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Minority/Majority

The attempt to fashion a distinct Democratic identity was temporarily halted when Elaine Kamarck and William Galston published a self-serving call for Democrats to move to the "center." But nearly every Senate Democrat voted for a raise in the minimum wage, a clear move exclusive to the party.

David Sirota

October 27, 2005

Permanent Minority.

Clintonites Elaine Kamarck and William Galston published yet another in a series of self-serving reports demanding that Democrats abandon their base, move to the so-called center and appeal to “swing voters.” The move reinforced dishonest stereotypes of the center as being far to the right of where it actually is and served as a stimulus for right-wing publications like the Washington Times to push the Democratic Party to be yet more conservative.

Toward the Majority

. Every Senate Democrat (except two who were absent) voted for Senator Ted Kennedy’s proposal to raise the minimum wage; all but three Republicans voted against it. The unity draws a clear contrast between Democrats and Republicans on this critical economic issue.

David SirotaDavid Sirota is a journalist, nationally syndicated weekly newspaper columnist, and radio host. His weekly column is based at The Denver Post, San Francisco Chronicle, Portland Oregonian, and The Seattle Times and now appears in newspapers with a combined daily circulation of more than 1.6 million readers. He has contributed to The New York Times Magazine and The Nation and hosts an award-winning daily talk show on Denver's Clear Channel affiliate, KKZN-AM760. He is a senior editor at In These Times magazine and a Huffington Post contributor and appears periodically on CNN, The Colbert Report, PBS, and NPR. He received a degree in journalism and political science from Northwestern University's Medill School of Journalism. He lives in Denver with his wife, Emily, son Isaac, and his dog, Monty.


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