Score One for Big John

This morning's WSJ noted that both Sen. Clinton and Sen Obama. now "sound like John Edwards," when they talk about the economy. Months ago, the Times' Paul Krugman said that Mr. Edwards was "driving the Democratic agenda," and some folks made fun of him because Edwards was soon to be out of the race. Now it appears that Edwards raised the expecations of a large constituency that neither remaining candidate can ignore.

Republicans have always told us that the interests of big business and America generally are in perfect alignment. They were wrong. Centrists Democrats like Bill Clinton and his DLC cohort tried very hard to make those interests align. They failed. Now Democrats must face the fact that progress will be confrontational and that there are those who like the distribution of wealth and the geometry of power just the way it is thank you. This realization is, in itself, a bit of progress for which Mr. Edwards deserves credit.