Should the Democrats put an end to their two party party?

Robert Reich, the well known FOB, professor and former US Secretary of Labor, has an interesting OpEd in today's NYT arguing that the Democrats should end the left/right split within their party by decisively rejecting the centrist policies of the Democratic Leadership Council.   By unifying around a consistent ideology, the party would then be able to build a broad-based political movement around the policies and prescriptions of what Howard Dean refers to as the "Democratic wing of the Democratic party".   While naturally I think that most of these left-wing policies are unworkable, counterproductive, and proven failures (both here and abroad), it is refreshing to hear an honest liberal advocate a real political battle of ideas and ideology, rather than personality and spin.

In my view, one of aspects of Democratic politicians that most infuriate Republicans is their lack of candor regarding their true policy agendas.   Aware that many (most?) of their liberal policies are unpopular with the electorate, they position themselves as centrists while seeking to advance their true agenda through the courts and regulatory system, which are insulated from the influence of public opinion.   Many (most?) liberals support these candidates because they are "electable" but assume that their true opinions and political beliefs (assuming, of course, that any politicians really have them) are much more liberal than their public statements would suggest.

As Reich rightly points out, however, when "stealth" liberals are successful in getting elected, they find it hard to govern because they lack the broad-based political movement necessary to rally support for their policy proposals.   (The example Reich used to illustrate this point was the ill-fated attempt to sell the public on Hillarycare, but there are many other examples from the Clinton years.)

Personally, I would welcome a real, honest political referendum on the policies of the liberal left; higher taxes, particularly on the "wealthy", more government spending on domestic priorities, "fixing" welfare reform, more regulation of business and the environment, etc.   I doubt that any pol running on this platform would carry more than a handful of states.   But it would be more honest than the bogus "stealth" liberals that say one thing and do another.