It is not without some glee that I report on the meltdown of the left. Alright, to be fair, it's just confluence of controversies that will eventually dissipate. But having suffered the smug arrogance of leftists who think anyone to the right of Jess....

I don't understand this "ringing endorsements" business. Kos made clear that Warner's presence at YearlyKos came about purely because he (and Reid) supported the conference when no other pols took it seriously, and he made explicit his unwillingness to choose among the various presidential hopefuls seeking his backing, calling that get-together "just a first date." Yes, Warner is an example of a red-state Dem who made good, but beyond that, I don't see the shilling of which much is being made...

An artilce in The Groan about Kos, Yearly KOS, Jerome Armstrong, Mark Warner, Joe Trippi, Dean....well, you know the cast of characters. Really quite surprising, amazing even, that a report on the subject misses this week’s developments. The Blogola,...

IRAQ Barbarism -- [One Hand Clapping - Donald Sensing] Al Qaeda says Zarqawi’s successor personally beheaded two American soldiers According to Maj. Gen. Abdul Aziz Muhammed-Jassim, head of operations at the Iraqi Ministry of Defense, the two Americ...

Dan Riehl's got the BIG SCOOP: Jerome Armstrong's consulting firm collected over $161,700 from SEIU -- perhaps the most notoriously corrupt union in America -- in a single year! And DailyKos has been pimping SEIU!...

Uh, you are a little behind the times. The center is not where it used to be. Which is why the Dems keep losing elections.

As to Warner, this recent Kos diary post from BooMan23 might help explain it. Long quote to avoid charges of selective quotation:

But there can be no avoiding a controversy about the close relationship that is developing between Warner and Daily Kos. Warner was not only granted the keynote speech; prior to the speech he was allowed to pass out free Yearly Kos t-shirts with his face (not Markos's or Wesley Clark's, or FDR's, or Russ Feingold's, or Hillary Clinton's, or Armando's) superimposed on the front. And on the back, it says 'Forward Together' and 'Authorized and Paid for by Forward Together PAC.' That is Mark Warner's presidential political action committee. Then we were all subjected to a Kennedyesque five-minute canned campaign infomercial. Then Warner gave a well presented and well received speech, emphasizing a Dukakis-like technocratic competency that was striking (if one hadn't been expecting it) for its lack of ideology.

All of this came on the heels of Warner's huge blowout part last night at the Stratosphere (an event that was in no way affiliated with Yearly Kos). The party was lavish, providing cocktails, a sushi bar, and carved meats and cheese trays.

Even before the Keynote address I was hearing a lot of grumbling about Warner's decision to spend so much money buttering up the Kossack crowd. After the t-shirt and informercial stunts, I heard a lot more grumbling.

For some, the problem is a simple matter of how Warner is choosing to spend his money. But for others, the problem is that Mark Warner is a centrist candidate that has strong connections to the Democratic Leadership Council. And it is jarring to see Markos go from declaring war on the DLC to coming within inches of endorsing a DLC candidate for President over two years out from the election.

Let's be clear about one thing. Markos did not endorse Warner. He was explicit about that. But he has given Warner a major platform to try to win over the Kossack community and to raise his profile from a little known Governor, to someone that might give (another DLC candidate) Hillary Clinton a run for her money.

And the question then becomes, "is this what Daily Kos wants? Has Daily Kos come to a point where they are going to cozy up to the Democratic Leadership Council?' Why are we so opposed to Hillary Clinton and Joe Lieberman, if not because they supported the war and do not advocate leaving Iraq? How is Mark Warner any different in this regard?"

I've sat down with Governor Warner and discussed Iraq with him. I like Governor Warner and I know that he is torn over what to do in Iraq. I appreciate, really appreciate, his attitude towards the netroots, toward the progressive community, and toward me personally. I think he is a good man, and I think he should be taken seriously as a candidate. Not all DLC members are the same. There is a big difference between Lieberman, Bayh, and Hillary on the one hand and Warner, Richardson, and Vilsack on the other. Gore is a DLC candidate cut from another mold.

The way the Presidential race is shaping up, it looks like John Edwards and Russ Feingold are going to be the only non-DLC candidates with a prayer of winning. So, looking at Mark Warner makes some sense. At least he is listening, being respectful, and has shown us good-will. Hillary is busy in New York City this weekend.

So, I'm not bashing Mark Warner. I'm not questioning Markos's gratefulness to Warner, or his decision to give Warner the keynote spot. But, I don't think the Kossack community is ready to give up the fight for a more progressive candidate and more progressive politics a full two years before the election. And we are going to see a battle royale between those that think Russ Feingold or John Edwards are the proper candidates to carry the orange banner and those that are won over by coconut shrimp, and free kosmopolitans and t-shirts.