Emboldened Democrats court party's left wing (Boston Globe)

[Catchawave]

Sen. Clinton seen abandoning turf
By Nina J. Easton, Globe Staff | March 17, 2006

WASHINGTON -- Former senator John Edwards got high marks from labor for a new effort to unionize hotel workers, and Wisconsin Senator Russ Feingold's demand this week that President Bush be censured was music to the ears of activists on the left.

Meanwhile, Mark Warner, former Virginia governor, recently hired one of the leftist blogosphere's biggest names to run his Internet outreach campaign, and Senator Evan Bayh of Indiana began a blog on the liberal Huffington Post, peddling his foreign policy views.

The next round of prospective Democratic presidential candidates, even those with centrist credentials, is actively courting the Democratic Party's left wing -- which speaks loudly through its blogs, enjoys rising fund-raising clout built on Howard Dean's 2004 campaign, and is imbued with a confidence that it can build on Republican disarray. The Democrats are rushing to fill a void left in the hearts and minds of many liberal activists by New York Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton's efforts to move to the center, particularly on the Iraq war.

''It's very important for them to know we'll fight for their beliefs," Edwards, a former vice presidential candidate, said of the party's liberal activists. Having run in 2004 as a moderate who supported the Iraq war, Edwards is busy building a large base of support on the left.

Liberal Democrats have long played a powerful, though not always determinative, role in choosing the party's presidential nominee. And after Dean, a centrist as governor of Vermont, rose from obscurity by moving to the left and tapping into Internet-fueled anger at conservatives, candidates are scrambling to court a wing of the party that's even more organized and flush with cash than in 2004.

Recently released 2005 Federal Election Commission reports indicate that five of the top 10 richest tax-exempt 527 political issue groups were liberal. Of the top 10 political action committees, eight were liberal or affiliated with organized labor, with substantially more cash on hand than conservative groups such as the National Rifle Association or GOP-friendly corporate PACs such as the National Association of Realtors.

Cont'd....http://www.boston.com/news/nation/washington/articles/2006/03/17/emboldened_democrats_court_partys_left_wing?mode=PF

[rodeodance]

1. emboldened?--

[Catchawave]

6. Thesaurusitis :)

Emboldened sounds like the opening of a Star Trek episode :rofl:

Encouraged is what the writer should have used, and I swear, she's lurking in DU !

[Jeffersons Ghost]

8. there's nothing wrong with that word

sorry if the term is over some peoples heads... Instead of a Star Treck analogy, perhaps try using 1984 by George Orwell for comparison.

[Catchawave]

14. I was kidding around with rodeo.....

:hi:

[Jeffersons Ghost]

16. IN Fact, I don't believe "emboldened" or "encouraged" is accurate

the word the original writer should be using is "threatened."
Why do Demcratic leaders dance aroud REAL issues every time a Rupublican attacks?

It's time to march to the beat of a different drum!

[Mythsaje]

2. We're not that "left"

ya goddam freakazoid media clowns!

It's just the goddam dialogue has moved so far to the right!

[Burried News]

3. I agree. Last I looked alot of my views on Iraq are close to

Pat Buchanan and Zbignew Brzezhinski.

[More Than A Feeling]

4. Apparently, it is news now when politicians listen to their constituents

Sad.

[radio4progressives]

5. At least the writer accuratly identified Dean as a Centrist ...

which is so unusual, i had to read that statement twice.

[priller]

7. Evan Bayh, ha ha ha ha

After stabbing Feingold in the back this week and saying "he's not sure any laws were broken" after BushCo has admitted doing just that, I'm sure the courtship of the left will be very short.

[Totally Committed]

9. Need some help or info on this, please:

"Mark Warner, former Virginia governor, recently hired one of the leftist blogosphere's biggest names to run his Internet outreach campaign..."

Which "leftist blogosphere's biggest names" has signed up with Warner? Anyone know?

Thanks.

TC

[Catchawave]

10. Howard Dean's internet guru ?

I think his name is Jerome Armstrong.

[Totally Committed]

12. From MyDD???

No kidding! What a sell-out. I am disappointed in the extreme.

Thanks for the answer, Catchawave.

TC

[AX10]

11. I'm a moderate and I don't want to be courted by...

people such as Warner, Bayh, Vilsack, and Hillary.

[msgadget]

13. "...the top 10 richest...were liberal" It's all about the money. n/t

[welshTerrier2]

15. Fine - the court's in session ... here comes da judge ...

and this judge says if you're tapdancing on the war you can get lost now ...

if you just voted for more war funding, take a hike ...

if you think we should remain in Iraq until we "achieve" something, see ya ...

you want my vote? call for immediate withdrawal ... you want me to compromise and be flexible? fine, let's hear your offer; then we'll talk ...

frankly, i don't see any "courting" going on at all ...