Molly Ivins’ latest essay on what’s wrong with the DLC Democrats is right on, strongly-worded, strident, and she names names (and I don’t say any of that to connote something bad, I wish more people would say what they mean in clear unadulterated language free of business-friendly doublespeak).

But only time will tell if she backs this stuff come election time.

Remember that plenty of self-styled progressives can write strongly-worded, strident essays which name names. But they can also cower behind the Democrats when it’s time to make a vote (need I remind you of how many people “Voted to Stop Bush” in 2004?). These folks have said they’d vote for war-mongering, anti-universal health care, anti-public financing
Democrats (it hardly matters who the Democrats are, John Kerry or Barack Obama will do). In short, plenty of progressives will vote against all of the things Ivins favors in the aforementioned article which is currently Common Dreams’ most forwarded article of the week.

So get your left-wing belly-aching out now while it’s easy to do so. There’s no test in sight, so few will remember what you said come election time. But in 2008, I’ll be curious to see how many of you cave into fear because you’ve got just enough where you have something you fear losing, and you’re not willing to risk it to push for something you need more (like health care for almost 50 million of you Americans, or an end to the wars in Iraq & Afghanistan, and never starting a war in Iran).