Activism: The left doth protest too much

The left too often -- always? -- lets the right dominate the debate and dictate the political agenda:

"Here are some action items for Democrats and Progressives that don’t hinge on what conservatives, Republicans or tea party activists do, or do not do:

1. Declare a party-wide unified moratorium on whatever spew comes out of Glenn Beck, Rush Limbaugh, Lou Dobbs, and anyone else who seeks to shift the dialogue away from what’s truly important.
2. Discipline is required. Now. It’s time to set aside sniping and criticism of the President and the Democratic leadership and adhere to a consistent and strong progressive message.
3. Define, push, and own the news cycles. If the national conversation isn’t focused to what WE want to talk about and what WE are accomplishing, WE will fail. It will not be focused until we get some folks out there actually speaking for us consistently on a daily basis in the mainstream, the internet and cable channels.
4. Enforce. The Democratic Party platform is not some nicey-nice concept put together for the purpose of one speech at a nominating convention. It’s a statement of VALUES. It means something. It has WEIGHT. It’s time for the so-called leaders of this party to stand up and use that weight. After all, voters expect you to. It’s why they put these Congressional clowns (even the Conservaclowns) in office. Look what North Dakota Democrats did with Kent Conrad. They gave him a reminder…if he doesn’t listen, I’m sure they’ll be looking for a different candidate to put up in a primary against him.
5. GET HEALTH CARE REFORM DONE. NOW. Stand on the Senate and make them get the debate moving, open, closed and voted on before the end of this year. Whatever anyone does, they cannot stall. Stalling is death. Get Grayson and Weiner out there alongside whoever else can speak strongly for what the House has done. Push these Senators to do the deal. Now.
6. Abandon bipartisan effort. There is none. The only bipartisanship is between the confines of the Democratic party itself — the in-name only bluedogs, and the rest of us.
7. Stop kowtowing to the budget (and yes, Mr. President, that means you, too) and start framing debates in terms of the people suffering in this country. We are not a bottom line. We are the citizens of this country who elected you and we have been exploited by corporate interests and professional gamblers on Wall Street while the last administration looked the other way. Quit worrying about deficits and start thinking about solutions. Then start implementing them. Let the budget hawks dither. This is a time for action.

"Bill Clinton is right, whether anyone wants to listen or not. Killing health care reform will spell another 10 years of conservative governance in this country and consign Barack Obama to be a one-term president. By then it won’t matter, because the conservatives will have completed their kingmaking of corporations and media propaganda empires."

The rest of the story: The left doth protest too much by Karoli (odd time signatures 2009-11-13)