The fact that Sylvestre Reyes (D-TX) feels free to exhort the incoming Obama team to continue to leave torture on the table is revolting and infuriating. (Don't believe me about Reyes, see Greenwald.
But it also raises an interesting question that I think might be helpful for us as Dems to get clear: What are our red meat issues on which it is not safe to deviate from us, the base?
We all know what the Republican ones purport to be: Abortion, military spending, raising taxes, "family values".
What are ours?
I'd like to suggest four. Only four because I think they all have to be thinigs we can agree to agree on, and on which we all can come together to give a hell of a primary challenge to anyone who bucks us on them:
- Civil rights (this includes the right not to be tortured).
- Economic justice (you know -- for working folks, not)
- The environment (if we don't do this we're gonna die sooner rather than later.
- Healthcare.
What do you think?