I have a question.

[madfloridian]

In fact several of them.

We have a new chair in the DNC. His goal is to rebuild the state parties by taking more grassroots money. It is apparently going ahead of schedule. Fundraising in the DNC is up 50% over 2003. (Comparing it with 2004 is apples oranges).

That is with 3 of the DNC fundraisers quitting because they basically got larger donors. They did not feel Dean was giving them much attention. He said he would, but later. His goal is for corporations not to own us, for the people to have more voice.

The goal of a 50 state plan is halfway there, with 25 states getting paid workers.

Howard Dean is not especially a lefty, but he speaks for most for us, he gives us a voice. I don't agree with him on everything, but I agree on most. I agree on speaking out.

BUT when the 50% raise in fundraising was announced, all at once there was the big to do about the DLC. Hillary declared her loyalty to them. They took over the news cycle, the DNC was ignored.

Well, it was ignored everywhere but on Democratic boards. For a while we were all working together much better, then when the email came out yesterday about 25 states getting help....well, to put it frankly all hell broke loose here.

Folks are saying oh it won't work. Dean needs to tell the state leaders what to do. Well, guess what, if he even presumed to tell them how to handle their state...especially in the SOUTH...he would be damned for that as well.

NOW my question. Why are there so many posts here calling for formation of new progressive groups? Nothing wrong with it, in fact many of them exist already.

I know the answer to my question already. It is because the House and Senate sold us out this week. I agree on that.

But guess what, those of you advocating the damnation of the DNC are forgetting something very important. The congressional leadership was in charge of the votes...the minority leaders, the whips, the DSCC, the DCCC, the NDN, the DLC. The DNC under Howard Dean had NO control over those votes this week.

So why are the DNC and its chairman being blamed for those votes when it is the very thing he is trying to fix? I can not figure it out.

[yurbud]

1. whose blaming? At some point, Howard needs to push back though

Hillbilly Hitler art:



Blog:

[madfloridian]

2. At whom?

Please clarify who is to push back against? How should he do it?

[yurbud]

14. Push back at DLC, though I suppose success at fundraising without

corporate whoring proves his point just as well.

Still, at some point it would be nice to hear him say, "polls consistently show the American people want x, y, and z, including Sen. Biden's (or whoever's) constituents. So when he criticizes me for taking these stands, I have to ask, exactly whose interests is he representing?"

Hillbilly Hitler art:



Blog:

[lojasmo]

3. Howard Dean is "pushing" about as much as I would expect

or want him to.

Howard gets it.

[bvar22]

4. Most of the posts I saw that "called for" new organizations....

...were people that were unfamiliar with DFA (Democracy for America):

http://www.deanforamerica.com/



or the PDA (Progressive Democrats of America)

http://www.pdamerica.org/


It is understandable. Neither of these organizations gets ANY mention in the CorpoPress. That could be because both organizations have pledged to target the Corporate Owned Media for reforms.

I support both of these organizations, and personally feel that they are the Last Foxholes for Democracy. If they are unable to stop the march of the Corporate Juggernaut by 2008, all is lost.

[madfloridian]

6. They are both good groups.

But as I said, I don't understand why some are advocating deserting the DNC when we just got new leadership who wants to bring about change?

Sorry, but it confuses me. DFA has a great role to play. PDA does as well. Advocating substituting them for the party is a little much, though.

We work with both DFA and DNC, and we consider their roles different and important.

[KoKo]

5. Howard Dean will be around long after the rest of the cowards have "split"

He will get his money...from those of us "small fry" but it will never satisfy the DLC/K-Street Crowd who make their living off the Corporate Machine.

Dean will end up being "Moses" who leads us out......of corruption and wildnerness. And...like Moses he will not live to see what he's accomplished...but he cast a "huge light" in the beacon of darkness for all of us so sick of the "Beltway Crowd."

As a reader of history...I think I'm on solid ground with my "gut instinct" here about Dean. Dean like many of us here on DU has qualities of "Cassandra" who spoke to soon of her visions and the sad story through history of those who became so "disenfranchised" that they looked for a leader. Dean hasn't quite caught on to what his role in history is..but he's close. And, there are so many of us who see and FEEL it...that one just has to know the "schism in the Dem Party" was for a reason.

Dean will lead us out. He will...

[madfloridian]

7. Thoughtful post.

He has always been right before people wanted to hear it, and he will have a role in history. I don't think he knows what yet, you are right.

[madfloridian]

8. Still not sure I have any answers.

The congressional leadership was in charge of the votes...the minority leaders, the whips, the DSCC, the DCCC, the NDN, the DLC. The DNC under Howard Dean had NO control over those votes this week.

So why are the DNC and its chairman being blamed for those votes when it is the very thing he is trying to fix? I can not figure it out.

[dsc]

9. There is actually a limit to how much the leaders can control

the members. For all the screaming about sellouts only 15 Democrats voted for CAFTA, and most of them had been pro free trade for a long, long time. In point of fact, many Democrats who have voted for trade agreements for over a decade voted against this one. If we punish people for this vote, what about other issues?

We do have some core issues and maybe we should even make some of those confidence style votes with punishments attached. But we should both say we are doing that before the votes take place and be careful just what votes end up on that list.

As a minority party we can't take away chairmenships and being ranking minority member isn't that big a perk. What would you have the leadership do?

[madfloridian]

10. Not my point at all.

My point was not at all what you just said.

[dsc]

12. Then what does this mean?

The congressional leadership was in charge of the votes...the minority leaders, the whips, the DSCC, the DCCC, the NDN, the DLC. The DNC under Howard Dean had NO control over those votes this week.

end of quote

If those people were in charge of the votes then I would think they would have some power to change them.

[madfloridian]

13. Exactly. Then why are so many people putting the blame on the DNC?

So many here have no clue that the DNC chair can not do much about votes, at least not yet. So why are they talking about leaving the DNC and going independent, when actually the DNC is about the only one of those groups fighting to stand for us? Why not give the new way of rebuilding the party a chance instead of advocating 3rd party?

[Pithy Cherub]

11. Howard Dean is not only building the party sustainbly

from the grassroots ground up, but along with the DNC's executive committee, Dean has some (OK A LOT) say in how to spend a substantial DNC war chest.

Current expenditures are for building an infrastructure that is rapid response and built around a 50 state strategy. Right in time for 2006. Dean knows that this is necessary work and the most urgent in order to put more pressure on those RNC rats to spend cash in places they had not expected. Secondly, DNC executive leadership has to resist overtly responding to the disarray caused by certain corporate controlled Dems.

The DLC Dems learned a very harsh lesson when they took on Dean earlier regarding his remarks. Lately, they have been vewy, vewy kwiet because that was a firestorm that was self-inflicted by not knowing their audience. There may continue to be bickering behind hands, but not out loud lately. The power was in the people and Dean did not request or seek people overtly to cover his six. We just did it.

The DNC's war chest will need distribution. This is where Dean becomes the People's greatest asset in making our voices heard about the types of leaders across the spectrum we would like supported and in with how much financial largesse. Distribution of the DNC's fiscal assets can happen because the first order of business was to have an infrastructure to support challengers and incumbents. That point ($$$$) is not and will not be lost on others.