It seems to me that the phrase " wishy-washy centrist" reveals this writer as pretty wishy-washy himself. Joe Lieberman wishy-washy? They are wishy-washy if and only if they "really" want 'bolder,' more 'liberal' policies but are afraid to fight for them.
II couldn't find an author's name but whoever it is was being a bit wishy-washy him/herself.
Carrol
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Pretty much everyone on this list of speakers at today's launch has a label: wishy-washy centrist who wants the rubes to stop their clamoring before it defeats them in an election (if it already hasn't - Inglis, Crist, Castle) or takes power away from the entrenched producers of conventional wisdom.