“Libertarian Democrats”?

Blue-Team Blogfather Daily Kos has posted an ode to the "Libertarian Democrat," a creature he sees as the possible salvation of the party:

A Libertarian Dem rejects government efforts to intrude in our bedrooms and churches. A Libertarian Dem rejects government "Big Brother" efforts, such as the NSA spying of tens of millions of Americans. A Libertarian Dem rejects efforts to strip away rights enumerated in the Bill of Rights -- from the First Amendment to the 10th. And yes, that includes the 2nd Amendment and the right to bear arms.

That's the part traditional libertarians will like best. The rest, not so much. The "libertarianism" Kos describes checks its antistatism at the door, emphasizes economic security and fears corporate power as much as state power. Though judging by Kos's legal blogger "Pericles," who I should thank for his or her very kind write-up of "Power Surge," libertarians and Libertarian Democrats have some common ground on constitutional issues. See "Cato vs. Caesar."

Does the Libertarian Democrat exist? It's doubtful, though Kos has a few examples, including the impressive James Webb, Vietnam war hero, former Secretary of the Navy, and current Democratic challenger to Virginia Senator George Allen. But then the Libertarian Republican has been an elusive creature of late as well, judging by the GOP's constitutional amendment fetish. The last time the flag-burning amendment came up for a vote in the House, only an even dozen Republicans voted against it, and only a couple of those could reasonably be described as "libertarian." Neither party is a reliable friend of liberty, but any effort to move either party in the right direction ought to be applauded.

The Democratic party is quite unlikely to evolve in the direction Kos's post suggests. But if it did, for all its flaws, it would still beat "Big Government Conservatism" any day of the week.