed McCain, who promptly exposed Broder's foolishness by rubberstamping the Bush atrocities. In search of new "independent" heroes, necessary to avoid having to face his stupidity, this petulant, childish, stubbornly foolish Beltway buffoon traveled to California to worship at the feet of Arnold Schwarzennegger. But a funny thing happened on the way to "independence" - Broder endorsed the Democratic agenda:

Instead of the partisan assault on public employee unions and Democratic legislators (a.k.a. "girlie men") that marked his rhetoric in 2005, Schwarzenegger has negotiated agreements this year on a minimum-wage increase, higher school spending, curbing air pollution and a mega-bond sale designed to meet overdue highway, flood-control and school-construction needs.

. . . More important, his current political posture mirrors the makeup of this complex state, where the only growing political group consists of those who decline to state a party preference and where myriad competing racial, ethnic and geographic forces require political leadership with dexterity and flexibility.

Schwarzenegger is providing his party -- and the country -- with an object lesson in how to survive and thrive in that kind of independent political environment. Others will have to learn

Whatever Broder. Arnold adopts a Democratic agenda and you call it "independence" See Susie Madrak . That's fine by me frankly. As I have said:

Politics is not a battle for the middle. It is a battle for defining the terms of the political debate. It is a battle to be able to say what is the middle.

To Broder, what matters is the label. For us, it is the policy. If the "independent middle" for Broder is a minimum wage hike, stem cell research, government investment, environmentalism, respect for the union movement and strong well funded public schools, then Democrats have
won the debate. Democrats have defined the middle. And it is the Democratic agenda.

Does Broder matter? I doubt it. And his latest ridiculous column does not strike me as a piece of Beltway "wisdom." Rather it is the effort of a pathetic, foolish, stubborn old man who has embarrassed himself and wants to chanfe the subject.

But I'll take it. If Broder's "lessons" are that the government should adopt the Democratic agenda because that is what "independents" want, more power to him.

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    • Broder Discovers The Center: The Democratic Agenda | 1 comment (1 topical)
    Re: Broder Discovers The Center: The Democratic Ag (none / 0) (#1)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Thu Sep 28, 2006 at 08:10:52 PM EST
    He may be sad but, not the only republican to find himself siding more and more with the democrats as his party continues it's slide into the far fringe right abyss.

    Broder Discovers The Center: The Democratic Agenda | 1 comment (1 topical)