Markos: White House coddles conservaDems, blasts critics as 'ideologues', 'idiots', or worse

[brentspeak]

Good piece from Markos:

http://thehill.com/opinion/columnists/markos-moulitas/84549-bye-bye-blanche

Bye-bye, Blanche
By Markos Moulitsas - 03/02/10 05:04 PM ET

Despite contested primaries in Pennsylvania and Colorado, progressives have lacked the sort of high-profile blockbuster faceoff that could energize them in today’s disappointing political climate. Democratic supermajorities in Congress have failed to deliver on campaign promises, and all the real grassroots energy has bubbled up from conservatives.

That changed Monday, when progressives got their big statement-making primary: Arkansas Lt. Gov. Bill Halter will challenge nominal Democrat Sen. Blanche Lincoln.

This race couldn’t come at a better time for dejected progressives. Activists turned themselves inside out delivering those supermajorities the past two election cycles, and have been rewarded with congressional incompetence. That malaise has filtered down to the party’s rank and file. A Daily Kos poll conducted last week by Research 2000 found that 76 percent of Republicans said they were “definitely” or “likely” voting, compared to just 55 percent for Democrats. If that “intensity gap” remains in November, control of Congress will be genuinely in play.

Establishment Democrats don’t seem interested in closing this gap. Democratic obstructionists like Nebraska’s Ben Nelson, Louisiana’s Mary Landrieu, Montana’s Max Baucus and Arkansas’s Lincoln have been coddled by the White House. Critics are blasted as ideologues, idiots or worse — Barack Obama Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel referred to them as “f--king retards.”

[Dinger]

1. K & R (nt)

[David Zephyr]

2. Markos' words would apply here, too.

.

[Supersedeas]

8. Sometimes

[w4rma]

3. Yup. Phase I was to get more Democrats in Congress. Phase II is to get *better* Democrats in. (nt)

[Art_from_Ark]

4. Lieutenant Governor Halter has my vote

Arkansas' two Democratic Senators, Blanche Lincoln and Mark Pryor, have been very disappointing to say the least, quite unlike their Democratic predecessors Dale Bumpers and David Pryor.

And Mark Pryor, like Evan Bayh, shows that sometimes, the apple DOES fall far from the tree.

[waiting for hope]

5. K&R

I see Markos Moulitsas of the Daily Kos is now worthy of an unrec ...

[inna]

6. What, Markos is finally starting to get it? Who'd ever think.

[waiting for hope]

7. I know - he was a big cheerleader there for a while ...

[tekisui]

9. Bends to a few conservaDem Senators, has a sit-down

warning with liberals in the House. The White House has made it very clear where they stand, and who they stand against.