Skip to main content
Tags: steve rattner | progressive | democrats | scare | me | morning joe

Former Obama Auto Czar: Progressive Dems 'Scare Me'

By    |   Monday, 09 December 2013 01:41 PM EST

The Democratic Party may be lurching too far to the left for some of its more moderate members, including Morning Joe economic contributor Steve Rattner.

"As a centrist Democrat, I am scared about the progressive wing of my party — I'm scared," said Rattner, a former member of President Barack Obama's task force on the auto industry crisis, The National Review reports.

Rattner and show host Joe Scarborough were pushing back at one-time presidential candidate Howard Dean, who was arguing that a left-leaning Democratic party would not pose a problem for the nation.

Urgent: Do You Approve Or Disapprove of President Obama's Job Performance? Vote Now in Urgent Poll

"I think [former president] Bill Clinton put our party right back where it belongs," said Rattner. "We could have been [former candidate] Michael Dukakis for the next 20 years. I want us to stay there."

See videos below.

The overall exchange got heated between Scarborough and Dean. At one point, Scarborough, a former Republican congressman from Florida, accused Dean of spouting "Carl Bernstein nonsense."

Their argument started over a Wall Street Journal opinion piece by the centrist Democratic group "The Third Way, which claimed proposals from Massachusetts Democratic Sen. Elizabeth Warren and New York City's new Democratic Mayor Bill de Blasio will prove disastrous for the party.

© 2025 Newsmax. All rights reserved.


Newsfront
The Democratic Party may be going too far left for some of its more moderate members, including Morning Joe economic contributor Steve Rattner. As a centrist Democrat, I am scared about the progressive wing of my party - I'm scared, said Rattner, a former member of...
steve rattner,progressive,democrats,scare,me,morning joe
215
2013-41-09
Monday, 09 December 2013 01:41 PM
Newsmax Media, Inc.

Sign up for Newsmax’s Daily Newsletter

Receive breaking news and original analysis - sent right to your inbox.

(Optional for Local News)
Privacy: We never share your email address.
Join the Newsmax Community
Read and Post Comments
Please review Community Guidelines before posting a comment.
 

Interest-Based Advertising | Do not sell or share my personal information

Newsmax, Moneynews, Newsmax Health, and Independent. American. are registered trademarks of Newsmax Media, Inc. Newsmax TV, and Newsmax World are trademarks of Newsmax Media, Inc.

NEWSMAX.COM
America's News Page
© 2025 Newsmax Media, Inc.
All Rights Reserved
Download the Newsmax App
NEWSMAX.COM
America's News Page
© 2025 Newsmax Media, Inc.
All Rights Reserved