At least that’s what the wise man of the Washington Post, David Broder, has asked.

David Broder, sage of the center, has long (very long) been the quintessential middle of the roader, Mr. Moderate, the Dean of Conventional Wisdom, David Gergen without the unctuous smarm. But now that the Democrats under Obama have veered sharply left, Broder’s position just to the right of them no longer seems so moderate, or sensible.

Broder mentions with evident approval that “there’s more talk these days in White House circles about measures that might attract bipartisan support” and quotes a White House “insider” (it takes one to know one) who says, “If you asked the president what he would really like for Christmas, it would be a smart loyal opposition.” Then comes the moderate, sensible, centrist Broderism: (more…)

David Broder is known as the “Dean of the Washington press corps,” but it can more accurately be said that he’s the “David Gergen of the Washington press corps:” the apostle of conventional wisdom/custodian of institutional memory/protector of Democrat Party interests/and non-rocker of the boat.

Broder is the kind of journalist who facilitates the smooth operation of the rackets, the scribe who keeps the rubes out there in Flyoverland thinking that the game isn’t rigged, that somebody inside the Beltway takes those noble words inscribed on the D.C. buildings and monuments at face value, and that here in America the people — not the powerful — rule.

Which is why he could hardly let slide his Post colleague Dana Milbank’s astonishing act of lèse majesté against the Emperor Hussein in the form of this extraordinary paean to the genius of Obama hatchet man Rahm Emanuel, which included these gems:

Obama’s first year fell apart in large part because he didn’t follow his chief of staff’s advice on crucial matters. Arguably, Emanuel is the only person keeping Obama from becoming Jimmy Carter. (more…)

Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood represents the Illinois Combine in Obama’s Cabinet. His history in Illinois politics is that of a Republican chameleon. So it’s no surprise he gets high marks from MSM pundits.

For example, as LaHood prepared to retire from the House, Mark Shields gushed over him,

After 14 admirable years of representing Peoria and central Illinois in the U.S. House, Republican Ray LaHood has made the House a more civil, more decent and more personal place…Listen to the testimony of U.S. Rep. Rahm Emanuel, the Chicago Democrat who is so tough he’s widely rumored to eat nails and spit rust: “I’ll miss him dearly.”…As somebody who clashed often with his own hyper-partisan GOP leadership in the House, [LaHood] admits: “I survived Gingrich, Armey and DeLay. I’m still here. They’re all gone.”

In December 2008, David Broder described LaHood as: (more…)