As Senator Obama continues to moderate his positions on many issues:

Today's installment is the declaration that "mental health" issues should not be used in the "health exceptions" to late-term abortions.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/huff-wires 20080703/obama-abortion/http://www.huff ingtonpost.com/huff-wires/20080703/obama -abortion

BTW:  This is a rare example where I have disagreed with Obama's move to the center.   Also, with the talk yesterday about the war and maybe curtailing his withdrawal strategy, the Senator may want to take a break from this strategy for awhile.

But anyway,...

I realize Senator Obama is no where near the line, but
I got to thinking, at what point am I or anyone no longer a Democrat to the extreme ideologues here at mydd?
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Here's my list of important issues and what people generally consider them to represent on the political spectrum:

1.  abortion rights:      far left
 I support without qualification

2.  gun control:          far left
 I support strict gun licensing, registration and ability of govts to enact strict gun control where it makes sense.  Sometimes the overall safety of the community can be improved with gun control bans even though it harms an individual's personal right to protect themselves in particular situations.

3.  death penalty:        moderate right
Against it in the current system where the justice system is clearly broken, and not fair.   But would support a well-defined system that worked both in terms of correct id and quick resolutions.

4.   education:    extreme right wing
totally against our centrally planned public school systems and favor numerous choices including vouchers, charter schools, home schools, church schools, and ensuring parents control as much as possible rather than a govt. board

5.   trade:   moderate left wing
Support fair trade that includes labor and environmental standards that seek to raise the standards, spread the prosperity and prevent a race downward even though this would raise prices and lower our projected standard of living.

6.  tort reform:  moderate right wing
Support reform that protects companies and individuals who are making a good-faith effort at their jobs from being sued when something goes wrong. So for instance, if a doctor does everything they can, yet something happens to the patient, the standard to sue should be whether they knowingly did something wrong.  This goes also for medicines that wind up having bad side effects.  As long as there wasn't any fraud or deception, there shouldn't be any lawsuits.

7.  taxes:      

I think taxes should be kept as low as possible and replaced with more progressive ways to collect revenue that is needed. We can use auctions, lotteries, and other ways that involve people volunteering their funds rather than forcing them to pay.  For instance, the Super Bowl sells out every year, the govt. could auction off special tickets and use that money for tax revenue.

I reject the notion that people who make more money should pay a higher percentage of taxes.  The key should be everyone shouldering the benefits they receive from society.

8.   gay rights:  extreme right wing

I'm in support of traditional moral values, and believe we as a society need to promote strong healthy normal marriage, strong role models and a civil society on t.v., and good values throughout society.

I am in general against the gay rights lobby except when they talk about protecting people from violence and discrimination in the workplace.  They are right in those cases.

9.   social security:    right wing

I support every American have a personal account that can be passed on to the next generation.  It should include a guaranteed part that is used for the individual and than passed on to the next generation, and a part that can be invested in numerous legitimate vehicles.

I believe social security should continue to be mandatory, but updated to fit a more modern world.

10.  foreign policy:   moderate left

I believe in having a big military budget that helps us maintain the strongest military on earth.  We should use it to promote good around the world, but mainly to find adversaries before they find us.  We need to be realistic about what we get into in terms of the longer term implications of what we do.  I supported Afganistan, against Iraq, against Iran.  All, based on what was/is in our best interests.

My point is there are a few issues that seem to be litmus test:

pro choice
gay rights
against vouchers

while others aren't

gun control
faith based policies
supporting a strong military
death penality

I think both parties need to included honest people who generally agree with them.  Since neither side has a coherent philosophy, I don't see how more people here and elsewhere aren't constantly challenge our party leaders.  

Our failure to do so harms us all as a nation and I hope we start taking inventory of our positions and advocating for them regardless of who we take on as allies on a particular issue.

I am a proud democrat who is fighting for change in my party.

Typical of most Americans and most people in modern society, we shorten the descriptive title and the meaning of important events and important days to remember.

I believe that we all refer to Independence Day as the 4th of July. In doing so, I believe we loose the real meaning of this day.

Thom Hartmann did a wonderful show the other day, where he dedicated the last hour of that show to the true meaning of what the 4th of July or Independence Day really stands for.

This is what July 4th, this Nation, the Declaration of Independence and our Constitution are all about.
Thom Hartmann hour 3 - 7/1/08 - KPOJ
The first half hour is split between his reading of the Declaration of Independence (in typical Thom style) and passages from his book "What Would Jefferson Do".

It should draw a tear from you as it did many of the callers (last half hour) and myself.

more below...

There is a lot of hating going on regarding one black woman and black folks in general. Have you been watching all the reporting in the national media? One black woman seems to have pissed off a whole bunch of white folk, and a lot of black folks too. There are many black bloggers who support the sister, yet are concerned like black blogger, Black Super Woman  who says, "I’m all for artistic expression, and think that she was definitely expressing herself in an artistic way by doing this.  I saw the tape on the news and it was a beautiful rendition of Lift Every Voice.  I just hope that this doesn’t turn into a “Black folks think they are uppity now that Obama is the nominee and if we elect him they are going to be uncontollable” moment.  I like it when we go buck, but I don’t want Obama to lose votes because the masses get scared of a potential slave uprising."

So folks, was the black woman wrong for what she indicates was an expression of how she felt about living in the United States, as a black woman?  Why didn't she do what Marvin Gaye did and sing the song she was contracted to sing?

Check out the report in USA today on the controversy after singer substitutes 'black national anthem' for 'Star-Spangled Banner'

A singer surprised dignitaries by singing Lift Every Voice and Sing, also known as the "black national anthem," to the tune of The Star-Spangled Banner during the mayor's State of the City address yesterday in Denver.

Rene Marie, who was introduced by City Council president Michael Hancock to perform the national anthem, says she made the switch without informing the mayor's office.

Cross Posted on African American Political Pundit.com 

It is beyond belief to me that McCain can continue to break above the 45% threshold in national polls.

I am thinking that the 'maverick' label of McCain continues to gestate in folks mind with a healthy assist from our media.

Well, in our counter attack against McCain, the goal is change this perception by saying something along the following...

McCain has had momements of general independence from his Party, which we respect. But on the matters that matter most, Nomination McCain is very different from Senator McCain.

A maverick doesn't oppose tax cuts in a time of war, then shifts to supporting them during a campaign.

A maverick doesn't call the relgious right 'agents of intolerace' when running for his nomination in 2000 only to embrace them when running in 2008...

A maverick doesn't author and pass a bill that seeks to improve public campaign financing while a Senator, only to exploit loopholes in the very law that carries his name in his campaign...

A maverick doesn't vote with his Party 85% of the time while a Senator, only to vote 100% of the time while running for President.

A maverick doesn't seek the support of angry Hillary supporters in his campaign when his record on choice as a Senator has been solidly against it.

John McCain is no maverick. And while Hanoi could not beat John, apparently running for President has.

This is what our "media narrative" must be. All day every day.

Nomination McCain vs Maverick McCain. McSame all the same.
 

I must admit I write this saddened that Senator Helms is dead.

While most of my fellow travellers --- Senator Helms told me personally when I was working for Senator Moynihan that I was a "wretched little communist" --- are probably gleeful at his passing.  I am not.  He was a frequent friend in the mornings (in the Senate cafeteria) when he and I used to talk Redskins football and the need for Baseball in the Nation's Capitol.  I knew what he was working for and he knew what I wanted and he and I "agreed to disagree"

More importantly, I considered him a boon to liberals.

In 1984, he sucked a boatload of money out of the political system (he actually fundraised in sates with fellow Republicans trying to get re-elected) and kept the Democrats in position to retake the Senate in 1986.  

In 1990, he ran the most racist campaign in 25 years.  It was deplorable.  1990 was an anti-incumbent year and Helms once again defunded the right in his effort to get re-elected.  

In 1996, Helms (two years into a Republican held Senate) again went all out to raise money.

In addition to his penchant for selfishly putting his re-election ahead of everyone else, Helms defined Right Wing.  In 1990 while woprking to re-elect a NJ congressman, I quipped to the press that my boss' opponent had more in common with Jesse Helms than the people of New Jersey.

I studied his every move and his every word, he was teh master of defining the contest and his opponent.  The first Democratic politician I saw that emulated his technique was Harris Wofford...who was advised by Carville and Begala (who would go national with Clinton)

Goodbye Jesse, say hello to Lucifer for me.

I agree with the very mixed feelings many have expressed over Obama's response to the open letter from supporters regarding his FISA flip-flop. I will stipulate up front that:

1) Obama is flip-flopping to position himself for the GE, not really stabbing his supporters in the back on purpose. He is not going out of his way to gut the 4th Amendment, but said Amendment happened to be in his way.

2) Arguing about Constitutional rights is a political loser, because the Constitution was written at a college reading level, and modern American political campaigns are carried out at about a 5th grade level.

3) Once Dodd dropped out of the race, our chances of getting a President who really cares about these issues were close to nil. Dodd's number one issue was "restoring the Constitution". He never rose about 1% in the polls. Enough said.

4) I will stipulate to anything else, within reason. ;-)

Now, in keeping with my maddeningly unjournalistic style, I will finally get to my point. After the break. :)

The de facto reality is, this cycle, the GOP is reverting to media and robo-calling campaigns produced and implemented by a group of folks with known connections to, among other things: 1.) convicted felons, jailed for implementing dirty campaign tactics, as well as, 2.) serial violators of basic FEC regulations.

A comment from a New Jersey blog on convicted GOP felon, Allen Raymond,  author of "How to Rig an Election: Confessions of a Republican Operative."

"As for his three months in a Pennsylvania prison, he wrote: 'After 10 full years inside the GOP, 90 days among honest criminals wasn't really any great ordeal.' "