centrists

in our divided country, we are. Now hearing calls for "centrists" that can win officeand eventually lead the u.s. Away from partisan warfare.

Am on a blackberry, so this will be short:

The middle ground between two extremes is NOT always right.

Consider the bankruiptcy bill, supported by both parties... Either an individul debor is entitlev to the same rights that a company has (in dealing with creditors) or an indoividual doesn't. There is no compromise there... It's a "yes" or "no" issue. But on that bill, "centrist" democrats like joe lieberman and joe biden decided to "compromise," by supporting legislation that made life harder for the individual borrower while protecting the rights of corporate borrowers. The "centrists" on the Dem side actually supported a very old and controversial Republican idea, but they framed their support as a "compromise."

Look, the middle road isn't always right. Sometimes, one side has the right priorities and the other doesn't - in that case, a compromise tends to take the worst parts of the accurate idea and the worst parts of the fantastical notion and, somehow, it results in a failed government program while the compromisers that encouraged it in the first place aren't held accountable.

Fair warning: I'm an economic liberal and a social libertarian. That means I believe that a man has a right to snort coke off of a hooker's ass, but also that the hooker has a right to both free health care and a lving wage.

90 percent of the country disagrees with me.90 percent of the counmtry (btw... Made that 90 percent figure up) is out of sync with me on one issue or another, usually to the point where we can't even politely debate.

Fine by me. Except that people are wrong some times. Consider "intelligent design," which is an idea that purports to bridge the gap between evolutionary theory and christian creationism... intelligent design not only fails to explain human evolution and is incompatible with the world as we understand it, but it obviously contradicts christian theology (because genesis doesn't leave a hint of room for any evolutionary theory, even one guided by god, since adam and eve are clearly set in a fully formed and evolved planet.)

Not trying to have a theological debate here, only want to point out that "middle ground" notions not only challenge more extreme ideas but that they also don't lead to any sort of truth.

In politics right now we're being told by people like david broder that we should embrace the middle, the moderates, the compromisers and negotiators. Sounds nice. But an idea isn't rightjust because it splits the difference between two sides. Intelligent design is a good example of an idea that is a compromise but that not only fails to conform to visible evidence but attacks both sides of the debate in a manner that cheapens them all

Moderates in 2006 or 2008? Gag me. We don't need compromise right now. We need leaders with convictions who have the cajones to shepherd their ideas through our partisan morass.

I say... Don't worship the centrist. A true centrist will always use a compromise to betray you.

Instead, support candidates and business types who know that a democratic victory in november will change the country for the better.

We can do better interms of picking a government than we have up until Now.

We're in the home stretch and the repubs are acting vulnerable. I suggest we go on the attack and that we reject those compromisers who obscure the truth.