FDL: Liberals Dis-Unite!

Oh my. Via Firedoglake we learn that Obama's WH cuts off the funding to liberal groups that criticize the one? And the liberal leaders Obama grabbed up for the WH are now more interested in dining on K Street, than perhaps attending the next Yearly Kos? Gee, that doesn't sound like the hope and change you voted for to me. Oh, this is going to get good. heh! Question: Did Kos sell out? Not even a mention of this on the front page? Hmm. 

I heard it over and over again -- if you wanted to criticize the White House on financial issues, your institutional funding would dry up instantly. The Obama campaign successfully telegraphed to donors that they should cut off Fund for America, which famously led to its demise. It wasn't the last time something like that happened -- just ask those who were receiving institutional money who criticized the White House and saw their funding cut, at the specific request of liberal institutional leaders who now principally occupy their time by brown nosing friends and former co-workers in the White House.

If these groups, if these liberal leaders, let Jones just hang there while Glenn Beck pounds his chest and celebrates the scalp, we have no liberal institutions.  What we have are a bunch of neoliberal enablers who have found a nice comfortable place in the DC establishment that they don't want to jeopardize, and place on the new K-Street gravy train that they don't want to lose.  Dropping Van Jones from their rolodex is a small price to pay.

If there is going to be a serious progressive movement in this country capable of standing up for health care against an industry that spends $1.4 million a day on lobbying, we can't just look to the members of the Progressive Caucus and say "hey, you, get something done."  They need cover.  They need to know that they will be supported.  And people like Van Jones who have given their lives to causes we say we value like prison reform and environmental advocacy need to know that they will be defended, and not handed over to Glenn Beck as an acceptable casualty in the battle for K-Street dollars.

So to all you liberal organizations in the "veal pen" -- this is your moment of truth.  I get all your emails.  And the next Common Purpose meeting is probably on Tuesday.  If you can't get it together to at least put out a statement of support for Van Jones and condemn the White House for using him as a sacrificial lamb to right wing extremists that will devour us all if left unchecked, it's time to add "proudly liberal only when it doesn't matter" to your logo and be done with it.

Comments

[Gary Maxwell]

Temper temper little Nazis. Beck fragged your watermelon ( green outside but red to the core ) czar with a major asist from Jim Hoft. And they did it with Van Jones own words!!! I realize for a fascist how unfair it is when you cant control every source of information, and word of a man's own offensive words captured in print and on tape, gets out. Pity. Try harder for your fascist paradise. But remember, the trotskyites were quickly dispensed of, once the revolution was well in hand. You will be too.

[iftheshoefits]

Maybe a political movement that is so heavily dependent on "institutional funding" isn't really that much of a political movement after all, you think?

That's what's got the left so spooked about the current political rumblings. Seems as if the bourgeosie and the proles have switched sides. The old scripts just don't line up the way they used to.

Note to liberals: Your 40 years of "questioning authority" and "speaking truth to power" are over. You are authority. You are power. You are "The Man". At least for now. Better figure out how to wield that power in an effective, fair, and non-authoritarian manner, or you'll lose quite a lot of it in another 14 months.

[Evil Red Scandi]

Sad to see what happens when just a tiny little sunbeam of logic cauterizes just a miniscule corner of the infectious slime that passes for philosophy with them.

[rlynes]

"Four legs good, two legs better!"

[christmasghost]

"During the 2000 presidential election campaign, Bush made a remark to Cheney at an event, I think he called his supporters assholes. I’m sure you all remember it, it was covered by the MSM. I don’t remember the exact words. Can anyone here recall? I looked on YouTube but didn’t find it."
MRWHY@ FireDog Lake

Now this classic comment from one of the "big thinkers" over there.He knows he hates Bush, but can't quite remember why. It must be because Bush called his own "followers" a-holes, right?
Yeah...not so much Pokey...
WE remember quite well that Bush actually pointed out a "reporter" and used the accurate term for him...as has become super obvious just about now.
And I thought DU was incredibly ignorant in all things.....

[Andrew N.]

For all of their blubbering about "Special interests" being in control of D.C. during periods of Republican control, they sure are surprised about... GASP SPECIAL INTERESTS CONTROLLING DEMOCRATS!!!

The problem with the liberal world-view is that the nation is made up entirely of special interest. LGBT, Racial instigators, Environmentalists, and those are just on the left. If you're going to whine about special interests lobbying the government, you'd better just take down the government and have anarchy where nobody is in control, because the people with resources are going to send people to try and make it easier to make money/do whatever.

When I hear people complaining about "K Street" I just laugh. Welcome to the real world, 'progressives!' Where corporate fat-cats STILL control Washington even though your precious Democrats are promising you goodies left and right, the most ethical congress ever, swamp draining, yadda yadda.

[J. K.]

Nancy Pelosi's daughter had access to Bush during his campaign in order to make a documentary. You might be able to find it, but at one point, Bush wandered into the back of the plane to chat with the reporters while 'she' was filming him, and she did talk with him - all on film. She continued to film Bush as he walked back up the aisle into first class where someone said something to him and Bush's response, the only part audible, is "Oh, they're assholes." Everyone laughed and that was it. In context it was great because it humanized him, as did Cheney's "F.U." to Senator Leahy. As to Bush calling his supporters 'assholes'... I doubt it.

[Terry Gain]

Institutional funding for liberal groups.

Is the United States a great democracy or a banana republic? If the public knew the half of it, there would be a rebellion.

[christmasghost]

J.K...I think what the fool from FDL was referring to was the instance at a rally where Bush pointed out a particularity loathsome "reporter" to Cheney, I think, and said "Oh, he's a real %&&*%$#...."

[Peg C.]

The nutroots are sounding a bit whiny and impotent, aren't they? Next we'll hear them brag, "Hey, Obama, we put you in and we can take you out." Oh, that's right, Overbite already said that...

[Peach]

"Maybe a political movement that is so heavily dependent on "institutional funding" isn't really that much of a political movement after all, you think?"

HAHHAHAH! Right on the money there.

"Now he's been thrown under the bus by the White House for signing his name to a petition expressing something that 35% of all Democrats believed as of 2007 -- that George Bush knew in advance about the attacks of 9/11. Well, that and calling Republicans "assholes." I'm pretty sure that if you search through the histories of every single liberal leader at the CAF dinner that night, they have publicly said that and worse."

I thought this bit of unadulterated idiocy was special. 35% of Democrats think that so that makes it ok for Van Radical Jones to be in charge of 30 billion in taxpayer money.

Are we certain Hamsher isn't on Rove's payroll?

[Ran]

"right wing extremists that will devour us all if left unchecked," ... "with our own words! They'll have the temerity to play our own videos! Eeevil Bassstards!"

Well, yeah.

OK, office pool: Sunstein next? Holdren? Browner?

[crosspatch]

Bush:

"An open microphone caught him describing a New York Times reporter as a 'major league asshole' at a 2000 campaign event"

It wasn't "supporters" unless you consider the NYT as being among "supporters".

[crosspatch]

I believe the quote was something like:

"There's Adam Clymer, major-league asshole from the New York Times."

[Peach]

Remember, Hamsher went after Box Turtle Ben with his own words and was able to get him fired from WAPO blog page, yet the principled and honest Jane Hamsher doesn't think those tactics are OK used against a man who thinks his government killed 3,000 of it's own and is who is in charge of 30 billion taxpayer dollars. Given enough time all these so-called principled liberals so themselves to be frauds.

[Andrew_M_Garland]

To President Obama,

Van Jones has resigned, or possibly you have fired him.

Please tell me, what is new to you about the recent information about Van Jones? If you already knew about these things, then why should you allow him to resign? If you already knew, then you should fight to oppose the misinformation or extremism directed against him and keep him in your administration.

If you want him out, based on recent information that is new to you, then what's new, and why is it unacceptable to you? Please explain.

Van Jones: What's New?
http://easyopinionsoutlink.blogspot.com/2009/09/van-jones-whats-new.html

[Rich K]

Sounds like all those paid supporters of the left are demanding overtime pay or something to keep up the noise.Funny but I dont see many fancy signs and purple shirts on the conservative side of the aisles at all the rallies around the country.

[daveinboca]

Ran, let's go after Cass's ass. Jane Hamsher was last heard-of from her Hollyweird pals as trying to research a docudrama on the manufacture of crack & meth. Seems like she's really getting into that project pretty deeply..!!

The crack-brains on the ultra-left asylum outpatient crew like Keith Overbite are now jumping up and down and holding their breath out loud! Funny to see certified ultra-left whack-jobs take that next step into complete backward [and I mean back ward, like the one in St. Elizabeth's in DC where they locked up relatively sane Ezra Pound] insanity that no drugs or treatment can touch.

[Mary]

Community organizing works both ways, Jane. Welcome to democracy.

Oh...and by the way: Rahm Emmanuel is executing exactly what Obama wants. Time for you to accept that, and deal with reality.

Barak Obama was NEVER a "progressive."

You got played.

[Robin]

Live by institutional money, die by institutional money.