Counter the DLC*** Invest with Dean/DNC in Democracy bond effort.

[shance]

The quiet power changes of appointing Gov. Vilsack and Hillary Clinton to the very right leaning Democratic Leadership Council, (DLC) seems to glarringly reveal to me just how important our investment in those like Governor Dean and the newly created Democracy bond effort is.

The only way to beat those who do not have mainstream Americans interest at hand, who have consistently voted AGAINST the best interests of all Americans, and who cowardly resigned our boys and girls in inviting George Bush and Dick Cheney to send them over to Iraq and forever alter their futures and possibilities, and that of course includes the DLC, is through every single one of us giving a monthly investment in the DNC, and commit along with Governor Dean to change the power in our party's structure.

Im have not been a strong supporter of the Democratic National Committee.

I am now.

And I am a strong supporter of disciplined, loyal leaders like Governor Dean, who like a few of our other Democratic leaders, is less impressed with the Washington D.C. power perks than he is with changing the pretty horrific, hedonistic direction this country is going.

It will depend upon the commitment all of us take. Governor Dean cannot do it all. He doesn't need fans, he needs those of us who will take action. Our success is up to us and our unity. What are we willing to give up in order to succeed? If we all do it, it will happen.

Please sign up for the Democracy bond effort today.

[still_one]

1. we are where we are today because of the DLC

[shance]

2. What are you going to do about it my friend?

What are you willing to do to bring more of the power back into your own hands as a citizen and as a Democrat?

[still_one]

4. I have donated to the DNC with a note expressing my support for Dean

and that they had better support him or they would lose support from me.

I gave a fair amount in the 2004 election to the DNC, so they better back DEAN

He is one of the few who speak truth to power

[shance]

5. Rock on!!

I think we speak truth to power as well when we contribute and let the DNC know what we think. We also strengthen our voice within the party.

Thanks for the post SO***

[mrgorth]

3. I feel like it's 10 years ago

and I'm watching WCW where the NWO Wolfpack is fighting the NWO black and white.

[shance]

6. What are the WCW and NWO gorth?

n/t

[mrgorth]

9. World Championship Wrestling

It used to compete with the WWF. The NWOs were "tribes" of wrestlers in the WCW. Good guys vs. bad guys.

[shance]

14. Too funny.

I thought thats what you meant but wasnt sure.

[flpoljunkie]

7. Is there any evidence that Dean distances himself and party from the DLC?

His supporters often defend Dean by saying he governed as a centrist in Vermont, and was, a member of the DLC, himself as Governor.

As for me, no money to any of the organizations--DNC, DCCC, DSCC--until they start acting like real Democrats and stand up for economic justice for the American people.

They can start by addressing the egregious practices of the banks and credit card companies, and the outrageous fees they are allowed to legally charge. Hell, just talk about it--for a start!

[shance]

10. I can understand that Flpol and in many ways totally agree.

I have been a supporter of Howard Dean since his campaign and I have to say his actions and his ability to listen and take action off of what he's hearing has been what has impressed me the most.

That is why I continue to stay involved. When I see leaders like Governor Dean, John Conyers, Barbara Boxer, Jan Schakowsky and some others respond to constituents and understand the problems and issues of what we are dealing with, I believe our Democracy still has a chance.

I think progress is going to take some time. We are going to move two steps forward, a step or two back for a while I think. However, when its in our blood to make things better, we have to help those who are trying to make it better as well.

Agree with you fully about the banks and the credit card companies. I also think these institutions are going to take some time and again, more individuals/volume of pressure for them to change and become more accountable. It is inexcusable and Mastercard and others are accountable for this leaking of private information that just occured recently.

Alot has to be done. If we pool our energy and resources together with like minded and committed individuals, we'll be able to make a large enough and powerful enough voice to alter the way things are happening.

Those are my thoughts.

[AntiCoup2K4]

13. Vilsack's appointment is evidence

He's being rewarded for a "job well done" at the Iowa caucuses.

Also, look who always comes out to bash DEAN when he tells the truth about Republicans.

Biden. Lieberman. Richardson. all the DLC mediawhore squad.

The DLC brought corporatism to the Democratic Party and wants to keep the party dependent on big business. Howard Dean has proven that he doesn't need corporate donors to raise money, he just needs the people, and .......
.......the BAT!!

This particular bat, in fact came from one Saturday last summer when Dean and his supporters pitched in $500,000 for the Kerry campaign in one afternoon. Corporations? Who needs 'em?

And that scares the shit out of the DLC. As well it should.

[Eloriel]

15. Are you familiar with Dean's activities since he became chair?

Apparently not else I can't imagine you asking the question.

Were you familiar enough with his campaign to know that the DLC trashed him AND his supporters repeatedly? He spoke out against them then, and raised a lot of money on the DLC's attacks on him and us.

I rather doubt it would be a good thing for him to be too vocal about them now, but every time he's EVER said anything about "Republican-Lite" he meant them and any other half-assed Dems.

I can personally assure you that Dean is the very antithesis of the DLC. The DLC wants power in their and other elites' hands; Dean wants the power with The People and is working his BUTT off making that happen, in his usual way: indefatiguably, day in and day out, starting about the minute he was elected.

He deserves your support, IMO -- because of his character and integrity, his politics, his vision for the Party, and the incredible work he's been doing to implement that vision. He is rebuilding the Party from the ground up.

[KingFlorez]

8. Not a good idea

I don't like the idea of fighting any faction of our party. The DLC has been around since 1985 and I don't think it's the cause of our problems.

[shance]

11. The DLC is a Democratic organization? Since when?

They have certainly done nothing to respect the foundation and principles of the Democratic party overall.

My opinion. I also don't like the fact they seem more secretive and less inclusive than other Democratic organizations.

My intention is not to divide. I think the focus should be more on the DLC's intention.

If the DLC would like to act like Democrats, then they should act like Democrats and not more like a group of Washington lobbyists.

The policies, positions and candidates of the Democratic Leadership Council have consistently been much further in line with the Republican party than it has been with the Democratic party.

[Eloriel]

16. It's most certainly the cause of SOME of our problems

DLC
The best way to control the opposition is to lead it ourselves. -- Lenin

Democrats for Wolfowitz
(see esp. inoire's post #20) http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=132&topic_id=1687818&mesg_id=1688529 )
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=132&topic_id=1687818&mesg_id=1687818&page=

LINKS - What every DUer and every Dem needs to know about the DLC
http://www.democraticunderground.com/cgi-bin/duforum/duboard.cgi?az=show_thread&om=4443&forum=DCForumID22&archive=

Let's be REALLY honest about the DLC
http://www.democraticunderground.com/cgi-bin/duforum/duboard.cgi?az=show_thread&om=23262&forum=DCForumID60&archive=


Outing the "New Democrats" -- Pukes in Progressive Clothing.
http://www.democraticunderground.com/cgi-bin/duforum/duboard.cgi?az=show_thread&om=1435&forum=DCForumID34

Everyone who is a fan of the DLC, needs to read this post,
(Devils Advocate NZ's post is included)
http://www.democraticunderground.com/cgi-bin/duforum/duboard.cgi?az=show_thread&om=11323&forum=DCForumID60#114

Kerry, the New Democrats, and American Military Hegemony
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=132&topic_id=326015#326061

New Dems formed to get corporate donors, be free from party base ideology
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=132&topic_id=1346735&mesg_id=1346735&page=

Ask the questions NOW of the DLC and Clinton. Corporate funding.
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=132&topic_id=1372759#1373432

New Dems formed to get corporate donors, be free from party base ideology.
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=132&topic_id=1346735&mesg_id=1346735


(OMG! The PNAC/DLC Connection!)No More Moore: DLC Joins the Witch-Hunt
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=104&topic_id=2784312
Link: http://nypress.com/17/48/news&columns/taibbi.cfm

"We've got to repudiate, you know, the most strident and insulting anti-American voices out there sometimes on our party's left... We can't have our party identified by Michael Moore and Hollywood as our cultural values."
— Al From, CEO, Democratic Leadership Council

"You know, let's let Hollywood and the Cannes Film Festival fawn all over Michael Moore. We ought to make it pretty clear that he sure doesn't speak for us when it comes to standing up for our country."
— Will Marshall, President of the Progressive Policy Institute, the think-tank of the DLC

>snip<

In addition to his duties as the president of the PPI, Marshall kept himself busy in the last few years. Among other things, he served on the board of the Committee for the Liberation of Iraq, an organization co-chaired by Joe Lieberman and John McCain whose aim was to build bipartisan support for the invasion of Iraq.

Marshall also signed, at the outset of the war, a letter issued by the Project for the New American Century (PNAC) expressing support for the invasion. Marshall signed a similar letter sent to President Bush put out by the conservative Social Democrats/USA group on Feb. 25, 2003, just before the invasion. The SD/USA letter urged Bush to commit to "maintaining substantial U.S. military forces in Iraq for as long as may be required to ensure a stable, representative regime is in place and functioning."

One of just a handful of Marshall's co-signatories on that letter was Bruce Jackson, who also happens to be the head of the PNAC (whose letter Marshall also signed) and the founder of the aforementioned Committee for the Liberation of Iraq. Jackson is not only a neo-con of high rank and one of the chief pom-pom wavers for the war effort. He was also a vice president in the weapons division of Lockheed-Martin between 1993 and 2002—meaning that he was one of the implied targets of Bowling for Columbine, which came out in Jackson's last year with the company.

Clearly, Marshall was thinking about the good of the Democratic Party, and not the integrity of his grimy little network of missile-humping cronies, when he and Al From made the curious—and curiously conspicuous—decision to denounce Moore, Hollywood and France at the DLC meeting in early November.


RIGHT WEB: http://rightweb.irc-online.org/org/ppi.php

Overview of DLC
http://rightweb.irc-online.org/ind/marshall/marshall.php

PPI
http://rightweb.irc-online.org/org/ppi.php

WILL MARSHALL: http://rightweb.irc-online.org/ind/marshall/marshall.phpAlthough

[shance]

17. Terrific work Eloriel, as always.

The facts speak for themselves.

Thank you for taking the time and effort to pull that very helpful information together.

[wyldwolf]

23. links to other DLC discussions/ DU'ers opinions?

hmmm. Wouldn't write a term paper on those links!

[corbett]

12. Dean's Doing A Great Job - I'll Buy Bonds Starting In August

Check out his appearance on the "Daily Show" last week!

http://www.comedycentral.com/sitewide/media_player/play.jhtml?itemId=15866

[shance]

18. Couldn't agree more Corbett.

Thanks for the Daily show link.

[shance]

19. kickin

n/t

[wyldwolf]

20. How does this "counter the DLC?"

Money taken in through this is contributed to Democratic candidates across the country. As the DNC site says, the funds will "build the Democratic Party from the ground up in every precinct so that we can compete everywhere" and "win elections in every state and territory of the United States, at every level of office."

If someone like Dennis Kucinich is the nominee in '08, he gets some money. If it is Joe Biden or Hillary, they get cash, too.

People like Salazar and Boxer will both get funds.

The DNC will support candidates who have a chance of winning. They certainly will not discriminate based on ideology or litmus tests. In red states (and in some blue states), this will include moderates and centrists and, yes, even members of the DLC.

I'm surprised no one has pointed this out in this thread yet.

[shance]

21. Do you want corporations and lobbyists dictating your parties direction?

Or would you rather be a part of something that inspires hope and pride for everyone and not just a lucky few?

I've noticed one of the main reasons friends of mine have become cynical about politics is due to the fact they feel they have no influence and no voice, which means no power. That's what concerns me.

We need to get people involved again in the political process. The disconnection between Washington and everyone else I believe is the primary culprit and it hurts all of us in the long run, even those in DC. Apparently there are some in DC who don't have the bigger vision to understand that fact.

I believe there are those in both parties that are disinterested and/or actually hoping to discourage more involvement and power from their constituents and are pursuing more control in Washington and primarily at the Federal level. From what I have observed the DLC would be one such organization that is doing this, however intentionally or unintentionally.

Up to this point, I have seen or heard nothing that would make me believe the DLC is committed to strengthening the Democratic party through building more unified local and state party groups.

I've been a Republican and grew up in a family with members very involved in Republican politics, and after being a Democrat for over fifteen years, I believe the greatest strength bar none in our party is our numbers and our unity.

On a financial level, we simply cannot compete on a high donor basis with Republicans and I don't believe we should try. I think we've gotten a little lazy and on a fundraising note, its simpler to do a fundraiser for higher donors, and that is understandable and for now its necessary. The building of our party however will only come from reaching out and inviting everyone to get involved and interested again.

I think I went off on a different direction perhaps from your original question.

Basically, I think the 'countering' of the DLC, comes from inviting more Americans to become involved again in politics and lessening the influence of the Washington power grip, which in this case seems to be coming from the DLC.

I would love to know if there are more positive aspects for all Democrats coming from the DLC. If someone has more details on what they do, I would be interested to know. We need everyone involved.

Seems to me its the exclusion of any individuals in the political process that hurts us the most. I believe the DLC is more exclusionary than is certainly constructive to the Democratic party.

[wyldwolf]

22. Powergrip?

Do you want corporations and lobbyists dictating your parties direction Or would you rather be a part of something that inspires hope and pride for everyone and not just a lucky few?

The wording of this question is a set-up. So let's cut to the chase. "Democracy Bonds" is a way to raise money. Period. You're not given a voice when you donate. You don't dictate where or to who your money goes. Contributing gives you no influence.

Corporate donations have and will continue to play a pivotal role in politics - including the DNC. What, you think Howard Dean is going to return the cash he got from Entergy/Koch industries, NewsCorp, etc.? Think Barbara Boxer is going to refuse more donations from Time Warner, Sony, Disney, and others?

I could go on and list the corporate connections of many more very non-DLC democrats.

I'm seeing a lot of "I believe... I've seen or heard nothing" etc. in your post. Seems to me you're basing much of what you believe about the DLC on the opinions of others at DU.

What makes you think the Washington powergrip, as you termed it, comes from the DLC?

Only 42 of over 400 US House members are DLC and only 18 of 50 Senators are DLC.

Where is this powergrip?