Advice to Progressives

Richard Trumpka, the President of the AFL-CIO, appeared on Rachel Maddow's show last night and looked like the cat who ate the canary. This was a man energized and aware that in the Wisconsin struggle trade unions had finally turned the corner in public awareness and seized the political moment. Republicans have managed to make unions "sexy" and cutting edge for the first time in decades. Trumpka knows this.

Progressives have always seemed a little beat up. It's like the juggernaut of Rightwing Talk Radio and Fox News has ground them down. While someone like Amy Goodman on Democracy Now does good work, she gives off this air of defeatism as the political reality of this country is always one bummer after another.

Cheer up. The entire field has been cleared for progressives now. The Republicans are not coming back with anything remotely resembling an idea, particularly not an idea which would benefit an average American. The Reagan Democrats? You saw them in the streets of Wisconsin--half the union demonstrators were Republicans and many of them had voted for Scott Walker.

Progressives need to get out of their own sectarian pasts and simply embrace everything that corporate America and the republicans have left behind. Remember the celebration in Grant Park on election night with hundreds of thousands of Americans waving American flags and cheering the election of Barack Obama. What would have led to a more unified spirit in the country instead led to a period of obstructionism by Republicans first in Washington and now in the states. While President Obama is positively a cornball in talking about the American Dream,the political situation has developed that political forces need to get back to basics.

One of my favorite ideas was a left-wing blogger who wants to create an organization "Atheists for Jesus" because the man needs someone defending his thought and ideas about social justice. Progressives have the opportunity of being secular,agonistic, atheist, Jewish of every denomination,Christian without fundamentalism,Muslim and Buddhist. No more Madonna and Kabbalah business--the whole religious universe is yours. Freedom of religion--what a concept.

With the full-scale war being waged against public education and teachers,it's a no brainer to wrap yourselves in the all-American ideal of public education for everyone. The other side has abandoned this idea totally.

With millions losing their homes every day because of foreclosure,embracing homeownership would be radical with recent calls by business bloggers suggesting that Americans have to be conditioned to accept renting in the future.

I know it's difficult to embrace Republican ideas and concepts but the GOP has basically turned its back against anything positive it onced embraced. Start with its crown jewel--the 14th Amendment. In Congress and in the states, Republican legislators are trying to redefine if not nullify their own creation.

How about national parks? The Florida Republicans want to build golf courses in all their state parks. One Democrat is offering an amendment that if they are going to do this at least ask someone like Jack Nicklaus to design them. Others want to open national parks to oil and gas explorations. Theodore Roosevelt's legacy is yours.

Think the United States should maintain its infrastructure? The Republicans want to privatize our highway system and refuse to refund the Highway Fund. They are turning their backs on Dwight David Eisenhower's contribution to America.

I know Nixon is a touchy subject, even for me. But the Republicans have been laying seige to the Environmental Protection Agency for years. Also the whole program that includes Planned Parenthood was a Nixon era creation to provide health care for poor young women and mothers. In fact, just embrace all child welfare programs.

Against nuclear weapons? Support the New Start Treaty and President Obama's non-proliferation programs. This is a direct legacy of Ronald Reagan. Those who invoke his name have been trying to dismantle this program.

Then we go to the old stand-bys--Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid.

Progressives always have a preference for the poor. The good news is that we are all poor now so progressives can defend the middle class before it disappears.

You can even be football fans. Real progressives are really baseball fans. But the Green By Packers are a non-profit, community owned team.

Since the Democrats defended first responders, you are now aligned with the police, the firefighters, EMS workers and the like.

In fact, you are beginning to even look reactionary. So throw in support for another conservative concept--same sex marriage--what's more conservative than marriage? In the state where you live medical marijuana to appeal to libertarians. And, of course,alternative energy sources.

Yesterday's poll by the University of Chicago shows that American attitudes have not changed from 2008 through 2010. The American people want their government to spend more on social programs, not less.

There is a reason Richard Trumpka looks so happy--the whole political playing field is yours if you want it. The world is your oyster.

Now the optics. Rush Limbaugh first gained his fame because he was funny and a satirist. He now is a racist blowhard, who thinks he knows his audience. You have to maintain a sense of humor. Keith Olbermann was too heavy and overbearing. Sorry. Rachel Maddow has the right spirit and zip. All you have to do is just run photos of the current GOP crew and they are physically unappealing. Just contrast the faces and personalities of the Wisconsin workers with the Wisconsin State Republicans. It's no contest.

Now that you wrapped yourself in the flag,you can go after them. You can also throw in some quaint concepts such as Rule of Law, help for Veterans. At this rate,progressives can sound like the League of Women Voters and achieve their political objectives.

Events have moved beyond President Obama. We are now back to real basics. Sad but true. But this environment should be liberating for progressives.