Surprising allies

Thomas Frank was right this week when he wrote “the commentariat has always thought ‘populism’ to be faintly ridiculous, a thing of mobs and pitchforks and windbag leaders more demagogue than CEO.”
Not unexpected from Frank (or David Sirota, Bob Borosage, Michael Kazin, or even Pat Buchanan…), but the Populist argument did get some unexpected support [...]

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I done got myself in a whole heap a trouble…

I couldn’t help it. As I’ve written here in the past (see: here and here), I can occasionally work myself up a bit reading comments of people who post on lefty blogs and message boards. I almost never post anything myself or comment on something that has been posted. But I was really [...]

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The Year of the Pitchfork

What a weird time. I’ve spent years seeking out any glint of a return to old-fashioned Lefty populism: Look, look, no Democratic candidate went to the DLC’s convention! Wow – did John McCain really just admit he doesn’t know how many houses he owns? Palin spent how much on a new wardrobe? [...]

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One reason to move to Lansing, MI

I think I have a thing for Virg Bernero…

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Quote of the Day

Rep. Michael Arcuri (D-NY) on his participation in the House Populist Caucus, quoted in today’s Washington Times:
“I know if William Jennings Bryan were alive today, he would be standing up with us.”
The article also lists Paul Wellstone as a role-model, and mentions Tom Harkin as a product of the 1980s Populist caucus.

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Sometimes, liberals REALLY suck

So, a little while ago, I posted the bit about the formation of the new Populist Caucus in the House.  Thought it was pretty cool, so I started reading a bit more on it.  Then, I made the mistake of reading the story’s comments section on Huffington Post.  A sampling?

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The Populist caucus and the Gekko backlash

Well, it’s about time…
The charter members of the just-forming House Populist Caucus:
Michael Arcuri (D-NY)
Pete DeFazio (D-OR)
Bruce Braley (D-IA) (the official founder of the caucus)
Betty Sutton (D-OH)
Leonard Boswell (D-IA)
Steve Cohen (D-TN)
Joe Courtney (D-CT)
Keith Ellison (D-MN)
Bob Filner (D-CA)
Phil Hare (D-IL)
Mazie Hirono (D-HI)
Hank Johnson (D-GA)
Steve Kagan (D-WI)
David Loebsack (D-IA)
Eric Massa (D-NY)
Linda Sanchez (D-CA)
Jan Schakowsky (D-IL)
Carol Shea-Porter (D-NH)
Peter Welch [...]

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It’s not quite Harry and Louise, but…

The first line of the Monday’s article, Estates of Pain, in the Wall Street Journal:
Mark it down as the first tax increase of the new Democratic era. The Journal reported yesterday that President-elect Obama and Congressional leaders intend to maintain the estate tax rather than let it expire on schedule in 2010.
First thought: It’s [...]

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Trading pocket-protectors for pitchforks

Rod Dreher of the Dallas Morning News used his column yesterday to predict a surge in American populism on the Right.
Just you wait. We are soon going to see some sort of populist movement stirring at the grassroots. Ironically, it’s more likely to emerge from the right than the left. After all, the Democrats [...]

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No, no… I think selfish monsters fits just fine

I’ve said it before, but not as succinctly as Michael Kinsley. This is what terrifies me about the revolution of funding political campaigns with small, online donations:
The computer revolution has bred a generation of smart loners, many of them rich and some of them complacently Darwinian, convinced that they don’t need society–nor should anyone [...]

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