Submitted by Illinoisnoki1 on Sun, 10/30/2011 - 17:28

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By Matt Stoller at AlterNet   Note:  Stoller was Rep. Alan Grayson's Policy writer.  October 24th, 2011

The growing movement will force political leaders to choose between Big Money and popular legitimacy.

It's been a little over a month since this bolt of political lightning known as Occupy Wall Street jolted through the political establishment. It's time to assess just what Occupy Wall Street has gotten done. That it has accomplished a great deal is beyond dispute.

Franklin Foer in the New Republic and John Nichols in the Nation have both noted that Occupy Wall Street profoundly challenged President Obama and the Republicans. But what an odd challenge. A few thousand people camped out in parks around the country? Really?

Yet this challenge has completely changed the dominant theme in Washington. Less than a year ago, JP Morgan's Bill Daley was the glad-handling centrist du jour, praised by everyone from Howard Dean to Bob Reich. The "austerity class," as Ari Berman so nicely put it, was in control of the debate, with the Tea Party waiting in the wings ready to slash and burn.

Fast forward to October 2011.  TO READ MORE, CLICK HERE