The Senate Democrats and the Dean Of All The Pundits

Glenn Greenwald asks if we're seeing A genuine political sea change? Salon 04/28/07. He's referring among other thingsto last week's drama around David Broder, the Dean Of All The Pundits.

Broder wrote a Washington Post column trashing Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid and strong implying (though without specifically saying) that quite a few Senate Democrats were ready to dump him as leader.

Some real reporters then following up and actually talked to Senate Democrats and couldn't uncover any sign of this brewing party revolt. Then, all 50 of Reid's Democratic Senate colleagues - yes, even including Holy Joe Liberman! - signed a letter to the Post praised Reid's leadership and expressing their confidence in him.

Now anyone remotely familiar with the Democratic Party knows that it's a near-miracle for all the Dems in one of the Congressional Houses to agree on anything. He sees that as one sign among several that the Dems are ready to buck "Wise Beltway Wisdom, which endlessly warns them not to adhere to their beliefs too steadfastly or to defy Republican decrees, especially on foreign policy". And I'm willing to be cautiously optimistic on that score, too.

But what is particularly significant to me about the Senate Dems' letter to the Post is that they realized they had to fight the press in this instance, and not let the long-braindead Of All The Pundits get a new press script started about how Reid is embarassing the Dems, is out of touch with his caucus, and yadda, yadda. These phony press scripts have been devastating to Democrats the last 15 years. So let's hope this new habit is more than a passing moment!

Tags: david broder, harry reid

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