Will Marshall, DLC dunce

Will Marshall thinks his fellow Democrats are unpatriotic, apparently because we aren't sufficiently jingoistic for his taste.

I don't know where to begin in pointing out the many places he is wrong. From saying that "Michael Moore Democrats" reject the very idea of fighting terrorism to complaining that we should just ignore that torture behind the curtain, the whole essay is chock full of GOP talking points and stereotypes.

I've mentioned it before, but I wanted to reiterate my preferred analogy for the discussion of my patriotism. As a parent, I am my child's biggest cheerleader, and my kids make me feel prouder than a peacock. I have a knee-jerk defensive reaction when someone tries to hurt them. But that does not stop me from correcting them when they go astray. That's the kind of patriot I am. Our country has gone massively astray - we've become bullies capable of ruthless cruelty, and as is usually the case with bullies, our actions come from fear.

GOP style patriotism is, to stretch analogy, more like the parent who says their child would *never* lie, *never* cheat, *never* be mean to the other kids. They show up for a disciplinary hearing with a lawyer to make sure their little Jimmy or Jenny doesn't have anything negative on their permanent record, even if they did punch that boy or smoke those cigarettes in the bathroom.

I am a white coastal liberal (although if you call me elite I might have to kick you in the shins and show you my bank balance), but I'm pretty sure parents in the heartland are no different than parents on the coasts - for the most part, we correct our kids when they misbehave, and try to set them back on the right path. And we really don't care for those parents who refuse to see that their children aren't perfect and need guidance - they make our jobs more difficult by not doing right by their kids.

As always, Digby's response is essential reading.