Simple suggestion, though I'm not sure if the actually coding for it would be as simple: Block any diary with the 'Meta' tag (perhaps as added by TUs and/or moderator/front pagers/kos/etc.) from appearing on the rec list. Keep the front of the page about what brings us together: elections, progressive politics, and making America a better place.
I really want to avoid proselytizing here - we're all entitled to our opinions, and to vigorous debate about those opinions. But I think that the extremely public nature of these debates is exclusively detrimental to this site.
For the most part, DailyKos is a warm and welcoming community. That can make it feel like a village, or a living room to the regulars - but in reality, it is an EXTREMELY public forum. You know how we love to post stories/comments from freepers and mock them? Well they can do it to us to.
And while we are the definition of grass roots, the decision makers - senators, congressmen, aides, strategists - and for them to see dirty laundry make (or even top) the rec list is an embarassment to us all. The internal politics should be kept internal - maybe we're going to tear ourselves apart and probably we won't, but we don't need extra atention heaped on ourselves in the process.
Personally, I always smile when I see two contradictory articles on the rec list. We're a reality based community, we debate, we go back and forth - we're a big, welcoming tent. Debate can sharpen points, change minds, and keep people active and interested. But when the debate turns to meta and HRing and counter HRing and rule violations and debates about rule violations and now... debates about debates about HRing and rule violations...
I think we can save the (big P) Politics for the rec list, and let people find the diaries about (small p) politics by looking for the non-rec'd diary wit the meta tag, 2,456 comments, and dozens of HRs flying around.
P.S. yes, as has been pointed out in the comments, rec'ing this diary to the rec list may in fact cause the universe to implode from the irony. Rec at your own risk/humor.
Screw it - rec for your daily dose of irony!!
MAJOR UPDATE:
What would meta cat say?