Molly Ivins is usually pretty careful to use mainstream language. http://www.dfw.com/mld/startelegram/news/columnists/molly_ivins/4154450.htm
And Carlson is a really mainstream Washington Post cartoonist. You need free registration with the WP to read this. And the cartoon is for the Sept-26th 2002, so if you are reading this post after that date, you will need to navigate from the current cartoon to the one for that date. http://www2.uclick.com/client/wpc/sc/
P.S. - I'm changing the title, because naming threads after people makes the discussion more personal than it ought to be.
Of course the words "socialism"(used positively) and "working class" remain beyond the pale <wry grin>.