As Oliver Wendall Holmes observed of pornography, "I know it when I see it!" The reality is that our national political life is NOT the battle of polar extremes that the lazy MSM likes to describe, with the Democrats the party of a vibrant, vivid passionate extreme left battling a Republican Party of the vibrant, vivid passionate extreme right. That is half true, actually ... the right IS pretty pure and pretty passionate and firmly in control of the Republican Party these days. But there IS not genuine leftist movement in this nation. Lou and I can well recall when there WAS such a thing, when they were strong enough to be one of the strongest elements in the Democratic coalition in 1968 and 1972. But that was then.


There IS no genuine leftist movement in this nation, and it is rather sad to see the tepid, centrist, bipartisanship-obsessed Obama painted as a leftist. If only.


"If American democracy ceases to move forward as a living force, seeking day and night by peaceful means to better the lot of our citizens, fascism will grow in strength in our land." - Franklin D Roosevelt, Nov 4, 1938.