Michael Crowley has a great piece in The New Republic today [hat tip Real Clear Politics] where he discusses the impact on the Democrats’ State of The Union PR compaign from the Alito filibuster flop. It seems that instead of filibustering Alito, Kerry and Kennedy simply filibustered the Democrats’ once-per-year opportunity to stand toe-to-toe with Bush on policies.

But, although Democrats showed remarkable unity on the final Alito vote (only four members defected), that solidarity was overshadowed by the filibuster flap. “democrats split over filibuster on alito,” declared the front page of the January 27 Washington Post. Kerry “handed President Bush a big win on the eve of the State of the Union,” says one veteran Senate Democratic aide. Moreover, Democrats were irritated that Kerry’s move had sucked up so much press attention before Bush’s speech. “The whole Democratic strategy was to go into the State of the Union framing it around ethics and corruption,” says the irritated Democratic Senate strategist. “We were doing the Republicans’ job by thrusting [Alito] into the spotlight rather than ethics.”

By Monday, the aggravation at Kerry was plain to see. On a typical day, reporters can barely fend off the press-loving Schumer. But, when he arrived outside the Senate chamber for the filibuster vote, Schumer was grumpy and terse. In what may have been an unprecedented event, Schumer blurted out a quick statement to the press mob and then turned heel and abruptly fled into the chamber.

What Crowley focuses on is how Kerry stole the thunder of the Democrats and irritated his colleagues. But what Kerry did was give voice to the far left base of the party and show them who was willing to do what it takes to stop Bush. The Democrats have for too long spun up their base with over the top, apocalyptic rhetoric only to dodge and weave away from a true battle. Democrats have been fooling themselves along with their most ardent base.

Look at what Kerry did

Kerry also forced some Democrats into highly awkward positions. Reid, for instance, initially groused about Kerry’s move on the Senate floor, making the apt point that there had been “adequate time for people to debate” Alito. But, once Kerry cast the die, Reid (and Schumer) were forced to support the filibuster for fear of enraging liberals. Republicans taunted Reid for flip-flopping. Meanwhile, every other Democrat considering a 2008 White House run–Hillary Clinton, Evan Bayh, Joe Biden, Russ Feingold–voted with Kerry, even though none had planned to force a filibuster themselves.

He forced the leaders to either be with their base or not. He imposed reality onto the process. He showed the far left how few true-blue liberals exist in the Senate. He forced the Democrat civil war to a head. It had to happen – now he can be the leader that brought the partisan base finally out into the open where they wanted to be in the first place.

If Democracy is representation, then Kerry and Kennedy did the right thing by giving clear voice to what I see as the wrong path. It gives all of us clear choices so we do not have to regret or second guess our choices. Kerry may not win the title of leader, because some on the left see his ploy for what it is

But even some liberal bloggers smelled a rat. At the site MyDD.com, the influential blogger Matt Stoller called Kerry’s decision “a classic example of ‘get points for trying’ politics … a way for Senators to get credit from the left-wing of the party without having to actually do anything or stop anything…. The attitude that the insiders have towards us is that we are a stupid ATM set up to feed their ineffectiveness.” Poor John Kerry. It takes real talent to be trashed by the very people to whom you are trying to pander.

What he did do, though, is give the far left a taste of the limelight. The liberal left is fed up with being hidden away from the public and losing ground. They are coming out to stand on their own. They only make up 20% of the population here in the US, but they are a loud lot and more than able to force the remaining 80% to take notice. I am all for this move.