DEMS VERSUS DEMS - AT 7:12 A.M. ET:  There is increasing friction within the Democratic Party.  Not all Democrats are far-left fringe types from the California delegation.  There are plenty of thoughtful, traditional Democrats who favor a strong defense and uphold American values.  These Dems are under a new attack from the party's left.  MoveOn.org and a labor group started airing ads yesterday attacking the traditionalists and insisting that they get with the entire Obama program.  From The Politico: 

Among the targets of Americans United for Change is Sen. Mark Pryor (D-Ark.), who declared the ads “not very helpful.”

“The liberal groups need to understand that we are not elected to represent the president,” Pryor said. “We’re elected to represent our states, and we are trying to reflect the attitudes and values of the people who sent us to Washington.”

Sen. Evan Bayh (D-Ind.) is also unhappy with the friendly fire. Bayh announced last week that a group of centrist Democrats had come together to negotiate as a bloc with the White House and party leaders on major legislation. He promptly found himself targeted by an ad accusing him of “standing in the way of President Obama’s reforms.”

“We literally have no agenda,” Bayh shot back. “How can they be threatened by a group that has taken no policy positions?”

COMMENT:  This is a healthy fight.  Remember that, for many years, starting about 1938, Congress was controlled by a coalition of Republicans and moderate Democrats.  Sadly, at that time the group of "moderate" Democrats included arch-segregationists.  That is no longer the case.  Today's moderate Democrats represent constituents who are unwilling to go deep into left field, but are not tainted by racial antagonism.  Pryor and Bayh are fine senators.  We might be seeing the start of a new coalition.

March 26, 2009