Steal the word 'conservative' from them

The Right excels at co-opting the opposition's messages to confuse voters. Liberals have a great opportunity right now to do the same thing.

I thought about it when grazing the economic news and hearing the phrase "liberalizing banking laws" in references to how we got here: Reagan-era deregulation fever and the more recent destruction of the firewall between commercial banks and investment houses.

The Left could snatch the conservative mantle for specific purposes, like banking/investment law, regulation and enforcement. It works for energy and the environment too.

We should cast the Right as wild, irresponsible and imprudent -- not really conservative at all when it comes to bread-and-butter issues most important to citizens.