Meanwhile, where are the tough-minded and courageous defenders of the liberal values of tolerance, freedom of expression, and reasoned discourse? There are a few -- New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg comes to mind -- but how many prominent politicians have shown any genuine political courage or been willing to take a tough position and stick to it in the face of the mob? Extremists start to look admirable because at least they appear to stand for something (even if it is dangerous and fear-mongering bombast), while many traditional liberals seem all too willing to compromise whenever there is PAC money on the line or the poll winds shift.

Yes, I understand that politics is the art of the possible and some degree of compromise is inevitable, but wouldn't you like to see a few liberals really dig down deep and fight for something they believe in? Like the Constitution?

Apologies for the rant, but I really do think there's reason to worry. The U.S. economy is still in very bad shape, the Iraq War isn't over despite what you're being told, the war in Afghanistan still looks like a lost cause, and we've made zero progress on long-term issues like climate change. And don't even get me started about the Middle East peace process. [my emphasis]