Fear and Courage in the Democratic Party Book

A few years after this book was published, we have a couple more "spineless weasels" to add to the list of Democrats who rode the Politics of Fear wave to ultimate defeat:

1. Blanche Lincoln (D-Wal*Mart/Arkansas/Oil & Gas/Other Polluting Industries) in 2010 [whom the DSCC and the White House continued to support over progressive Bill Halter who won an impressive 48% in the primary against this two-term incumbent Senator, despite the fact that Blanche consistently torpedoed the party's agenda, threatening to filibuster the Public Option, Cap and Trade, EFCA, etc.]

She was so thoroughly discredited/painted as a corporate lackey/rental pol who had no discrete principles by the time the general election came 'round she lost to the Republican 65-35.

Guess what she's doing now? She's a lobbyist for polluting industries seeking to undermine the Clean Air Act under the auspices of the National Federation for Independent Business, a group that has historically given 90% of its money to Republican candidates, according to OpenSecrets.

2. Ben Nelson, who did basically the same thing and was even worse during the entire Bush Administration. He is retiring because he faced a tough re-election campaign and has no interest in defending his vote in favor of health care. The DSCC has already wasted $1.5 million on ads for him a year prior to the election.

Another thorn in the side of the progressive agenda would be Mary Landrieu, who is up for reelection in 2012 and opposed the public option. As Bill Maher said, she is "constantly cock-blocking everything" the progressive wing of the party stands for.