via 44:
Headed by New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg, a veritable 'who's who' of moderate politicians are participating in the No Labels launch in New York City. Among the participants are: retiring Sen. Evan Bayh (D-Ind.), Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.), Rep. Bob Inglis (R-S.C.), former Rep. Tom Davis (R-Va.), Sen. Joe Lieberman (I-Conn.) and Republican-turned-independent Florida Gov. Charlie Crist.
No Labels is the latest in a lengthy list of groups preaching moderation and reason as a cure to crippling partisanship. Some have had, well, moderate success, but others have crashed and burned. Here's a sample:
Unity08: Launched to much fanfare in the lead-up to the 2008 presidential campaign with the promise of a bipartisan presidential ticket, this group ultimately fizzled out after its founders left to start an unsuccessful "Draft Michael Bloomberg" movement. However, Unity08 claimed some degree of success with the candidacy of Barack Obama, whose campaign adopted unity as its primary theme.
Shadow Convention 2000: The brainchild of conservative-turned-liberal media star Arianna Huffington, the so-called "citizens' intervention in American politics" hosted its own 2000 convention in Philadelphia. The event was headlined by Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.), who was booed when he offered praise for his former campaign rival, George W. Bush.
Although...every great movement needs a theme song. And No Labels has Akon?!
