What happened to the New Democrats?

This is what I believe:

New Democrats are the modernizers of the progressive tradition in American politics. We believe in the traditional values that have always propelled the Democratic Party and we believe that the best way to further those values in a new era is to modernize our policies and programs to keep up with the changing times.

Our enduring purpose is equal opportunity for all, special privilege for none. Our public ethic is mutual responsibility. Our core value is community. Our outlook is global. And our modern means is an empowering government that equips people with the tools they need to get ahead.

New Democrat policies transcend the stale left-right debate and define a Third Way for governing based on progressive ideas, mainstream values, and innovative solutions that reflect changing times. New Democrat ideas that have become law include national service, work-based welfare reform, charter schools, community policing, an expanded earned-income tax credit, and market incentives for environmental protection.

What happened to the New Democrats? What happened to the Hyde Park Declaration? We have a damn good document in that declaration, one that we could build our party around. But the DLC has lost its way, blinded by the quotidien ritual of politicking. Gore used to be one, but he's become so entangeled in his political maneuvering that he doesn't know what he stands for anymore. Obama and Emmanuel are New Democrats, but Emmanuel had a hand in undoing Paul Hackett. Obama so far has been able to keep himself out of politicking for the most part, although he did receive that bizarre letter from McCain that accused him of just that.

All Democrats should read the document to remind ourselves of what we need to do. Someone with a loud voice needs break out the Hyde Park Declaration and start preaching it from the mountaintops, for only this can bring us a healthy November.