Go, Dennis! Go!

So I've taken a bit of a break from writing my blog over the last couple of weeks. I just haven't felt like I have any real opinions to contribute to anything recently (you know, because I have so many readers and so much clout to exert). I've been passionate and angry and excited about things, but I just haven't had anything of substance to add to a discussion.

However, I've gotten a lot of great ideas from people on Facebook (thanks, guys! I'll be using those!) so I feel like diving back in. But I won't be using any of those ideas just yet because I feel like tearing into that smug little asshole named Markos Moulitsas.

Markos Moulitsas is the creator of The Daily Kos, a liberal political blog that he founded in 2002. He is typically viewed as a huge supporter of left-wing, progressive causes and politicians. I'd say that, normally, that's pretty accurate. He's an asshole, but I tend to agree with him on most things. Admittedly, I am a bit biased against him because I find his methods too often mirror those of people like Matt Drudge, only "representing" the left instead of the right. Which means he thinks he's the be-all, end-all. Overrated is what I'd prefer to call him (and his blog).

Old Markos tore into one of the few politicians I truly admire on Countdown with Keith Olbermann last night (and has done it before): Dennis Kucinich. Dennis is a very progressive Democratic congressman from Ohio. He has run for president twice. Remember that, because it comes into play later.

Dennis has been making the rounds on the cable shows recently talking about the reasons why he won't vote for the health care bill in Congress. Basically, he's taking a principled stand against the bill; he's a single-payer supporter (much like myself), though he also supports a healthy public option, and believes the bill is nothing more than a "bailout" for the insurance companies (which I am also inclined to agree with). That's the basic gist of his opinion, at least from what I've gathered. Dennis Kucinich is one of the only politicians I have ever found myself agreeing with on literally every point. So, unsurprisingly, he is viewed by a lot of people as an "extremist," simply because he stands for logic. For instance, he wanted Dick Cheney impeached for war crimes. Well, duh. Did it happen? Of course not, because apparently no one has a sense of ethics anymore. But we are talking about Washington, D.C., so I suppose that is to be expected.

Okay, so Markos went on MSNBC last night (Lawrence O'Donnell, who I normally find myself agreeing with, was filling in for Keith last night and agreed with Moulitsas, I should add) and said that Kucinich was taking the Ralph Nader approach to politics. He then said that this bill is a good first step and mocked Kucinich because he's run for president twice, saying that he wasn't elected to run for president but that he was elected to represent the wants and needs of his constituents in Ohio. Well, no shit Captain Obvious. Now, I haven't gone and polled Dennis Kucinich's constituents in Ohio, but I'm inclined to believe that, if they've been re-electing him since 1996, they probably know where he stands on issues and support his point-of-view. It's not like he hides his intentions; Kucinich is honest, and brutally so, and is known for often taking view that is in direct opposition to that of his own party. People like Moulitsas are using that point to lump him in with the Republicans, who oppose the bill for reasons that don't even come close to overlapping with the reasoning of Kucinich.

Markos Moulitsas is obviously entitled to his opinion. He can say whatever he wants; I don't expect someone like him to agree with someone like me. Markos Moulitsas has made his name on the back of real progressives. While, yes, he has risen out of the depths to be a recognizable critic of the far right (which we need more of, so more power to him for that), it has always seemed to me that, while he clearly agrees with the progressive platform and the wants and needs of the progressive wing of the Democratic party, he has used that positioning to make a name for himself. He has come to epitomize what I call the Excessive Progressive: he hops on the far left bandwagon just to stir the pot and piss off the right and get his name (and the name of his blog and his books) on television. He's marketing himself, plain and simple. I don't know him personally (obviously, and thankfully), and he could very well be the polar opposite of my description, but I highly doubt it. He has used his position in the media to fashion not only a career as a blogger and an author, but also as a political commentator on the cable shows. Why any cable show thinks he has earned the right to offer commentary on anything is beyond me, but that's really beside the point. I don't book the shows, but I do watch them, so I am a part of the problem I suppose. Whatever, beside the point.

The real kicker in what Moulitsas said last night, though, is that Kucinich should expect a rough primary, that now he will be opposed by a Democrat of some substance. My words, not his. Here's what I say to that: if you call yourself a progressive (of any order) then, whether you agree with Kucinich or not (and I happen to agree with him), lashing out at someone who is opposed to giving a "yes" vote just to pass something is foolish, ignorant and runs against the whole point of being a progressive, at least to me. If we can't take a stand against our own party and it's inability to pass REAL reform and legislation that is worthy of our support, then how can we possibly take a stand against the Republicans and their incessant negativity and opposition to anything that benefits the American people? I'm not saying that just because you're a progressive you should support Kucinich, but when you are okay with just settling for whatever you can get when it comes to health care, then you have no place mocking someone who is willing to put themselves on the line for something they believe is not in the best interest of the American people. As I said before, I believe Dennis Kucinich is one of the few really good, principled people serving in Congress. He takes a lot of guff and gets a lot of criticism because he's seen as an eccentric and an extreme idealist. Moulitsas says that Kucinich is pushing an "ideal utopian society." Well, while I don't think that's quite what Kucinich is doing, I also don't see a problem with that. I admire any politician who has the huevos to oppose their own party. I wish we could see more of that, not only from Democrats but especially from Republicans. It says a lot about a person's character when they stand up for what is right, not what is popular.

I'm with you, Dennis. In fact, I'd say far more people are with you than anyone realizes, no matter what whiney, smug, pompous asses like Markos Moulitsas say.