This letter is associated with the following article:
Letters
Friday, March 6, 2009 12:00 AM

Obama's timid liberalism

Once, even Republican presidents like Eisenhower and Nixon believed in the public sector. Now, during a national crisis, a Democrat opts for inadequate, neoliberal, private-sector remedies. What happened?

Read other letters about this article

  • Friday, March 6, 2009 10:50 AM

    Why the timidity?

    The Democratic Party should be seen as the political equivalent of a battered spouse or battered domestic partner. The Dems have been ground down so long by the wildly successful Republican hate-mongering machine that they lost the ability to act boldly. Their hearts are in the right place, but it will take a while -- and much understanding and support from the liberal/progressive punditry, let me add -- for them to regain the courage needed to fully engage the real power -- corporate America.

Most Active Letters Threads

405

I'm thankful I'm not President Obama

Backers deride Katrina-style negligence, haters hate him more each day. Can this presidency be saved? Of course
320

Greg Craig and Obama's worsening civil liberties record

A new Time account of the fall of Obama's White House counsel sheds much light on rule of law issues.
318

Tough-guy John Bolton, hiding under his bed

As usual, right-wing pseudo-warriors are drowning in extreme cowardice.
153

Phil Carter's resignation from key detainee policy post

Many of the "War on Terror" policies he spent years condemning were ones expressly embraced by Obama.
146

A key British official reminds us of the forgotten anthrax attack

A vast array of establishment and expert sources do not believe this episode was really resolved.

View all »

Letters Help

Currently in Salon