UPDATED: Houses of the holier-than-thou
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UPDATED: Houses of the holier-than-thou
Smerconish is joining a political movement called "No Labels":
"No Labels isn't saying you have to compromise on everything. People have strongly held beliefs, and they should hold to their beliefs. But we are saying that if we want to make progress for our country, if we want to solve the big problems facing us, we're going to have to find common ground," cofounder Jonathan Cowan told me.
"Look at the Constitution itself and the Constitutional Convention. . . . There's a lot of common ground. There [are] a lot of compromises. . . . That's the lifeblood of a democracy."
To be successful, No Labels will need to reshape not only elected officials' behavior, but also the conduct of those who provide their talking points.
Tomorrow, we'll give them a label. Tonight, savor another Eagles' victory.
UPDATE: OK, so the thing is, I don't have a problem with people declaring themselves centrists and fighting for middle-of-the-road policies with all their heart and soul, but what truly drives me crazy is their holier-than-thou notion that centrism is, by definition, better than people with ideologies (which is just a high fallutin' word for people's ideas) on the so-called right or so-called left. In fact, the whole right-left spectrum is just something we crazy humans made up to simplify complicated notions of limited government or social justice or personal freedom. Declaring what you think is the middle of two ideas doesn't make you more virtuous, and often it makes you maddenly inconsistent or incoherent. See "Obama, Barack."
There are two politicians out there right now who are garnering an enormous amount of respect right now -- no easy task. One of them happens to be conservative, New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, and one of them happens to be liberal, and that is Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders. That's not because they're trying to find some mythological middle ground, but because both are political figures who say what they think, and let the chips fall where they may. Meanwhile, centrists who convince themselves they're better than anyone else may indulge their elitist and even authoritarian tendencies -- look at New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg, the guru of the "No Labels" movement, and the way he's cramming some unqualified rich person down the proverbial throats of that city's schoolchildren and parents.
I guess I saying I'd rather have politicians with a label -- honest -- than the bland stew that the likes of Smerconish, Bloomberg and friends are cooking.
Comments (62)
"No Labels" --I wonder how THEY refer to Asian people?— Mr. Smith
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Baldy is hoping for relevancy, yet he continues to make himself for irrelevant.- Comment removed.
I agree with Republicans, but I also agree with Democrats. All of their ideas sound do good, I really can't choose, so I'll just sit here. Sounds exciting doesn't it? I have a good slogan: "No labels. We just sit there. Kind of like a lamp, but different."— jmc- I know it doesn't appeal to purists, but it is the lifeblood of a representative democracy. It worked for years till the 80s.— HandNik
- Wow! Apparently it's comedy hour, and everyone is bringing jokes! Winner so far is catch-22.— IggleFan68
- Please. When we're done with "No Labels" we can all hold hands in a circle and sing "It's A Small World". Yeah, like greed-personified amerikans will compromise on anything. Not if it means someone gets more toys than me. And not if it means that amerikan's taliban have to "compromise". Don't you know god and jay-sus doesn't compromise?— CiceroSpuriousDeodatus
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- "no labels" is a label. Duh - - -— dubloxizor
- "no labels" is a label. Duh - - -— dubloxizor
Now, Rauol, Orange Guy may cry a lot, but as one comedian said recently, at least we now have a Speaker whose face works.— Hamlet- Swifty, you sound a bit feisty this morning- especially after a big win last night. I know you mentioned some wishlist items not addressed by Dems these last two years, but in general they were far more compromise(ish) than the Republicans would be with similar majorities. BUT, that's only because Dems have a much wider coalition. So relax.— pagoda
- I wish them all luck, because they're going to need it. Unless they can figure out a way to make their messengers as compelling on the teevee as the bellowing gasbags who live by labels this will probably die from inattention. I'm not part of that movement, and I hold my beliefs passionately, but I have no problem with what they're doing. How is calling for civility holier-than-thou?— GreyHippie
- I am all for civility, but I think it needs to start with the President not calling the Republicans "hostage takers", and the "enemy". ALso, I notice minimal respresentation by the Republicans. I am for civil discourse, but Smerconish is not willing to take on the President, nor any of his MSNBC colleagues(Olbermann, Matthews, Maddow). I am sure it is because he does not want to lose the White House access or his occassional gigs filling in on Hardball. At the end of the day, his motive are purely for himself. Sad 1210 allowed him to take Hannity's spot.— Bush3
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"I think it needs to start with the President not calling the Republicans "hostage takers", and the "enemy". "...Sorry bush3 but you have to go further back then that. Lets start by not calling the President a Liar at a joint session of Congress. Then lets have DeMint, Bachmann and others quit the socialist/Hitler theme they have been screaming about over the last 2 years.— Les Ismore- I just read the op ed piece. What a bunch of hog wash! There is an extreme left and an extreme right in American politics and they won't compromise? Give me a break! There is an extreme right and a not as extreme right. That's all there is. Anyone who calls Obama or the vast majority of the Dems on Capitol Hill “leftists” or even liberals is a blithering idiot.— Hamlet
- RG - This is for you
http://www.slate.com/id/2277521/— Les Ismore - From Tragedy and Hope, p.1245, published in 1966 by Prof. Caroll Quigley of Georgetown U: "The two parties should be almost identical so that the American
people can "throw the rascals out" at any election without leading to
any profound or extensive shifts in policy. The policies that are
vital and necessary for America are no longer subjects of significant
disagreement, but are disputable only in details of procedure,
priority, or method"— Hamlet 
Anyone not for Obama's policies are the enemy and hostage takers of democracy, when will they stop acting stupidly. Big ears should be working as one of santa's elfs in the mall.- Smerconish talked this morning about partisan hacks seeing this movement as an attack on their gig. Based on the headline here, sounds like he was right. BTW, what's more holier-than-thou than referring to your actions as patriotic, while your opponents actions are racist?— A Friend
- "The middle of the road is for yellow lines and dead armadillos." –Jim Hightower— mellowjohn
- Hey Les...how about your party calling President Bush a liar about WMD? Obama was lying at the time. I agree that calling him that during the speech was over the top, but accurate.— Bush3
If people wanted civility the most watched news show in America would be the Jim Lehrer Newshour.— bird11- "Hey Les...how about your party calling President Bush a liar about WMD?" I'm so glad we turned out to be wrong. Otherwise the loss of over a $1 trillion and thousands of American servicemen's lives would be for nothing!BTW, wasn't Bush's jokes about trying to find WMDs under the podium at the Radio and Television Correspondents Dinner cute? He's so adorible!— Hamlet
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- Hey Hamlet...yes Bush wa wrong, and Hiliary Clinton, and alll your lib pals in the Congress that voted to go war were WRONG...see, this is the incivility Smerconish is talking about. Let's talk about results. Obama said he would close Gitmo...still open. Obama said if we passed the stimulus, the unemployment rate would not go above 8%...it is 9.6. He said he would end the war in Iraq and Afghanistan...still going on...Hmmm...— Bush3
OBAMA ROCKED AGAIN! WPE- WORST PRESIDENT EVER- LIBERAL LOSE AGAIN
Casting an unmistakable and perhaps permanent pockmark on the face of the Obama administration, a federal judge in Virginia ruled Monday that a major component of the new health care reform law is unconstitutional.
Judge Henry E. Hudson ruled Monday for the state's claim that the requirement for people to purchase health care exceeds the power of Congress under the Constitution's Commerce Clause.
Hudson's eagerly awaited decision invalidates the requirement that all Americans purchase health insurance by 2014 or face a federal fine. Hudson's decision is the first striking down part of the controversial legislation.
"It is not the effect on individuals that is presently at issue -- it is the authority of Congress to compel anyone to purchase health insurance," wrote Hudson who was appointed to the federal bench in 2002 by President George W. Bush. "An enactment that exceeds the power of Congress to adopt adversely affects everyone in every application."
- THE HITS KEEP ON COMING........ EXCELLENT WRITING FROM A FORMER OBAMA BACKER......
http://www.foxnews.com/opinion/2010/12/13/michael-goodwin-messiah-obama-blame/ - Comment removed.
- Bush3: (like Charlie Brown's Teacher) Whaaw, whaaw-wha-whaw wow, wow, wow— Hamlet
- Obviously Smerconish isn't a fan of Attytood - any one who reads this blog would know that the political picture is discussed daily with nothing but civility.— bird11
- "Liberal Bernie Sanders"??????
He is a Socialist.
Again- the far right is "extreme"- an actual Socialist is a "liberal" unreal. - Healthcare swirling down the toilet.....Let's review-
1. Close Gitmo- no
2. Healthcare- no
3. End war in Iraq- no
4. End war in Afghan- no
5. Unemployment 8.0 from stimulus- no
6. Turn water into wine- no
7. Raise man from the dead- no
8. Stop Nancy Pelosi from having plastic surgery- no
9. Get Harry Reid a brain from the Wizard of Oz- no
10. Make Barney Frank watch football- no
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- Whats with that "manly" John Bonnner crying at the drop of the hat?
http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/john-boehner-cries-lot/story?id=12382814
Is this the guy you want as first in line to succeed the President? Next thing you know he will be talking about his "wide stance"...hahaha...how come republican women have more balls than republican men?— Les Ismore - I would think people would embrace the dropping of labels since few actually apply. I always laugh when my position on abortion is labeled Pro-Life. Anybody who has heard me comment on Wesley Cook would know I'm not.
There is no reason why I can't believe that small government and lower taxes is better for the economy yet still support the gay couple across the streets right to get married or adopt children. The two are mutually exclusive.— bird11 - bird, understand what you are saying. Most of my colleagues are surprised at my views on immigration. But to your point, of course, everyone would love lower taxes and even small government, but the devil of course is in the details. That is like being for mom, apple pie and the girl next store. The reality of it is that there are hard choices to be made to get there and your examples of government waste might be my example of necessary services. Take these extreme partisan times (thanks Newt!) and you get to where we are today.— Les Ismore
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- Les Is Chubby - "Take these extreme partisan times (thanks Newt!) and you get to where we are today."
Seriously? Newt? not Nancy Pelosi or Harry Reid or Barack Obama before the November shellacking?
You liberals really are dense.
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- Hamlet: I guess you have run out of clever talking points. The truth hurts. Don't worry, we have at least two more years of misery.— Bush3
Did our hero Will plagiarize conservative pundit Jonah Goldberg's stance on "no labels"? You decide: http://www.nationalreview.com/articles/print/254859- Les, I agree so why would anyone want to cling to where we are today or worse have or elected officials beholden to a label?
Candidates need the party machines so much that guys like you and I can never vote for a viable candidate who actually mirrors our positions. There may be a ton of people out there who want HCR passed and Gitmo to stay open but when it comes time to vote they can't find a candidate because the DNC and the RNC are running 435 clones for the House and 100 more clones for the Senate.— bird11 - "Seriously? Newt?" Well, KTC, ones political history needs to go back further than the last 4 weeks to understand my reference. I will leave it to you to buy (and read) a history book about the Clinton era.— Les Ismore
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- Walter, what is the point? Look, we all know who is at fault here, what the F are you talking about?— bird11
- "ones political history needs to go back further than the last 4 weeks to understand my reference"........
"Hey, Hey, LBJ, How many babies did you kill today?"
Les, if all we are trying to do is find fault for the current state of affairs we may end up needing to read history books on the Mayflower voyage.— bird11 - "No Labels" = the "Oatmeal Party". No flavor mush.— Mr. Smith
- File this under Things That Make You Go Hmmmmmm....Gun Division
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/12/12/AR2010121202663.html
seems like our good gun dealers in Texas have been very ably supplying the drug wars south of the border.— Les Ismore - "Hamlet: I guess you have run out of clever talking points." No, Bush3, I don't use talking points. I also don't get into arguments that involve mashing my strained peas in another persons face while saying, "seez you!" But thank you for playing.— Hamlet
- Man, it's 78 and sunny out here in Southern Cal- yesterday was 80- pounding beers at a bar on the beach.
As much as I love Philly- it's pretty darn great out here.
The Liberals killed the State of California- thankfully they cannot kill the weather. -
- So Hamlet, I am guessing the Wah Wah Wwas an insightful response? By the way, I think I may agree with Will. I think liberal should be proud to be liberals, and conservatives should do the same. I would rather know who I am dealing with.— Bush3
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- File this under Things That Make You Go Hmmmmmm....Republican Hack Division.
Jeepers, it seems like the good judge Henry Hudson, didnt have the good sense and judgment to recuse himself from ruling on HCR. Seems he has some issues like owning consulting firms that made a lot of money by saying silly things like HCR is unconstitutional.
http://tpmlivewire.talkingpointsmemo.com/2010/12/judge-who-ruled-health-care-reform-unconstitutional-owns-piece-of-gop-consulting-firm.php?ref=fpblg
If he was a good and wise judge, he should have recused himself after taking money from the addled right.
Judge Hudson, do the right thing and stand down and recuse yourself.— Les Ismore 
"Seems he has some issues like owning consulting firms" Sorry LesIsmoron, only ONE firm. And by the way, I thought this post from an obvious legal mind from your aforementioned link describes this as much ado about nothing.
That said, it probably doesn't legally fall into an area that would require recusal based on any conflict of interest.
Campaign Solutions Inc doesn't appear to be a party to the lawsuit in any way. While they may provide campaign services to candidates who oppose the health care law and/or consider it unconstitutional, their lack of any direct legal connection to the case means that the courts don't consider their position present any kind of conflict.
The only element of the story that may raise a technical conflict of interest issue is that the firm was paid by the Cuccinelli campaign for services -- and now, in his role as AG for Virginia, Cuccinelli is bringing the case. While that raises the "appearance of impropriety" test, it probably doesn't technically pass it - because it is not, technically, Ken Cuccinelli as an individual suing, but rather doing it as a representative the Commonwealth of Virginia.
- And probably the only intelligent post on that site. The rest being leftist spittle.
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