"Liberals are a useless lot. They talk about peace and do nothing to challenge our permanent war economy. They claim to support the working class, and vote for candidates that glibly defend the North American Free Trade Agreement. They insist they believe in welfare, the right to organize, universal health care and a host of other socially progressive causes, and will not risk stepping out of the mainstream to fight for them. The only talent they seem to possess is the ability to write abject, cloying letters to Barack Obama—as if he reads them—asking the president to come back to his “true” self. This sterile moral posturing, which is not only useless but humiliating, has made America’s liberal class an object of public derision." - Steven Perez from Bookmarklet

"I am not disappointed in Obama. I don’t feel betrayed. I don’t wonder when he is going to be Obama. I did not vote for the man. I vote socialist, which in my case meant Ralph Nader, but could have meant Cynthia McKinney. How can an organization with the oxymoronic title Progressives for Obama even exist? Liberal groups like these make political satire obsolete. Obama was and is a brand. He is a product of the Chicago political machine. He has been skillfully packaged as the new face of the corporate state. I don’t dislike Obama—I would much rather listen to him than his smug and venal predecessor—though I expected nothing but a continuation of the corporate rape of the country. And that is what he has delivered." - Steven Perez

I think that the writer of this article made one mistake: he should have used the word "Democrat" in place of "liberal". - Steven Perez

Let's just give up and start over. - aldenoneil

Obama was and is a Blue Dog Dem surrounded by Blue Dog Dem advisors, he never was a liberal in any meanigful sense and the liberal Blog-o-sphere has been giddy over him for nothing to do with policy or politics. And yes the liberals have become as pointless as the MSM - WarLord

Obama as a Senator was markedly left of the actual Blue Dogs, WarLord. Let's not hyperbolize. And I feel my initial optimism was justified. He was a constitutional scholar and a community organizer; he has all the reasons in the world to know what the right thing to do is. - Andrew C (✓)

Yes, I agree, Andrew. Despite the fact that I've waited and seen, I'm still taking a wait and see approach. I'm not being sarcastic. - aldenoneil

So far FISA, Wire Taps and Rendition he has not done the "right" thing, I'm sorry to say that the facts of governance have not lived up to the promise nevr mind kicking the AFPAK can down the road - WarLord

"Nader voter claims liberals are useless." - Jim Norris

@WarLord - I wasn't saying he did do 'the right thing' in all cases, but the overwhelming cynicism from people like this guy ("Obama is just like the other guy and everyone should have seen it") was and is ridiculous. - Andrew C (✓)

After the last ten years of watching congressional Democrats bend over backwards for Dubya, Jim, I'm at a loss to see the error that this writer makes, other than his mismatched labels. - Steven Perez

Mark got another prediction right. One might add that Obama is just another AIPAC and Goldman Sachs politician -- mightier political institutions than Chicago. - Sean McBride

First of all, everyone should go back to their textbook definition of liberals, socialists, democrats, whatever label you want to use. Once you have defined that liberal or progressive in the USA means right around the global center of the politcal spectrum, you will see that of course Obama is, in a way, the same as his predecessors, but like Andrew mentioned, he used to be left leaning, but now he is in a position where he needs to make concessions, so that means that sometimes he will be right leaning. From a global political perspective, Obama is right of center and the conservatives/republicans are extreme right of center. The true definition of liberal is actually a centrist, because a liberal is right in the middle of a conservative and a progressive. Even if you look at it from the narrow US only perspective, you cannot claim that the Democrats are anywhere near progressive, but compared to Republicans they are very progressive. On the other hand, I think the writer is onto something. The Dems do always seem to have problems toeing the party line (see all the wavering in the health care reform debate), while the Reps have no problem creating a united front. - Rene, Pro Button Pusher

I agree with MVB that 2010 is looking kinda bleak for the majority that the Dems now have, even though, having the Reps being in the majority will only make things worse, because it means that nothing, absolutely nothing, will get accomplished. - Rene, Pro Button Pusher

I'm not disappointed in Obama, but I voted for him despite preferring John Edwards. I think the only people who are disappointed were those who voted for him believing in the rhetoric but not understanding the nuances of policy. Sound familiar? - Piaw Na

Rene hit it right on the head: "liberals" are in the middle or to the right, "conservatives" are way on the right. Makes you really think hard about where teabaggers are on the political spectrum. - Steven Perez

"We may lose if we step outside the mainstream, but at least we will salvage our self-esteem and integrity." - Jim Norris

Pahlin and her wacky tea bagging conspiracy theorists will be the only thing that saves the Democratic Majority. Unemployment is structural and long lasting. And with the Dems too busy playing deficit hawk to notice by rights they should be punished but the two party system is rapidly devolving into Democrats Vs Blue Dogs... - WarLord