Markos' post regarding "Libertarian Dems" is simply a variant of the "third way" approach. It won't - it can't - work.
I think Markos confuses the happy coincidence that liberals and libertarians agree that the government has no role in regulating personal behavior (sexuality, religion, etc.) with thinking that liberals and libertarians actually share a philosophy. They do not - not even spherically. That's why most libertarians have traditionally voted (conservative) Republican. As I've said many times before, I have no problem making common cause with libertarians on ad hoc issues where we agree. But libertarianism, for me (and 99% of the electorate, apparently), is a non-starter. Libertarianism is a variant of right-wing philosophy. Liberalism is a variant of left-wing philosophy. Oil and water.
I'm trying not to be too doctrinaire here. But this idea is nonsensical and wholly unworkable. Interesting quote from Kos's post:
"....liberal Democrats of old times (now all but extinct)."
Therein lies the problem. Since the mid-80s (a/k/a, the advent of the DLC), too many Democrats have deserted the labor unions, abandoned preservation of entitlements (never mind their enlargement), and no longer consider the welfare of working people a fixed star in the Party's sky. Instead, many Democrats have become whores for corporate donations.
We have already abandoned many of our principles. We don't need to do that further by embracing libertarianism. We need to recognize that we've been making some shitty music lately and more cow bell won't help. We need to go back and relearn our classics.
We all know it was Liberals and Liberalism that founded this country. (Go to Mount Rushmore and show me a conservative or libertarian.) So, where has the abandonment of liberalism led us? Not to a good place, I would argue.
Our problem isn't that government is harmful or overly-regulatory. We have adopted a neo-liberal economic policy (a/k/a Market Slavery) and nearly destroyed the New Deal-inspired safety net, and that has been an unmitigated disaster. The problem is that government has stopped regulating corporations, and started regulating the individual instead. BTW, corporations are NOT people - - they are an abstract that is supposed to help people - - and should not necessarily be afforded the same rights as individuals.
The answer is more government regulation of corporations both large and small. And I disagree with the contention that the government "should butt out" of small business. Why should your rights vary based upon how many co-workers you have? "Sorry, Jane. You only have 10 co-workers. So, you're expected back in this office three days after you deliver your little bundle of joy. Capeche?" Maybe offer some subsidies to small businesses to help them meet certain regulations and requirements, but do not exempt them. And the minimum wage! Don't get me started on the minimum wage! What was it in real dollars in 1970 versus today? Find me a libertarian that will agree with the minimum wage (much less increasing it).
The answer is also more taxation. Just because our politicians are pussies doesn't mean it's not true. (Watch the libertarians' heads explode when you say that!) What percentage of the tax burden did corporations carry in 1970, and what is it now? Same with the wealthy. What is our debt/deficit like now? After the Reagan/Bush and Bush/Cheney debt/deficits, can we finally put away the absurd notion that cutting taxes for the rich and corporations results in a stronger economy? There is nothing magical about the market. BTW, I've lately wondered, what in the world is this "jobless recovery" I hear about? I guess if your aim is to aid the rich and corporations, and not be bothered too much about the lower and middle classes, there could be such a thing.
The answer is also a national, single-payer healthcare system (a decidedly non-libertarian notion).
Markos is losing me lately. His insistence on attacking groups like NARAL and the Sierra Club, both of which were fighting the good fight even before the internet, is very galling. He rails against these "single interest groups" because of their occasional endorsements of moderate Republicans. Yet in his post, Markos advocates solidarity with those to Lincoln Chaffee's right! WTF?