I’m a Progressive, an old fashioned (FDR) Democrat, an environmentalist, a Liberal, a lefty, I’m pro-labor, and perhaps by today’s yardstick, a radical. I make no apologies.

My party contains waaay too many blue dogs.

Seconded!

I cannot in good conscience remain in Republican ranks and pretend that attempting to modulate extremist priorities is enough.

Well see…that’s his problem right there. He has a conscience.

Welcome to the reality-based community Chris.

- Tom :-)

Our own Adie is a great example of someone who does exactly what you recommend. I bet she could give us some great tips!

Brisingamen @ 15

In a PR class I took years and years ago, they said that for every person that send a letter to a company regarding a product, there were 100 other consumers who felt the same way.

If there are Republican politicians leaving their party, how far does that extend into the rank and file Repubs?

I work for the Elections Board in my county. The number one question at the last election was by registered republicans asking how they change their status to “decline to state” I haven’t seen any change in sentiment around here since. I spoke at length to as many of these people as I could, and got the sense they are up for grabs, by someone who could articulate a non neocon position. This doesn’t mean Rahm Emmanuel’s slimy “we’re almost you” pandering to the 1%, but someone who takes a stand they feel is right and true and backs it up unequivocally.

What state is your county in?

ccmask @ 61

WRT Romney, his first name is actually Willard and I think we should start using his real name. It would be disrespectful to call him Mitt.

And Fred Thompson’s real first name is Freddie.

Yes, yes again! Willard and Freddie, the Republican he-men. At this point I wouldn’t trust any of the Republican hopefuls to babysit a child for half an hour, let alone steer a country through the minefields Bush/Cheney have sowed everywhere.

WRT Romney, his first name is actually Willard and I think we should start using his real name. It would be disrespectful to call him Mitt.

Yes, yes! I love it.

Second – besides Jeff Harris, Margaret Donnelly is also running for Attorney General. She and Harris have both been strong Democrats and have virtually identical voting records.

Third, Koster is getting a lot of name recognition right now statewide for switching parties which, if he announces, will benefit him for a statewide race. He’s a nice man. But he is in no way, shape or form even close to being a progressive. I had the opportunity to ask him where he stood on the “abortion issue” (and I specifically phrased it that way because there are a lot of pro life Dems in missouri and I didn’t want him to know my position) and, after a lot of hemming and hawing, he said he was for the “status quo” whatever that means. But during his time in Jefferson City he assisted the Republican led legislature in passing anti-choice legislation that is NOT beneficial to the health of women in this state. This is not someone like Jeffords who was a Republican who kept voting with the Dems and finally left the Republican party. He’s been voting with the Repubs all along and harming women in this state. I’m happy he switched parties but I fear he WILL run for AG. And his whole platform is going to be that he has the prosecutorial experience to do the job AND he can beat Catherine Hanaway. I believe this because this is what he said to me. And he could win if enough Dems fear a Hanaway victory.

If you stop and think about it, how sick is it that “liberal” is a derogatory term in the US or that ann coulter is a media star spewing violent hate on the national stage. That US corporate media has so poisoned the public discourse and perverted the national psyche by promoting right wing extremism and muffling rational thought is the root cause that results in the republican party becoming nothing more than its crazed extremists and democrats needing to stretch their tent ever further to become the party of rationality.
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