There is hope.

Hookay then. The Democratic leadership in the Senate hands the Narcissist from Connecticut the payback he's sought since his defeat in the 2006 primary. Is this surprising? Sadly, no.

But I'll be damned if I'm going to let that Droopy-Dog, weasel-voiced, reprobate piece of crap "Senator" take away my hope.


Lieberman is a compromised, covered-in-fatcat-pocket-lint, sold-out son of a bitch. We knew this. I knew he'd find a way to screw the left back for screwing him in '06.

Now, here's the thing: Does his petty, childish payback sting? You betcha. Will he get the final laugh? Not on your life. Ultimately, we progressives are going to make the Joe Liebermans of the world irrelevant. That will hurt him far more than anything we can do now.

The way forward for progressives is becoming crystal clear: we need to recognize that we are NOT in power; we need to oppose, in public terms:

1. First and always, the Republican Party and the money powers they represent;

2. Secondly, Democrats who won't stand up to them.

This means agitating from the left, targeting both the Republicans and the weak-kneed, beholden-to-the-money-powers Democratic Leadership.

If we can learn anything from the ridiculous fiasco this is becoming, it is that Our Job Is Not Done.

I had hopes for the possibilities presented by a charismatic young president and big majorities in congress; I envisioned Obama using his personal popularity and charisma to drag the Democratic Congress kicking and screaming to a rebirth of progressive politics in the United States. It is now apparent that those hopes have been shown to be premature, at least for now.

2008 was a false dawn: the real dawn will come, but we need to keep working for it.

We have a movement, but we need to strengthen it. We need to keep building a progressive movement from the bottom up. It is clear that Obama and the current congressional Democratic leadership are NOT (at least so far) the "change we seek," as Obama put it during the campaign: WE, the activist base, are the change we seek. We need to build our movement to the point that we can no longer be ignored by the Democratic leadership. We have made incredible progress, but we're not there yet. We will get there, believe me. The leadership of our party obviously (at this point) are not willing to lead the country in a truly progressive direction - so, once again it is up to US to force the issue.

That does not mean I have no hope, however.

Look, folks; The progressive grassroots/netroots movement has always been about Building a Movement. Crashing the Gates.

Yes, we're looking at defeat now; but let this be a reminder that we have work to do ourselves, continuing to build a movement that, eventually, will not be ignorable or dismissible by the powers that be. The old order is doomed, because they have, ultimately, only money and the superficial power it brings; we have us. 80% of the country (everyone other than the top 20% of the income scale) is getting screwed by the Powers That Be. Our long-term victory will be won ultimately by pointing that out every chance we get. The Truth Will Out.

If we do not give in to despair, if we keep moving, keep building, not letting the corruption of the Democratic Leadership make us give up hope on OUR movement, then we will eventually have our our victory.

Despair? That's letting the Powers That Be win. We are already stronger than they are. They just need to see it, and we need to get strong enough to show them. We have now seen the enemy, and They Will Be Ours.