THE ROOT OF THE MUTTER:

Liberals Fret a Democratic Stay to Center ( KRIS MAHER and JAKE SHERMAN, 8/17/09, WSJ)

There's growing frustration among some liberal activists that the Democratic Party may be tilting toward moderates, leaving many wondering how they can have a bigger impact in fights over health care and other complex legislation.

Nearly 2,000 computer-toting bloggers and activists, ranging from 20-year-old legislative aides to 60-year-old retired consultants, gathered here for the fourth annual Netroots Nation convention, blogging from panels on food policy and Congressional redistricting and speeches by former president Bill Clinton and senior administration adviser Valerie Jarrett.

The main topic of discussion, however, was health care and concern that the administration is losing its momentum and tilting toward compromise on key issues. Some in the Netroots community favor a single-payer health-care system and say a compromise on the more limited public option would render a bill worthless. [...]

Many at the convention expressed their own frustration at being unable to effectively push for health-care reform because terms like public option and single payor are confusing. Their inability to do so raises questions about their own effectiveness.

They're the Brightest people they've ever met and the moose-hunting beauty queen just Rodney Kinged them.

Posted by Orrin Judd at August 17, 2009 7:24 AM