That being said, many on the American left have been vocal about their criticisms of Obama. Taibbi's article was the subject of numerous diaries on Daily Kos, several of which made the rec list. It's been linked on many other sites within the left blogosphere.
The left's lobbying organizations, such as MoveOn.org, are playing this strategically. They're not happy with Obama, but are holding their fire for the time being, preferring to focus on the Democratic Congress (which is just as much a part of the problem as Obama). Or they are taking on Obama ever so carefully - asking him to uphold his promises, without launching into an overt attack. In short, those on the left who are upset that Obama is even more of a corporate centrist than we thought are preferring to organize to push him to do the right thing than to criticize.
The moment of truth will come later this year with the health care bill. If Obama sits on his ass as he's currently doing, lets Congress pass a crappy "reform" that is little more than an insurance industry bailout, and then signs it - then you will see very overt anger coming from a much broader segment of the American left, as well as from Obama's base. Combined with a prolonged recession, including high unemployment, this would signal a rough 2010 for Obama and the Dems. Which, of course, they'd be bringing upon themselves. And the world will live as one
By 'US Left' I mean, "A large, organized, movement with a coherent ideology critical of the status-quo giving a practical alternative to the status-quo." The organized movements aren't large and the large movements aren't organized and neither offer a coherent ideology or practical alternatives.
You can truthfully say there is not a large, organized US left with a coherent economic ideology critical of the status-quo giving a practical alternative to the status-quo, but there is a US left. And you're doing them no favors by playing the Establishment "if I can't see you from my womblike existence then you don't exist" card. The fact that you don't see them doesn't mean they do not exist. It simply reflects the fact that a leftist economic ideology doesn't lend itself to buying lots and lots of media and politicians in order to promote their agenda. Bit of a problem that. I was in a bar with 100 people and our State Treasurer the other night, and he said that the supporters of the public option don't want put private insurers out of business. Someone in the room said, "Yes we do," and was met with a thunderous applause.
There is a large, organized US left with a coherent social ideology critical of the status-quo giving a practical alternative to the status-quo.
Actually - nix that. "Coherent" is a strawman. "Pretending that you already know the answer when you don't is not actually very helpful." ~Migeru.
Detainees, Even if Acquitted, Might Not Go Free
The Obama administration said Tuesday it could continue to imprison non-U.S. citizens indefinitely even if they have been acquitted of terrorism charges by a U.S. military commission.
The fact that you don't see them doesn't mean they do not exist.
We're talking 5% of the population, just about, aren't we? A man of words and not of deeds is like a garden full of weeds; a man of deeds and not of words is like a garden full of turds — Anonymous
Please provide evidence I ever stated there are no US Left organizations.
Speaking of that ...
The most effective¹ Left Organization is the Democratic Socialists of America a splinter (Harrington's faction, mostly) of the old Socialist Party. But they are tactically and strategically an externally organized pressure group to function within the Democratic Party. I'm sure they wouldn't mind if they had millions of members; not on their To Do list, tho'.
¹ In terms of affecting government policy
Give me three accomplishments the US Left has pushed through in the last 20 years to roll back concentration of political and economic power of the Ruling Elites.
