As the 2010 elections draw near, Democrats are desperately casting about for a moniker with which to smear their opponents

As the window of opportunity for the November elections continues to dwindle, it's beginning to look more and more like the Democrats' goose is cooked. Haunted by record spending and deficits, a credit crisis, anemic housing numbers, and a true unemployment rate hovering around 18%  even the most upbeat progressives sense trouble.

With the nation concerned about the economy, the Democrats have frittered away their majorities on progressive nuggets such as health care, and payback to unions and community action groups in return for the effort they applied to the 2008 elections. Like the old Chinese proverb of the man with two wives; the progressives could not move left enough for their base, and could not stay moderate enough to continue to fool the cross-over vote they received in 2008

Two clear examples of Democrats in denial follow

First; there is the story of the greeting that House Speaker Nancy Pelosi received at a recent gathering of progressives organized by the Campaign for America's Future. Only three minutes into her remarks the meeting imploded. People chanting "Stop funding Israeli terror!" and other activists screaming over wanting to stay home as opposed to going to nursing homes a la the health care bill.

At the Monday session the conference organizer, Robert Borosage said; ""Progressives have grown ever more dissatisfied, and for good reason. Our hopes or illusions were shattered: escalation in Afghanistan, retreat on Guantanamo, no movement on worker rights or comprehensive immigration reform, dithering on 'don't ask, don't tell,' reverses on choice, delay on climate change and new energy."

In other words, the progressive left is angry with the administration because after sixteen months of the Obama Administration we've not completed the journey from the sole remaining superpower on the planet the latest third-world also-ran proletariat's paradise.

Apparently; the takeover of the major investment banks, two car companies, the world's largest insurance concern, and 17% of the US economy through the passage of health care legislation wasn't nearly enough ‘progress' for these people.

Not to pick exclusively on the speaker, but she did make a rather prescient statement when, in response to a question on MSNBC about when the ‘blame Bush' chorus would no longer sell to the American people she said; "We'll stop blaming Bush when the problems go away." If those are the conditions under which they'll begin taking responsibility for their own actions, then we can look forward to this Democratic excuse for the duration of the republic; as it is the progressives that ARE the problem.

Need I remind anyone that the entirety of the Bush deficit was $482 billion? So far under President Obama, that figure has almost quadrupled to $1.84 trillion. Barack Obama promised an era of post-partisanship where members of both parties would be united. This is one campaign promise I believe he has kept. He has succeeded in dismembering the Democratic Party, while uniting almost the entire country regardless of political persuasion in vocally savaging his agenda.

So, taking this all into account; what is the saving strategy that Democratic consultants have discovered that will lead to Democrats saving their seats in November? According to Stanley Greenberg, who is a partner in Greenberg Quinlan Rosner, a public opinion and strategic research company, he plans to brand Republican candidates as "T.E.A. Party extremists" in November.  Trust me; you can't make this stuff up!

The Democratic Party, which has spent the bulk of the last two years stuffing a decidedly progressive agenda down the throats of the American public, is going to rescue their chances at the polls this November by scaring the American public into believing that the Republicans are more extreme than they are.

We've heard nary a peep out of Congressional Democrats as the President, by decreeing a six month moratorium on all oil drilling, killed the last vestiges of any possible economic recovery for the Gulf region. Deepwater Horizon destroyed fishing and tourism and the President personally killed the remaining employment in the area for the next six months. And he did this in order to set the stage to urge the Senate to pass his cap-and-trade legislation.

Stanley Greenberg is correct; the political landscape is chock-full of extremists this election cycle, but you'll only have to glance at the progressive side of the ticket to find them.