So apparently progressives lack a set of first principles. While conservatives have "clarity of purpose" and an instantly identifiable ideology, progressives have "a checklist of pet issues"?
Maybe the problem isn't that at all. Maybe the problem is that our elected leaders so rarely dare to express those principles as strongly as Rep. Keith Ellison (D-MN) does here:
When reasonably intelligent people say something that is patently absurd and ridiculous, then you have to look to the hidden agenda, right? Judd Gregg, Sen. Kyl, these are not dumb people. They know what they’re saying is completely self-serving, but they’re looking at it strictly from the standpoint of personal gain and the gain of individuals directly connected to them and people who they regard as their base. They’re like ‘help my friends, and the rest, too bad.’ They are elitists. That’s what they are. What is an elitist? An elitist believes that those that have should have, those that don’t should not. There’s sort of a social or economic Darwinian concept behind their philosophy.
The fact that they would say that massive tax cuts for the wealthy shouldn’t be offset simply means that they think privileges for their friends and themselves should continue to flow and the unwashed masses, they don’t value their lives anyway. That’s basically the bottom line. That’s harsh reality, but it is reality.
And that just goes to show that those of us who actually care about working people believe that America thrives on a strong middle class, we've got to understand that we're up against people who are kind of ruthless and we've got to be strong, organized, and we've got to say to our base, "Look, this is who you're dealing with. These people are willing to-- their extra yacht is more important to them than your meal for your kids. And that's who you're dealing with....
The progressive movement has got to continue on. We've got to create the political and social atmosphere to say that we are pro-worker, we are pro-middle class, we are for our environment, we believe in civil and human rights, we don't believe anybody should be thrown under the bus. We believe immigrants enrich our society. It's as simple as that. It's a matter of power - us versus people who believe $678 billion worth of tax cuts for the wealthy should not be offset.
This is the kind of thing we need to hear more of from our elected officials and our other leaders, and not all the mealy-mouthed centrist BS that they think will keep them from being attacked by the right. We need the words, and we need the deeds that will put those principled words into action for the benefit of the vast majority of the people.