The problem with most conservatives is that they are color blind. PINK looks like RED to them. Obama is a European Social Democrat. His peers in the world stage would be the leaders of the Labour Party of England. Or the leaders of the New Democratic Party in Canada. This type of politics is the grand child of old style Socialism. The difference is that Social Democrats are no longer fighting to nationalize the means of production. The social/political basis of Social Democracy is organized labor. Labor and the Social Democrats have over the past 50 years made their peace with Capitalism. The focus is not the overthrow of Capitalism but the regulation of Capitalism. And the creation of a social benefit state to address the inequalities of naked profit.

Most Democrats in the USA are not Social Democrats. But Obama is (and so am I). Community Organizing in the Alinsky tradition (I was trained by someone who was trained by Alinsky) is not explicitly Social Democratic but it is implicitly Social Democratic.

But Kurtz in RADICAL IN CHIEF gets it partially right but largely wrong because he is color blind. He sees PINK and he calls it RED.

BIG GOVERNMENT and its friends can find political fringe players all they like but that has nothing to do with the soul of what is going on in Madison and in America right now.

The problem with most conservatives is that they are color blind. PINK looks like RED to them. Obama is a European Social Democrat. His peers in the world stage would be the leaders of the Labour Party of England. Or the leaders of the New Democratic Party in Canada. This type of politics is the grand child of old style Socialism. The difference is that Social Democrats are no longer fighting to nationalize the means of production. The social/political basis of Social Democracy is organized labor. Labor and the Social Democrats have over the past 50 years made their peace with Capitalism. The focus is not the overthrow of Capitalism but the regulation of Capitalism. And the creation of a social benefit state to address the inequalities of naked profit.

Most Democrats in the USA are not Social Democrats. But Obama is (and so am I). Community Organizing in the Alinsky tradition (I was trained by someone who was trained by Alinsky) is not explicitly Social Democratic but it is implicitly Social Democratic.

But Kurtz in RADICAL IN CHIEF gets it partially right but largely wrong because he is color blind. He sees PINK and he calls it RED.

As a thirty year community organizer in the Alinsky tradition I say quite clearly - SO WHAT? Democratic Socialists of America is the American version of the Labor Party in England. And as to the fact that there are democratic socialists among rank and file Democrats - I say quite clearly - DUH! The Democratic Party has had a social democratic (democratic socialist) faction since the days of Franklin Roosevelt. I even read a book once by Hubert Humphrey where he spoke approvingly of the work and politics of the social democratic parties of europe. Democratic Socialists are in favor of a regulation of the worst and most abusive features of capitalism - for a strong labor movement - and for utilizing government for social justice ends - i.e. social security; publicly owned utilities etc. And the Gamaliel Foundation - you just don't have a clue! Look at what Gamaliel, the Industrial Areas Foundation, DART, and PICO Network organizations actually do. This is reform activity - favoring the rights of poor and racial minorities. We will continue to organize - continue to fight.