Progressives have got to stop throwing stones at each other. If we disagree on strategy, fine. Let’s talk about it and reach consensus where possible, and agree to disagree where not possible. But let’s save our vitriol for the people and the forces that are willfully destroying this country and this planet for their own personal profit.

A foreword to readers of a series opening tomorrow at The Seminal.

Facing a gaping enthusiasm gap and overwhelming Democratic opposition to the war in Afghanistan, delegates from the California Democratic Party sent a letter to the Democratic congressional delegation calling on them to show real leadership on ending the war.

Discussion of the virtually extinct species once known as Rockefeller Republicans – those individuals known for being liberal on many social issues but conservative on economic issues.

Democratic insiders are taking the temperature of some top party donors about the possibility of naming White House press secretary Robert Gibbs as chairman of the Democratic National Committee heading into President Barack Obama’s reelection campaign in 2012, senior officials tell POLITICO.

Institutional hatred enshrined in laws against LGBT people leads to easier bullying and suicide. Let’s stop this.

Lawrence O’Donnell ropes FDL Newser David Dayen into some high-flying hyperbole, announcing the battle for the soul of the Democratic Party is joined! Between, according to Lawrence, the Leader of the Free World and his Vice President of the United States on one side — and a blogger on the other. Good luck, David!

It’s been nearly 35 years since we’ve had a “tax and spend” political party. During the 1970s, the Democrats gave up fighting the Republicans about the “tax and spend” label, and the Carter Administration tried to escape from that charge by making very serious attempts to balance the budget. During the 1980s, more and more Democrats emphasized their concern for reducing deficits and balancing budgets as a way of distinguishing themselves from the Reagan Administration’s unprecedented peacetime deficits. This didn’t work for them during Reagan’s time, but they finally were able to use the balanced budget old-time religion game to get George Bush to violate his no new taxes pledge, which both contributed to the Bush recession and, as a further consequence, was a big reason why Bill Clinton was elected.

Chris Hedges discusses America’s democracy deficit and what he believes needs to be done about it.

This election cycle does not look very good for Democrats. There are structural problems of having won seats in the House that we might not have taken if we had not had the massive outpouring of support for President Obama’s campaign. There is the issue of the economy where voters tend to punish the party in power, regardless of if it was they who drove the economy into trouble or not. There is the mid-term issue where the party that holds the White House historically loses seats. All these combined with a base that is unhappy (with some good reason) with the way that a historic majority has compromised so many of their priorities and values.

Whether it is your intent to support Democrats or not, the time to get involved in the process is now. If you just can’t stomach your particular Democratic candidate, then find a way to work for the ones that you can. Nothing is more important than protecting the liberal and progressive members of Congress, if the long term goal is to move the nation to the left politically.

Some of my friends talk about sending a message to Democrats by not supporting them this cycle. I have and continue to argue that they won’t learn that lesson from losing seats. However, there is another component that might (probably won’t, but might) increase the chances of them hearing this lesson, that is if the most progressive or liberal candidates are the ones who retain their seats.