I sense that we don't have their attention yet

[Rose Siding]

Just yesterday Sen Schumer, who heads the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee (DSCC is tasked with protecting and supporting the re-election of incumbents) sent out a fundraiser e-mail titled "How We Win".

He was one of the no-shows at today's hearing. Leahy and Feingold looked strong! Their positions were sound. And the party membership agrees with them-

Four in 10 (42 percent) of the adults in the general public say they would support Congressional censure of the president, while half (50 percent) say they would not. Censure wins majority support from Democrats (60 percent) and one in five Republicans (20 percent) say they’d support it. - Newsweek

Do you favor or oppose the United States Senate passing a resolution censuring President George W. Bush for authorizing wiretaps of Americans within the United States without obtaining court orders?
Democrats in Favor: 70% - ARG

But they haven't heard us yet.

What was the perceived risk? In the GOP's House upset a decade ago, at least 2 of the rebels, Coburn and Graham, are now Senators!

Don't get me wrong; there's not an elected Democrat I don't respect and admire. Seriously - not one. All are in the position of representing a ridiculously broad and growing array of people's interests, and I would enthusiastically set a place at my table for any one of them.

But some of them haven't heard us yet.

Like thousands of others I've invested in the reform strategy of the DNC. Democracy Bonds are an income that Dean can depend on to fund the development of party infrastructure well outside of "DC's" influence,
like this and this (yesterday there were 3 canvassing events planned in my area. Today there are 8).

And still they don't seem to have heard us yet.

So what will it take? Pursuit of transformational and revolutionary goals at the local level: check. Membership that wants a shake-up in national politics: check (see polls). So what would be the partisan equivalent of tapping them on the shoulder with a "HEY, YOU! I'M TALKING TO YOU"?

Here is a great big Bucket of Cold Water. This is something they will notice:

Take down Joe.

Or make a terrible noise trying.

Nothing personal. Joe's done some great work. But now his cost/benefit ratio in regards to the progress of efforts to block Republican aggression is deeply in the red. They will hear this. It translates.

Be assured, some (relatively) faint strains are reaching Joe's ears-

Thursday night the Ridgefield Democrats held their caucus to elect delegates to the three conventions that will be held around the state in May to nominate candidates for this fall's elections.

Eight supporters of U.S. Senate candidate Ned Lamont were elected out of a total 11 delegates from Ridgefield elected.

Lamont is the businessman and who is running to defeat Joseph Lieberman in the Democratic primary in August.

We Don't Have Their Attention Yet.

Crank it up. Make 'em hear.

http://www.actblue.com/page/nedlamontforsenate

http://www.cleanfunny.com.nyud.net:8090/i/s/sonic-boom.jpg

[ClassWarrior]

1. Who all no-showed?

NGU.

[WillyT]

4. Dem No Shows:

Kennedy
Biden
Kohl
Feinstein
Schumer
Durbin

Committee's website: http://judiciary.senate.gov/members.cfm

[Rose Siding]

8. Do we know their excuses yet?

Are they talking?

[ayeshahaqqiqa]

2. Sam Seder has been promoting Lamont

the fact that so many of his delegates won in Ridgefield is good news. But I don't know the political landscape of CT - is Ridgefield a place you'd expect this outcome? What other places will be electing delegates, and what are Lamont's chances there?

[Rose Siding]

5. I don't know

It's an extremely small sample and I don't know the schedule for other meetings like that.

fdl, kos, and Atrios have kept up with some of the latest on Lamont.

Here's what he had to say about today's topic:

snip>
"We have got to have wiretaps in the post-9/11 world, but darn it, we’re a nation of laws and we have the FISA act," he said. "The president interpreted this law for his own purposes, and in many cases probably broke the law. I say you have to hold him accountable for that."

He added: "I’m sort of sympathetic to the idea of a censure, it seems like an appropriately modest remedy in a short-term way to say nobody’s above the law. Senator Lieberman said, ‘I don’t want to scold the president.’ Well, why not? When he’s wrong I think he should be scolded, and that’s an appropriate way to do it.

http://www.journalinquirer.com/site/news.asp?brd=985

Isn't that just heartbreakingly....sensible?

[Rose Siding]

6. Here's some good analysis

Bowers at MyDD:

snip>
Donate to Ned Lamont. Seriously. It is difficult to overestimate how much the netroots are putting on the line in this campaign. It is difficult to overestimate how much the Democratic leadership in DC would change if we were to help take out Lieberman. This is a race that could really change things. Lamont is strong progressive and receiving a ton of great press as Lieberman does little but whine, threaten, and lash out. You can read the extensive MyDD archive on Ned Lamont here, and the truly remarkable Dailykos archive on this race here.

http://www.mydd.com/story/2006/3/30/184323/524

and Stoller:

Last week I blogged about a rumor that the Lamont campaign was hiring a serious union figure in Connecticut. I confirmed that today. Rick Melita, who has 25 years of experience in Connecticut local and union politics and field organizing is coming on staff to the Lamont campaign to be the field director.

Ned Lamont has a very serious campaign operation going on.

Now let's get Ned to 3000 donors...

Update: In the comments, Nonpartisan points out that Lieberman is hiring 5 field directors for $3000/month and 20 field organizers for $2000/month through Democratic GAIN. He'll have a fearsome ground game. I have to say, most people who takes a job like that will be miserable. Politics is about compromise, so working for someone you're not excited about is one thing. But it is downright awful to work for someone you don't actually support just for your career.

http://www.mydd.com/story/2006/3/31/0474/10768

[fooj]

3. I couldn't believe the Repub callers on C-span...all in favor of censure

All but ONE! It was one vote away from unanimous. And that was from both sides of the isle.

[Joe Fields]

7. Very good post.

By the time they "get it" I'm afraid it might be too late.

[KoKo]

9. Rose, here's a Connecticut view on Liberman from a poster today.

There are replies on that thread that kind of say that Lamot is popular in the wealthier areas of Connecticut...Greenwich, etc. I used to live in Ridgefield so I would put that in definitely the wealthy area. (It was conservative when I lived there many years ago)

Anyway the post and thread is an interesting read.

I agree with what you say, BTW.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=132&topic_id=2544456

[Rose Siding]

12. I saw that

thanks. Some good, some questions. I still believe Lamont would be a trade up.

I agree with what Digby wrote today-

snip>
His voting record is beside the point. Through his rhetoric he's given tremendous solace to the Republicans over and over again at the most critical times. He's advanced their most pernicious ideas, not through votes, but by continuously validating their premises. He's not the only member of the party to have done this, but he's the one who has gone the farthest to normalize the cheap, phony moralism the GOP sells as "character."

He just doesn't seem to understand the nature of the current political environment, probably because he is ensconced in the bosom of the establishment, sharing cocktail weenies with the cognoscenti and believing his own hype. The terrain looks far different from where the rest of us sit. "His way" looks a lot like treachery.

I did not think it was possible for him to lose the primary. But damn if it doesn't look like it is. Lamont is an impressive candidate, attractive and well-spoken. His run is not joke and it appears that Lieberman is actually worried. Joementum seems to leave the door open to running as an independent if that happened, a la his nemesis Lowell Weicker. I don't know why he wouldn't just make the leap and join the GOP. That's what his new idol, the very moral Frank Sinatra, did. Why play games?

http://digbysblog.blogspot.com/2006_03_01_digbysblog_archive.html#114384832372334099

[Zimmy44]

10. Let's get Clinton's attention, too

She's on the same wavelength as Lieberman...and right now she's at the Petroleum Club in Dallas, fundraising! Crank it up indeed - go to tasininfornewyork.org and donate to Jonathan Tasini's primary campaign against Clinton. He's anti-war, pro-censure, pro-impeachment. He and Lamont would make a great new team from the Northeast.

[Rose Siding]

11. Nope

I don't see her in the same category at all, nor would I equate Lamont's challenge with Tasini.

Perhaps I was unclear. The immediate replacement of all the Democrats that aren't as combative as I'd like does not put us in a position of strength.

[Rose Siding]

13. A couple of hours left in this quarter

snip>
It is difficult to overestimate how much the netroots are putting on the line in this campaign. It is difficult to overestimate how much the Democratic leadership in DC would change if we were to help take out Lieberman. This is a race that could really change things. Lamont is strong progressive and receiving a ton of great press as Lieberman does little but whine, threaten, and lash out. You can read the extensive MyDD archive on Ned Lamont here, and the truly remarkable Dailykos archive on this race here.

http://www.mydd.com/story/2006/3/30/184323/524