If Peggy Noonan is for Unity 08, I am against it.

[madfloridian]

Any group which gets her endorsement, a warning to beware by Joe Trippi, and has a silly game which features Howard Dean and the scream riding in little cars with Dick Cheney and Jack Abramoff.....is a group which needs to be avoided.

This article shows what I suspected for sure...they are planning on running a "centrist" for president with opposing party for Vice President.

The game itself is under the section called Buzzworthy, and it enough to tip anyone off to back slowly away from that site.

First the article:
Group to push centrist presidential candidate

Thirty years later, some of the veterans from that campaign are aiming to shake things up again. Hamilton Jordan and Gerald Rafshoon, who worked for Carter, and former Republican operative Doug Bailey have launched a project to mobilize Americans who are fed up with extremes in both political parties.

The group, called Unity08, plans to gather millions of voters through the Internet to nominate a centrist presidential candidate, who would be required to pick a vice presidential running mate from the opposing party. What's more, the organizers say they believe their bipartisan ticket can win the 2008 election.

"Alarm bells should ring loud at both party headquarters" if the new online movement gathers many thousands of participants, Trippi said in a column in London's Guardian newspaper.

Peggy Noonan, former speech writer in the Reagan White House and now Wall Street Journal columnist, described her feeling "that we're at some new beginning, that a big breakup's coming" for the two parties as she reflected in a column on Unity08 and the widespread unhappiness with political elites in the capital.

Here's their website, and an article from there which shows the premise from which they start....that Lamont is trying to "purge" Lieberman.

I do not feel at all comfortable with this group. And I am trying to find more about what Trippi said in that London column. Is he really for the group, or is he warning. I don't trust him that much yet.
I feel this group will just keep the same people in power under another name. I think it is meant to ensure that things don't change that much. Thus the Dean Scream and Dean riding in little carts with Cheney and Abramoff.

Something is wrong with that.

The website.
http://www.unity08.com/

The article:
http://www.unity08.com/node/222

[muntrv]

1. I don't listen to anything Peggy Noonan says.

[Finder]

2. Noonan and others would love to undermine Unity08...

and perhaps there is a bit of reverse psychology going on....

[madfloridian]

4. I am not that happy with it either.

I think it is an attempt to keep the same ones in power. I was just reading the blog there, and some of the comments. Some of the posts are against involving college kids because they are too into rap, and against involving MoveOn because it is a lefty group.

They are taking the word moderate over now.

Word games.

[Finder]

7. There are people from all over the spectrum there...

from staunch libertarians to bible thumpers to bleeding heart treehugging liberals.lol

I think it will be interesting to see what platform they finally come up with. I wouldn't judge the movement by those who post on the shoutbox though.

[madfloridian]

9. I judge it because of what I think it is.

I think it is being started by consultants like Jordan, Bailey, and others to keep the power where it is.

[blondeatlast]

22. The platform should be quite a hoot, in that case.

I can't wait to read it!

:rofl:

[Finder]

23. Right now they are just trying to find common denominator...

positions rather than an official platform that can be ignored and not adhered to like candidates from both major parties tend to do lately. From what I can see, I doubt that will happen any time soon.

[madfloridian]

6. Are you for having prez and vp of opposing parties?

Maybe I misunderstood what you were saying.

I don't think it is a good idea myself, not with this power hungry bunch in control.

[Finder]

8. Well that is what the US did originally...

not that I am for it at this point. I am interested in watching how it evolves though.

Anything different from what we have now can't be too bad.

[madfloridian]

10. We are trying to do that through the DNC.

I intend to stick with them. I think this effort is suspect.

[Finder]

13. A majority of the founders are former Deaniacs n/t

[madfloridian]

14. Who?

I don't see any indication of that with the silly little train with the Dean Scream.

I know most who were former/present/whenever, and I don't see those names there.

Maybe I am missing something. I see Nicco's name, but it looks more like an involvement by Echoditto.

[madfloridian]

15. This page with the Glenn Beck interview with Doug Bailey...

has many comments, and they don't sound very Democratic in nature to me. I am all for reaching out, but this situation makes me uncomfortable.

http://www.unity08.com/node/218

[Finder]

17. You mean the anonymous posters?

Like I said before, many posting there are from all over the spectrum. I don't think the movement will do much until we see how the midterm elections go to be honest. Without knowing who the major parties nominate, it is impossible to know if there is even a need for such a movement.IMO

[madfloridian]

20. I have nothing against creativity in politics....

but this bothers me for one big reason.

For once we have someone moderate to centrist who actually is trying to change the structure of the party, get the others to be more outspoken, and hold some feet to the fire on Iraq. So why undermine it?

And that group includes far too many like Jonas and Bailey. They had their turn to govern and get their own party straight and they blew it.

[Finder]

18. Me! n/t

[madfloridian]

19. Here's the Founders Council page.

I only see Nicco Mele and echoditto there who could be called Deaniacs. Could you point out others I may have missed?

http://www.unity08.com/founderscouncil

I see Jim Jonas who worked with Roger Ailes is there also. I intend to go through this list thoroughly.

[elehhhhna]

3. Yeah let's unite with the idiots who wrecked our country. Right away.

[Cocoa]

5. David Broder likes it too

Noonan and Broder are so out of touch it's funny.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/06/02/AR2006060201543.html

[orwell]

11. As someone who has pushed the exteme RW agenda...

...Peggy Poo needs to admit that her fawned-over "manly leaders" have screwed things up but good. She doesn't get to rewrite history and recast herself as part of the new "middle chic."

Global destruction on this scale doesn't deserve a "do-over."

Sorry Peggy...

[madfloridian]

12. Founder Doug Bailey praises and advises Ralph Reed in 1998.

How'd that work out, Doug, you old Republican, you.

http://www.americanpolitics.com/010798BaileyReed.html

My favorite part:

"Ralph Reed is in a vastly different world and situation. Consultants today are not just an accepted part of politics; candidates without them are not considered serious. Reed has infinitely more experience and contacts than we had. He has a superb public reputation while we were (at best) unknown. We had nothing to offer but ourselves; Reed is presumed to bring the entire Christian Coalition and its organizational powerhouse wherever he goes."

Yeh, how'd that work out for you?

And from a PBS Newshour last year with Judy Woodruff, interviewing Hamilton Jordan and Doug Bailey.

http://www.pbs.org/newshour/bb/politics/jan-june06/unity_05-31.html

Jordan tries to make Kerry sound out of the mainstream, and that is not true. I suspect this group of shenanigans for centrists while making the rest of us sound like nuts.

"JUDY WOODRUFF: Well, let me get back to the question that I put to Doug Bailey a minute ago, and that is the people who emerged, the two candidates who emerged from the process in '04, George W. Bush and John Kerry, you know, whether people like an individual candidate or not, they represented the mainstream of their parties, didn't -- I mean, isn't that the question?

HAMILTON JORDAN: I don't think -- they were not attractive to large numbers of voters in the middle."

Not true, Hamilton. You just made that up.

[sendero]

16. Oh sure...

... now that the Rebublicans are on the ropes, they want "unity". I suggest they go fuck themselves with a pitchfork.

[KansDem]

21. I'm with you...

F*ck them and they call for "unity" Don't they remember that Bush was the "Uniter?" Look where that got us, and I don't recall any Repub saying Bush was going to far to the right and jeopardizing the country's "unity." Bush and the GOP went right the minute Bush stole the White House and they haven't looked back!

And I like to be the one working the pitchfork!

[KoKo]

24. Would I "trust" Trippi....He appeared at a Progressive NC Convention

and lots of folks crowded around him to hear his words...because we had alot of Dean Supporters who wanted to know from him "What went wrong."

It could be that Trippi like that Asshole/Idiot/Loser Campaign Strategist Bob Shrum...is just looking for a job (he DOES have to feed himself and family) and so has hired himself out to the "highest bidder."

It's disturbing to see old Carter "insiders" coming out of the "woodwork" on this, though.

I hate to be "cynical" about this...but if Dem Ops see a Gravy Train heading out the Station...they ALL OF THEM will be READY to HOP ON!!!!

For Dems and their Operatives/Campaign Mangers/Strategists/Donors and the REST of the Entourage to be left out since Clinton swooned over Monica "flashing her thong" which started our road to EXILE...I can see that the PIG FEST FOR DEMS is just about ready to begin.

We probably should FACT CHECK every damned thing from our Dems these days as well and Double FACT CHECKING THE REPUGS!!!

We LEFTY ACTIVISTS ARE UNDER SEIGE from BOTH PARTIES!!! :-( and we are gonna' have to be STRONG to STAND FIRM.

[KoKo]

25. On Edit to my above post: "I have a good "gut reaction" to Trippi

but I don't trust him to be more than an "Op" for "Hire." But, he's kinda cool and did support our Dean Candidate for the "NC Party Chairmanship" over the "Dino Dems."

I'm resolved to not being a "purist" on this stuff. Trippi is a "turncoat Dem" to Dean supporters...but I believe he's savvy enough to identify the Up and Coming NEW DEM LEADERS and he's hitched his train to Progressives and if Progressives don't work out...he will go with those who give him a job.

But...I have to say...I say...meeting him...I saw him as a "Likeable PIRATE."

[Mz Pip]

26. They must be running scared

if Nooner and Broder are backing this. They are afraid they will lose big time and want to keep their fingers in the pie.

I've read some of the UnityO8 stuff and I think they are sincere in trying to change the toxic climate that envelopes our current political landscape. But with so little common ground to build on I don't know where this is going.

Still a very close long time Dem activist and historian friend of mine says that the current state of affairs make a serious third party challenge pretty appealing.

Personally I just want good government. I don't see much of it with the gang that's in control right now. I'm for giving the Dems a chance at fixing things. If they can't make a difference then maybe I will be will to wash my hand of this 2 party system.

We shall see.

Mz Pip
:dem:

[Guaranteed]

27. Absolutely. This is their attempt at getting away with going back

to pre-2000 instead of letting the pendulum swing its way fully to the other side.

They'll take it only going halfway. SWEET deal!