McAuliffe blames everyone but himself for Losses under his watch

[Mass]

Whether there is any truth in what he says or not (there are always flaws in campaign), I have two issues with that:

-McAuliffe is pushing Hillary once again by bashing other Democrats,

-He is the worst chair that the DNC has had in a while and lost 2 elections in a row!! He is poorly placed to talk when he let the infrastructure of the party dissolved. Thank you to Dean for the 50 state solution.

http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/artandlife/1404AP_Democrats_McAuliffe_Book.html

Somehow, he is right somewhere. Kerry should have done what he wanted and not worry about the Clintons: he should have FIRED McAuliffe rather than adding two people to be co-chairs. Did it happen to McAuliffe there were reasons why Kerry kept him out. Each time I was seeing him on TV, I cringed because he had so little to say that this was embarassing.

[beachmom]

1. BLM was right (as usual)! This idiot has some nerve.

Wrecking the Dem infrastructure, then blasting everyone else for the losses. I love how he uses BUSH, yes BUSH, to trump his case:

He said Bush called President Clinton while he was recovering from his heart attack in September 2004 and said, "The Kerry campaign is the most inept group I have ever seen in politics. Don't let them ruin your reputation."

Seems to me that Mr. McAuliffe should look in the mirror for incompetence and malpractice. When your ENEMY says something, you don't take it as wisdom, idiot!!

Interesting how this Clinton supporter only goes after Kerry as far as '08 goes. Seems he's the only one she really fears.

[MBS]

8. wow--just saw your quote

His citing Bush as an authority just says it all. :mad: And the fact that Clinton must have relayed this conversation to McAuliffe is even more broadly damning of the whole triangulating DLC crowd. I agree with every single word of your comment!!!

[wisteria]

2. This is obviously the Clinton people lining up to attack Kerry.

McAllife plays on the ignorant notions and rants of misinformed bloggers and Washington insiders who have their own agendas or support the Clinton's. There also seems to be a lot of sour grapes going on here. Kerry tried to ignore him or get him fired. How could Kerry do that? He is doing this for the Clinton's and for the DLC wing of our party that wants to garner all the power in the party.
It is no secret that McAulfe is going to be back in one form or another to support Hillary, so this book is his gift to her and Pres. Clinton. His attempt to take out her strongest and most informed rival.

Let him support her. His record of success is dismal. Maybe he is doing us all a favor.

[Gotitdone]

10. Kerry her srongest rival??????

Thats funny.

[newyawker99]

12. Hi Gotitdone!!

Welcome to DU!! :toast:

[k_jerome]

15. welcome to DU...

and it is funny.

[blm]

18. Apparently SHE and her team believe so. I think it's silly - if she wants to PROVE she's best she

should WANT to face the guy who was toughest to beat last time and WANT to outmatch him at the series of Dem debates.

So.....why does Hillary's team want to try and use media ploys to take Kerry down instead of doing it herself with her superior skills during the debates?

Maybe THEY are the ones who should stop ACTING like Kerry is their rival if they don't believe he is.

[MBS]

3. McAuliffe represents the worst in the Democratic Party

He is the very epitome of the latte-sipping, clueless wing of the Dem. Party. He is also the most irritating Dem chair ever (every time I saw him on TV, it was like nails-on-a-blackboard: no wonder, I thought, so many "regular" folks didn't see Dems as on their side, with that pretend-Democrat-wimp on the screen representing my party) ; also, aside from his purported fund-raising skills,he was the least effective party chair in my memory. Dean is a huge improvement , and a much-need breath of fresh air for the DNC. (And I say this even though I was decidely not a Deaniac in the primaries). I personally am tired of the entire Clintonian/DLC crew: Brazille , Begala, Carville, and the whole lot of them. IMO, the 2008 presidential election is shaping up to be a pitched battle for the soul of the Democratic party: it's Clinton/DLC folks vs. everyone else. Speaking for myself, I want the Clintonistas and DLCers OUT of the driver's seat, in 2008.

If I'd been Kerry, I would have kept McAuliffe out of my strategy meetings, too!! Good for Kerry for keeping McAuliffe out!

Clearly, this book is an attempt by McAuliffe to push the blame for 2004 election outcome onto someone besides himself and his sorry DLC/Clintonista crew.

[Mass]

4. McAuliffe forgets one thing. Coordination between the campaign

and the party are illegal. Just a little detail.

[madfloridian]

5. Book events are being hosted by both Clintons.

Interesting....wonder who else he goes after.

I feel sick. I have a comment to make that I made before...read between the lines. That is...watch who starts making moves now to get into the 08 race.

I remember when he told Dean at the DNC HQ not to tear down that crystal wall with his name at the top, and all the big donors for the building listed under it.

Too much is wrong with this. Keep your eyes open.

[beachmom]

6. You think he blasts Dean in the book, too?

It does seem the Clintons fear two people more than anyone else (and, hint, they're not Republicans).

[madfloridian]

7. I don't know yet, but I fully expect it.

I really do. Let's face it, Carville and Begala are close to McAuliffe and they have been doing a damn good job of tearing Dean down.

Yes, I don't know but I expect it. Here is what he told Dean when he took over the DNC:

""There were awkward moments during Dean's first months in Washington, early in 2005, when he found himself working among the party leaders he had repeatedly maligned. In his first official visit to the newly renovated D.N.C. building, Dean was greeted in the lobby by his predecessor, Terry McAuliffe, a close friend of the Clintons and probably the most gifted fund-raiser in the party's history, whom Dean's supporters had long pilloried as the personification of a party run by hacks and obsessed with corporate money. McAuliffe, a man of maddeningly good cheer, pointed to the new wall-size glass building dedication in the lobby, which featured McAuliffe's name at the very top, followed by a list of contributors. ''Now, Howard,'' he said, ''don't you go chiseling that down.''"

That is from The Inside Agitator at the NYT...

http://select.nytimes.com/search/restricted/article?res=F40611FF34550C728CDDA90994DE404482

[blm]

19. McAuliffe may be in charge of going after Kerry while Carville and Begala take on Dean.

They might not want to make an obvious scene of the LAST chair who oversaw losses to be going after the NEW chair who changed the old strategy and oversaw a substantial win.

[Vickers]

9. Wow, his blame-shifting is practically Republicanesque

What an asset. :eyes:

[BuelahWitch]

13. Yeah I was thinking it sounded like *

Never takes responsibility for their actions or decisions.

[Jack Rabbit]

11. McAulliffe had a habit of snatching defeat from the jaws of victory

Perhaps his support of Hillary Clinton is the best thing he can do for Democrats. She's doomed.

[bvar22]

14. To the Good Dr:

Dr. Dean, TEAR DOWN THAT WALL!!!!!

It is an embarassment to REAL Democrats! The Crystal Wall of Shame commemorates the selling out of the American People to deep pocked Corporate special interests!


"McAuliffe, a man of maddeningly good cheer, pointed to the new wall-size glass building dedication in the lobby, which featured McAuliffe's name at the very top, followed by a list of contributors. ''Now, Howard,'' he said, ''don't you go chiseling that down."


The Democratic Party is a BIG TENT, but there is NO ROOM for those
who advance the agenda of THE RICH (Corporate Owners) at the EXPENSE of LABOR and the POOR.

[madfloridian]

17. You mean this crystal wall?

http://select.nytimes.com/search/restricted/article?res=F40611FF34550C728CDDA90994DE404482

"There were awkward moments during Dean's first months in Washington, early in 2005, when he found himself working among the party leaders he had repeatedly maligned. In his first official visit to the newly renovated D.N.C. building, Dean was greeted in the lobby by his predecessor, Terry McAuliffe, a close friend of the Clintons and probably the most gifted fund-raiser in the party's history, whom Dean's supporters had long pilloried as the personification of a party run by hacks and obsessed with corporate money. McAuliffe, a man of maddeningly good cheer, pointed to the new wall-size glass building dedication in the lobby, which featured McAuliffe's name at the very top, followed by a list of contributors. ''Now, Howard,'' he said, ''don't you go chiseling that down."

Sorry, McAuliffe, not tearing it down, just changing it to include the state parties and the people.

[madfloridian]

16. Read this.

This is from The Next Hurrah, one of the blogs I trust. Contrary to what some say about me, I am pretty careful what I post and my sources. I posted this earlier.

This is devastating stuff. I never knew this.

http://journals.democraticunderground.com/madfloridian/680

"I was in a good position to argue for the program because in the 1980's while chairing Alan Cranston's campaign here, I had discovered how pathetic many of our state parties actually were. Many were literally bankrupt, the office supplies and machines (typewriters) had been taken for unpaid debt, and padlocks were on the door. The State Committees that had the franchise were held in one or another lawyer's file cabinet, (In Georgia it had been Bert Lance's for about 20 years), and the reason for this condition was frankly racism. The Southern States would not allow the release of the franchise to a newly elected Central Committee or Board, because it would be Black. They could do this because the parties were in bankruptcy, and whatever lawyer had the letterhead in his files was also the court appointed trustee.

When Dean took over the DNC -- this was the condition of about twelve of our State Parties. He actually had to find lawyers to go into court and get the parties out of this kind of "Trusteeship" before he could even begin to reorganize. In fact, one of the reasons some of the Field Organizers Dean appointed are on the staff of the DNC rather than state parties is because it avoids dealing with old trustees and old court judgments.

"One essential difference between Democrats and Republicans, I think, is that we actually conduct elections for Party Chair. How Mehlman morphed to Steel and then on to Martinez, I don't really know, but I do know that kind of "top down" was not how Dean got his job. He got it because he understood that in many places the party was sick -- and he had a plan to bring it back to health.

According to reporting on KO, Hillary Clinton's office is saying they did not "sign off" on the Carville attack on Dean. As Keith said, that is a bit nuanced, and it needs follow up. The language of "sign off" bothers."

......"Indeed the ultimate question is whether local party organizations can select their own representatives or whether that power will be taken away from the state parties by the DSCC and the DCCC who substitute themselves (as elected officials) for the party organization or the DNC and what creates it. That is what is at stake."

I don't know the blogger personally, but the info seems reliable.

This goes to the fact that what Dean is doing is actually reviving literally "dead" state parties, not just unorganized ones.

The poster, Sara, wrote it right after Carville went after Dean and the Clintons said they did not "authorize" it.

McAuliffe had to know all about this stuff. Why don't we?