First things first. I must give credit to Marc Maron one of the hosts of Air America’s Morning Sedition for coining the term “sheepole” at least that is were I first heard it – sheepole speaks volumes for the current state of the conservative movement in America, fueled by fear and phony patriotism.

Second I am a LIBERAL and damm proud of it – so screw you Rush Limbaugh (Big Fat Dumb Liar and drug addled stutterer) and others for demonizing the term. We need to take back its true meaning; the best expression I ever heard was JFK’s expression of what it means to be a liberal.

What do our opponents mean when they apply to us the label "Liberal?" If by "Liberal" they mean, as they want people to believe, someone who is soft in his policies abroad, who is against local government, and who is unconcerned with the taxpayer's dollar, then the record of this party and its members demonstrate that we are not that kind of "Liberal." But if by a "Liberal" they mean someone who looks ahead and not behind, someone who welcomes new ideas without rigid reactions, someone who cares about the welfare of the people -- their health, their housing, their schools, their jobs, their civil rights, and their civil liberties -- someone who believes we can break through the stalemate and suspicions that grip us in our policies abroad, if that is what they mean by a "Liberal," then I'm proud to say I'm a "Liberal."

John F. Kennedy - Acceptance of the New York Liberal Party Nomination - September 14, 1960.



However, liberals have cowered away from the true meaning of liberalism, hardly any politician today calls themselves a liberal. Why not there is much to be proud of in the past. As Ron Silver’s character (R – in real-life and Bush War apologist) on the West Wing so aptly put it:

Somebody came along and said 'liberal' means 'soft on crime, soft on drugs, soft on Communism, soft on defense, and we're gonna tax you back to the Stone Age because people shouldn't have to go to work if they don't want to.' And instead of saying, 'Well, excuse me, you right-wing, reactionary, xenophobic, homophobic, anti-education, anti-choice, pro-gun, Leave it to Beaver trip back to the '50s,' we cowered in the corner and said, 'Please don't hurt me.'

Bow tie boy - Tucker Carlson (R – giggling idiot and failing talk show host) loves, just loves to make fun of Barbara Streisand but as she so aptly put it once.

I am also very proud to be a liberal. Why is that so terrible these days? The liberals were liberators -- they fought slavery, fought for women to have the right to vote, fought against Hitler, Stalin, fought to end segregation, fought to end apartheid. Liberals put an end to child labor and they gave us the five day work week! What's to be ashamed of? Barbara Streisand

Some have gone as far as moving away from the liberal label and using "progressive" instead - why? Why let the right wing make us change our language, it should be the other way around. Its time we liberals stood up and fought back, and speak up and explain to the sheepole all the good things that liberalism has done for this country. These quotes above are a good starting point.