How many other less honest Zell Millers in the Dem party?

[Q]

- You have to hand it to Zell...he's a NeoDem and proud of it. But Zell's announcement that he'll support GWB* (because he's the right man at the right time) got me to thinking: how many other conservative Democrats are there in the party who aren't honest or brave enough to admit it?

- We know there are at least enough of them to break ties in both houses or push close votes to the Republican majority. In fact there are many right here at DU...pushing a conservative agenda as if it's somehow normal for a Democrat.

- What exactly IS a 'conservative Democrat'? Besides voting with Republicans most of the time on pivotal issues...they're also generally against many Democratic values and principles...or support some watered-down version thereof. Examples: abortion bans, illegal wars, faith-based social services, privatization of government services and public education, environmental deregulation, abolishing Affirmative Action, etc.

- It's bad enough that Republicans are out to destroy the last vestige of Democracy and use the Constitution as toilet paper...but now we have so-called Republicans dressed as Democrats helping them do it.

[Valarauko]

1. There's Neo-Dem's and Neo-Libs

Neo-Democrats abandon most of the Democrat/Liberals agenda towards a conservative one. Lieberman is one of them. They suck.

Neo-Liberals use liberal rhetoric to push statist politics - expanding DEA, ATF, FBI powers and (in the UK) creating CCTV systems, etc. etc. etc. Tony Blair and Hillary Clinton are some of them. They suck worse.

[Q]

3. You're talking about faux liberals...

...the 'traditional' liberal doesn't believe in expanding powers of those agencies that suppress individual rights.

- So many labels...so little time. Politicians should be judged on what they do...not what they say.

[diplomats]

2. John Breaux and Ben Nelson are conservatives

but they'd never endorse Bush. Zell crossed a line here - a big line.

[Q]

4. Not that big of a line...

...when you consider most of the NeoDems support many of Bush's* policies...but not in public or polite company.

[PROGRESSIVE1]

5. Nelson and Breaux support the Dem's as a whole!

They do not attack them either!

I fully support both of these senators!

[aldian159]

9. who would you rather have?

Breaux or Snowe?

[Cocoa]

6. none

Miller is in a class by himself.

[JohnGideon]

7. An Elephant In Donkey Clothing n/t

[ElsewheresDaughter]

8. i suspect at least 12

[janekat]

10. Just about the same amount of Republicans who'd come to our side

n/t

[HazMat]

11. NeoDem ? More like old southern Dem.

Zell is one of these old southern conservatives still holding onto the "Dem" label. People like Zell and Stenholm held on out of tradition, most likely, the way northeastern liberals like Chafee have held onto the Republicans.

What has made the GOP such a far right party is the realignment during the civil rights era when the southern Dems defected to the GOP. The old southern Democrats were to the RIGHT of the Republicans, even to the right of "movement conservatives" like Goldwater. The farthest right faction within the GOP is still the ex southern Dems, IMO.