NEW: Permanent Minority vs. Toward the Majority

Check out my new bi-weekly section in The Nation magazine called "Permanent Minority" vs. "Toward the Majority." It is a chronicle of what Democrats are doing to help and hurt themselves and the progressive cause.

Because the online version requires a subscriber login, I've included this first one here:

MINORITY/MAJORITY

Barbara Boxer, profiled in this issue, knows what's needed for Democrats to become the majority party again. Unfortunately, many in the party don't. Beginning with this issue, every other week David Sirota of the Center for American Progress will single out Democrats whose actions help, and hurt, the cause.

Permanent Minority: Representative Allen Boyd has the dubious distinction of being the first Democrat to endorse privatizing Social Security. Newly elected Colorado Senator Ken Salazar defended Attorney General Alberto Gonzales's nomination, despite his involvement in the Iraq torture scandals.

Toward the Majority: Montana Senator Max Baucus, who helped the White House pass its 2001 tax cuts for the rich and its Medicare bill, came out against Social Security privatization, signaling other red-state Democrats to strongly oppose the President's plan. Most Senate Democrats voted against Gonzales.