America is less secure. So if you see commercials telling you to be afraid of terrorism, remember, it's because of Iraq."

Great ad from VoteVets.

My good friend Ed Kilgore of the DLC is a terrific writer, a good Democrat and a smart and reasonable man. But I have always felt frustrated with his refusal or inability to distinguish between partisan politicking and pragmatic governance. He writes:

E.J. Dionne, explains the larger meaning of this collapse of GOP support among independents:

President Bush's six-year effort to create an enduring Republican majority based on a right-leaning coalition is on the verge of collapse. The way he tried to create it could have the unintended consequence of opening the way for an alternative majority. . . . The strategy pursued by Bush and Karl Rove has frightened most of the political center into the arms of Democrats. . . [T]his approach created what may prove to be a fatal political disconnect: Adventurous policies designed to create enthusiasm on the right turned off a large number of less ideological voters.

In other words, the Rovian politics of polarization, along with the failed policies it produced, are in ruins. And the long-term choice facing Democrats after this and (if we win) the next election is whether we pivot to a governing agenda that restores the confidence in progressive government that was becoming evident during the Clinton years, or go down the same road to perdition the GOP has followed, with disastrous results for their party and the country.

Why does Ed equate partisan politicking with ideological governance? It is the basic mistake of the DLC and many other Centrists and it tears at the fabric of our Big Tent for no good reason. I'll explain again on the flip.

After four days in Omaha, I'm more than ready to get home and back to a desktop monitor and blogging.

On the plus side, I'm blogging from the airplane which is about to take off -- I got online in the jail even though there were those white cement blocks for walls -- and just about everywhere else in Omaha -- slow as molasses, but a lot better than not being online at all.

I think I could exist on a desert island with my laptop, online access, my ipod and a few movies from Netflix or Movieline.

Back to politics and crime tonight.

Andrew Sullivan:

We can fight over Medicare and hate crime laws another time. But habeas corpus, war, torture and basic fiscal responsibility are the issues now. I will join happily with any liberal, any leftist, any conservative, any Christian, any Muslim, any Jew - to fight for these basic principles. I don't care about these labels as much as I care about this country. And it needs saving right now from the thugs and incompetents who are running it.

Richard Viguerie:

The big-spending, high-deficit, morally-deficient Republican Party hasn't anything to offer conservatives except Halloween scare tactics about the Democrats.

I'm on the road until Monday and will be blogging sporadically. Here's an open thread to keep you going.

Here's Scribe's diary on the Scooter Libby hearing yesterday concerning Libby's proposed memory expert.

Omaha....somewhere in middle America.
Starts at 1:27 in.

That's where I'll be until Monday afternoon. Mostly at the jail, but I'll try to get some blogging in.

John Cole has some choice words for, believe it or not, a friend of mine from Red State:

[S]ince Leon wants to lecture me about making Republicans honest, how about he start with Red State? How about a few less front page posts to videos in which you pose as a question whether or not Harold Ford’s called someone a cracker? Sure, he didn’t really call anyone a cracker- but the truth isn’t really what matters at Red State. Winning is what matters, because, as they will tell you any time you listen- the Democrats are worse. Or how bout some more defenses of Rush Limbaugh attacking Michael J. Fox? Watch the video- he was just asking legitimate questions, right? Or how ‘bout some more links to videos of a talking fetus- pretending that is same thing as an embryonic stem cell would fall under honesty, right?

I am a partisan too in case you have not noticed. But like Cole, I like to think I can keep my integrity at the same time. Witness my criticism of Harold Ford's gay bashing.

Don't forget to check the right side of TalkLeft for recent diaries by readers who also are diarists. You can recommend the diaries if you like them. Remember, just as with comments, recommend the diary based on content, not on point of view or the author.

♦Loserman: I fathered Iraq war, Bush enforces my policy there
By scribe

♦On the NJ Gay Marriage case - briefly
By scribe

♦The End of Empire: Liberalism and the Far Left
By Peaches

♦How Could the Republicans Miss This Anniversary?
By scribe

I have just returned from working the past three days in gorgeous Telluride. A huge thanks to Big Tent for keeping TalkLeft current on political issues in my absence.

I probably won't resume blogging until the morning as I have a few hundred work and blog related emails to read first, many voicemails to listen to, a lot of mail to open and family members to check in with.

For the past 30 years, my heart has belonged to Aspen, but I have to say, Telluride is one of the most charming, laid back, beautiful towns anywhere. I'm just glad I don't have to choose between them.

And yes, this is an open thread.

I gave discussed George Lakoff before and much of this post will sound familiar. But Lakoff has a new post that, I think, illustrates my earlier points. Lakoff writes:

The right wing has worked for decades to alter the meanings of concepts that define our way of life. The Bush administration's distortions of language are a culmination of these efforts. To restore the meaning of values such as respect for the rule of law and reverence for human life, we all must do our part. We have many strong progressive leaders who are working to reclaim these concepts, but, as in the election at hand, they can succeed only when we are all fully engaged in this struggle.

Fair enough. Nothing to quarrel with there. Now let's consider what Lakoff specifically proposes.

Brilliant, not:

Kerry's spokesman, David Wade, sounds similarly entitled:

Senator John Kerry of Massachusetts, the Democratic presidential nominee in 2004, came under fire last week when it was pointed out that he had contributed only $15,000 this year to the party’s senatorial committee. Heyjohn.org, whose creator has remained anonymous, highlights the fact that Mr. Kerry has $14 million in his campaign accounts.[...]

“Cowards can hide behind anonymous Web sites,” Mr. Wade said, “but Democrats out in the country, party leaders and real net-roots activists know how hard John Kerry has fought to win these elections.”

So Kerry works hard to make inroads with the Netroots and David Wade decides to piss it all away. Nice job David.

I'm working at my day job today and tomorrow in beautiful Telluride. The weather is spectacular, it's off-season and the town is empty and it's days like these I really appreciate what I do for a living.

For those of you with the time and inclination, here's an open thread and I'll check in late this evening. (Yesterday we worked nonstop from 9 am until 11 pm, I suspect today will be a repeat.)