Justin Coussoule Confirms Obama/Kaine Threw Out Dean's 50 State Strategy And Have Given Him NO Supp

[Donnachaidh]

http://crooksandliars.com/nicole-belle/justin-coussoule-confirms-obamakaine


Justin Coussoule Confirms Obama/Kaine Threw Out Dean's 50 State Strategy And Have Given Him NO Support
By Nicole Belle Saturday Aug 14, 2010 4:00pm


Ah...the mark of Emanuel strikes again.

Rahm Emanuel, as the head of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, famously decided that the best way for the DCCC to claim big wins in the 2006 was to focus his efforts on select safe seats and back candidates that would be easily persuadable to Emanuel in office. He flatly rejected Howard Dean's 50 State Strategy. As a result, the Democratic Party did pick up 30 seats in the House in the 2006 election, but lost some really great progressive candidates like Darcy Burner, because they refused to give them any investment. Who knows how many more they might have picked up (and how much further left of the DLC/Blue Dogs Emanuel backed) if they had went with Dean's strategy. Certainly, Axelrod and Plouffe went more with Dean than Emanuel in their presidential campaign strategy.

Unfortunately, it looks like DCCC head Chris Van Hollen and DNC chair Tim Kaine are listening more to Emanuel in this year's mid-term elections. Justin Coussoule, who is enjoying the full endorsement of Blue America, openly tells Chris Jansing that he has received no support whatsoever from the DNC or DCCC.

Video and text at the link --

[rucky]

1. You can go to Justin's site and donate directly.

He's catching fire. Maybe OH-8 has a chance?

http://www.coussouleforcongress.com/

PS: In all fairness, the DNC has sent orgnaizers here to train volunteers. I'll be canvassing next week.

[TheWraith]

52. The whole premise of this claim is flawed, and it's rabble-rousing.

The "50 state strategy" was never about trying to compete in every single district in the country no matter how far gone. Does anyone remember James Carville publicly calling out Dean right before the 2006 election for not funding MORE districts and MORE candidates?

This is nothing more than an effort by a dead-in-the-water challenger to draw some attention to himself, running in a district that hasn't been winnable for a Democrat any time within the last 70 years. He's exploiting the bias of a certain Obama-bashing segment of the blogosphere to self-promote.

[rucky]

64. Guess what a majority of voters are registered as in OH-8?

Independents. It hasn't always been this way. Why would you try to discourage people from supporting him?

[LiberalFighter]

2. I guess they don't need our support if they only want safe seats.

Oh... and Rahm can go cut the finger off of his other hand.

[RaleighNCDUer]

34. Amazing how such long-time political operatives have not figured out -

there are NO safe seats.

[TheWraith]

53. The one this guy's running for has been Republican for 70 years.

Boehner has been occupying it for the last 20 of those. I'd call that fairly safe.

[RaleighNCDUer]

79. Makes no difference. The ONLY safe seat is the one not challenged.

Dean proved that with his 50 state strategy, when we picked up seats the DLC never considered challenging.

[bvar22]

98. Would you have said that (safe seat) about Kennedy' seat in Massachusetts?

?

[xchrom]

3. Recommend

[Fumesucker]

4. K&R

[RufusTFirefly]

5. Whatta shock!

Not.

[Hawkowl]

6. Change we can believe in!!

Maybe Obama meant change back to the losing way of Democrats? Like Mondale, Dukakis, Gore, and Kerry? Stupid.

The DLC is the WORST thing to happen to this country since the goddamn civil war. If we wouldn't have had the DLC fucking up every goddamn election for the last 20 years we could've avoided the whole shrub mess.

[FarLeftRage]

7. +100 Trillion!!!!

N/T...

[Lorien]

19. Yep. nt

[carolinayellowdog]

42. And blaming progressives for all their mistakes!

"If we wouldn't have had the DLC fucking up every goddamn election for the last 20 years we could've avoided the whole shrub mess."

Yes.

[SemiCharmedQuark]

114. Yes. The DLC is worse than Jim Crow and Internment!

:eyes:

Good lord...

[Pirate Smile]

8. Right. Obama is pulling the team off the field. Give me a break. This looks a little different:

Democrats Always Have a “Massive Political Machine”
by Kay

Democratic Senate candidate Lee Fisher faces a daunting 9-to-1 disadvantage in fundraising in his campaign against Republican Rob Portman in Ohio and has endured unexpected staff turnover, developments that have spread concern among national party leaders about his ability to remain competitive in the race. Fisher, the state’s lieutenant governor, recently hired his third campaign manager while his campaign spokesman and researcher quit.

The Democratic Party’s massive political machine in Ohio could help Fisher with $3 million raised during the last 40 days to help statewide candidates. Organized labor has long played a role in the state and has opened political offices in Columbus, Cleveland and Cincinnati. And Obama’s political arm, Organizing for America, never truly shut down after the 2008 race and continues to communicate with supporters who helped Obama carry the state with 52 percent of the vote. The state party, the largest in the nation, has more than 206 paid staffers working for Democrats. The Ohio Democratic Party has taken over the statewide voter turnout and political aspects of the campaigns, including Gov. Ted Strickland’s bid for re-election and Fisher’s Senate run.

It’s early for individual races, but I had an organizing meeting at my house last night, so I’ll translate this into how the “massive political machine” looks from the ground, right now.

I’m in a “red” Ohio county. We have about 15 local Democrats who are members of the State Party and reliably volunteer at this point in any cycle. I call those 15 people, and we meet at my house. We invite the paid organizer and he or she tells us the Master Plan, and then we tell him or her how we plan to customize it to our county.

This year the Ohio Democratic Party is running a “coordinated campaign”. That means all of the grass roots planning and work for every statewide candidate will run through the state Party. Lee Fisher will be the main beneficiary of this approach, because he seems to have some campaign issues.

Last night, 11 of the 15 showed up, but we lost two from 2008 (one moved to Texas and the other got a paid position with Sherrod Brown). That’s a good turnout.

The 11 state Party members will then contact the people they’ve personally worked with in the past, and essentially form “teams”, and that’s where we start.

Some points of comparison: In 2006, the Ohio Democratic Party had 33 paid organizers in the state. In 2008, the Obama campaign had 300+ paid organizers. In 2010, the Ohio Democratic Party has 105 paid organizers.

In 2006, we had 25 active county volunteers. In 2008, we had 58 (that was an all-time high for us) and in 2010, we anticipate we’ll have 40, plus or minus.

I “poll” the local volunteers occasionally, and they put up with it because they’re very kind and patient people. I’m always surprised at the result, and last night was no exception. The single thing they are most pleased about re: Obama is that he is getting us out of Iraq on schedule. All eleven mentioned the Iraq draw-down. I was surprised by that, as it got virtually no media attention, and Democrats here run hawkish. Health care was next, with nine.

There is an OFA effort running alongside the Ohio Democratic Party effort, and that’s where the House races come in.

http://www.balloon-juice.com/2010/08/15/democrats-always-have-a-massive-political-machine/

[SunsetDreams]

13. It would appear that this should have

been looked into further by crooks and liars.

[suffragette]

36. That shows that Fisher is still receiving the support

from the party that he has received as the DLC candidate. That only shows that the DCCC, DNC and OFA are strongly supporting a DLC candidate.

It also looks like he's having some of the issues predicted earlier:
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=389x7260278#7262169

But from the OP, it looks like the progressive candidate with a decent shot at Boehner's seat is being treated as Jennifer Brunner was, with lack of support from the party.

If anything, I think it strengthens the OP's points.

[LostInAnomie]

9. How exactly did Obama throw out anything?

He's not the head of the DNC or the DCCC.

[dkf]

14. Are you kidding?

The President IS the head of the party. When Obama won Dean stepped aside for the President's pick as is normal and customary. Obama picked Tim Kaine and that is the end of the story.

[LostInAnomie]

20. That's ridiculous.

Obama didn't appoint Kaine. The DNC Chairman is elected by the members of the DNC.

Obama does not dictate where the DNC or the DCCC spends money.

[dkf]

22. Yes he does

Mr. Dean’s decision not to seek a second-term was expected after the victory of a Democrat, Barack Obama, in the presidential election last week. New presidents typically install their own leaders of their political party.

http://thecaucus.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/11/10/dean-steps-down-as-dnc-chair/


In sheer political terms, the choice really wasn't Dean's to make. Indeed, any decision on who will serve as the next DNC chair will come with directives from Obama and his aides. And a name being floated around as a possible Dean replacement is one of the president-elect's closest allies: Claire McCaskill, the junior Senator from Missouri and a national co-chair of the Obama campaign.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2008/11/10/dean-prepares-to-step-dow_n_142614.html

Now, just two weeks before his inauguration, comes word from Democratic sources that President-elect Barack Obama later this week will name Virginia Gov. Tim Kaine as part-time chairman of the Democratic National Committee.
The appointment will reportedly come with the understanding that next year, when Kaine loses his governor's job due to the state's one-term limit, facing unemployment, he will become the full-time face of the DNC, which has a dual responsibility of frequent partisan attack dog in the media and prolific national party fundraiser.


http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/washington/2009/01/obama-kaine.html

[LostInAnomie]

23. No, he doesn't.

"The chairperson of the DNC (currently Virginia Gov. Tim Kaine) is elected by vote of members of the Democratic National Committee. The DNC is composed of the chairs and vice-chairs of each state Democratic Party Committee, two hundred members apportioned among the states based on population and generally elected either on the ballot by primary voters or by the State Democratic Party Committee, a number of elected officials serving in an ex-officio capacity, and a variety of representatives of major Democratic Party constituencies."

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Democratic_National_Committee

[dkf]

24. That is just a formality. You really think all the state chairs prefer Kaine to Howard Dean?

After the election we supporters of Gov Dean were informed that he didn't have a chance of keeping the chair because the President gets to pick the party chair. Go on thinking that Obama has no say and you are just deluding yourself.

[DFW]

35. You are correct

Howard was elected as DNC chair because when the party is out of power, the post is up for grabs.

When the party is in power, the DNC chair is still 2elected" but it is a formality, as the President
becomes the real head of the party, and the DNC chair is picked by the White House, even though he or she
gets "elected" nominally.

Howard was elected. Kaine was picked. Dress it up any way you want. That is reality.

[LostInAnomie]

54. They didn't have to vote him in.

No one held a gun to their head. Why aren't you going after every one of the DNC members for voting in Kaine?

[saracat]

66. Once again your spectacular lack of knowledge of how politcal parties are run

reveals itself. President Obama appointed Kaine. The DNC merely confirmed the appointment. They are obliged to confirm the nomination.It is a formality.

[Jim Sagle]

103. He's not deluding himself, he's just making five bucks an hour as a DLC hogwash dispenser.

[JDPriestly]

43. The DNC follows the president's lead.

Dean was head of the DNC because of a strong grass-roots movement to place him there at a time when the president was Republican. You need to get more active in the Democratic Party LostinAnomie.

I was part of the movement that put Dean in power. We just spoke so loudly, so strongly, that there was no choice for the DNC but to appoint Dean. That only works when the president is a Republican.

Have you ever worked on a campaign for a Democratic candidate, LostInAnomie? Have you ever been an officer or even a member in your local Democratic Club or attended a Democratic Convention (state or national) as a delegate?

If you were really active in the Democratic Party, you would understand that the OP is absolutely right.

[LostInAnomie]

55. So, when did Obama hold a gun to every DNC member's head and froce them to vote in Kaine?

Because that's the only way I can see them being forced to do anything. Don't like Kaine, don't vote for him or abstain. Don't try to pass the blame to Obama for DNC members voting Kaine in.

[saracat]

67. Unlike you, the DNC members have a respect for tradition and formality as well as an ability

(most of the time) to follow their own rules. Perhaps you should attend a meeting sometime , or inform yourself before spouting uninformed opinions.

[LostInAnomie]

75. Uninformed opinions? It's a democratic vote isn't it?

Don't like the candidate, don't vote for him. Don't try to claim Obama forced the installation of Kaine and then try to hide behind "tradition and formality" for why you voted him in.

[ooglymoogly]

101. The embarrassing naivete of some around here never ceases to shock and amaze

And surprisingly grow with each subsequent post...ever hear of the "stop digging" theory?

[LostInAnomie]

102. So far, no one have given any reason for Obama to be blamed for this guy's lack of funds.

Obama isn't capable of just installing a DNC chairman. Kaine HAD to be voted in by DNC members that have their own free will. Calling it a "formality" is just a way to avoid responsibility.

Even if Obama were capable of installing Kaine he is not responsible for which campaigns the DNC take a role in since it is an independent organization apart from his administration. Simply saying "Kaine was who Obama wanted" is guilt be association crap.

The DNC is not the DCCC which is more than capable of acting independently of DNC wishes.

No matter how you slice it, there is no point to the bleating about Obama trying to stop progressive candidates. There was also no reason to include his name in the headline other than to fire up the oafs that spring into action anytime Obama/Rahm are brought up.

[saracat]

109. No kidding . Some folks need to actually "attend" a DNC meeting and actually PAY ATTENTION.

What amazes me is the information is right there. There are links in this thread. I can't imagine why they think Howard Dean didn't run again.(If their idiotic theory was correct!)

[saracat]

110. No kidding . Some folks need to actually "attend" a DNC meeting and actually PAY ATTENTION.

What amazes me is the information is right there. There are links in this thread. I can't imagine why they think Howard Dean didn't run again.(If their idiotic theory was correct!)

[saracat]

111. One more time:There was no other candidate out of respect for the incoming President's "choice"

I realize the concept of "respect" is a hard one for you.

[nashville_brook]

69. go rad boy go!!

eventually you will be right. it's a matter of tenacity. i'm with you 100%!!!!!!

[JDPriestly]

44. Dup

[mmonk]

26. I believe the DNC chair is elected unless things have changed.

[iamthebandfanman]

29. so is president of the united states..

but somehow bush ended up president ;)

[mmonk]

74. Got me there.

[jeff47]

50. When there's a D in the White House, the election is just a formality

The President's pick always wins the election.

Works the same way for the RNC when an R is in the White House.

Having a public tiff between the president and his nominal party boss is considered a 'bad thing', so the White House picks the party chairman for the relevant party.

[Radical Activist]

70. Did Rahm take orders from the DNC when Dean was chair?

No, of course not. So why should I believe that the DCCC suddenly started taking orders from the DNC today?

It makes no sense. This is just someones attempt to bring up old grudges so they can raise money for their little PAC fund.

[LostInAnomie]

77. +1

[Warpy]

10. Kaine is in WAY over his head

and it's obvious the party power structure has gone back to it's ridiculously futile DLC fund allocation that results in defeats country wide.

I remain convinced the DLC throws victory away with both hands intentionally.

They have to go. Really.

[The Wizard]

31. The DLC

Republican moles at best. The best thing they do is lose elections.

[Jim Sagle]

104. That, and post here using Rahmian talking points.

[ThomCat]

11. So Obama, who campaigned as a progressive,

with all that "Change you can believe in" crap won't let his party support progressive candidates?

:wtf:

This is a toxic strategy to pull the party farther to the right. That has been its effect in the past, and that will be its effect in the future. x(

How much do you want to bet that this strategy was Demanded by large corporate donors. You know damned well that they don't want so see anything pull the party out of their grasp. They want Blue Dogs dominating the party.

[Lorien]

18. Yep. A republican with a (D) after their name is still a Republican

whether or not they call themselves "Blue Dogs".

[Radical Activist]

72. Except that if you read past the headline, there's no evidence

of Obama adopting a different strategy. It's just some inflammatory rhetoric being thrown out as a fundraising ploy for one Congressional candidate who isn't getting as much help from the DCCC as he wants. There will always be long shot candidates who don't get as much money given to them as they want, and that has nothing to do with Obama's political strategy.

[ThomCat]

12. Dupe

Delete dupe post.

[depakid]

15. When the Dems suffer massive losses we'll at least know who to blame

and Rahm will have the distinction of being the architect of not one, but two political disasters for his party.

[progressoid]

28. And they will blame us for not playing along.

Apparently we should just shut up and pledge allegiance (oh, and our time & money) to the party no matter what.

[AllTooEasy]

58. Yes, the Independents

When will you clowns realize that the independents rule elections??? Independents can't stand us liberals or conservative, Dems or Repukes. Unless you make them happy (even if you lie) you can forget about being elected or re-elected.

Whether we like it or not(and I don't), winning Independents is the key to winning elections and re-elections, especially the presidency.

[RaleighNCDUer]

117. The best way to win independents is to take a strong stand so they

know who you are. When Dems water down their positions to make themselves look more like republicans they are not reaching some mythical middle - they are simply taking themselves out of the game.

A strong progressive stand, well reasoned and well articulated, will win far more independents than it will lose, and will hold the base besides.

If Obama had run on the policies he has enacted since coming to office, he'd have never won. He won by speaking as a confident moderate progressive, and got 70% of the independents. Now, he's in trouble because he is losing those independents because of his not standing by his campaign promises - the wars continue, Gitmo is still operating, Gitmo prisoners are still facing drumhead military trials rather than going to civilian courts, DADT is still in place, he has not MENTIONED DOMA. He was not elected by the left alone on those issues.

[liberation]

95. Somehow I am sure they will manage to blame Nader...

... and any liberal who had "impure" independent thoughts. We must march in lockstep and can't allow differing opinions in order to save democracy, don't you know?

[Name removed]

16. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[msongs]

17. dems INC r not backing our local guy who came w/in 2% of a win in 2008....

running a locals only grassroots campaign with little outside money, we almost knocked out repub ken calvert in riverside. despite that near win, national dems are offering little to no support again this year to bill hedrick - www.hedrickforcongress.com

Msongs

[Wilms]

21. k&r n/t

[BrklynLiberal]

25. Marking to read later..AFTER coffee, when I can deal with it without banging my head on the screen.

[Vinca]

27. Dean's strategy was so obviously brilliant, it's really ignorant to dump it.

[tomp]

37. none of these guys are ignorant. there is a plan afoot.

and it's not your plan or my plan.

i've said it before and i'll say it again: the democratic party would rather lose than be progressive
(or, at least, there are powerful elements within the party that feel that way, and they thrive on "party loyalty"
and ignorance, which is why they hate the left so)

[JDPriestly]

45. A plan to destroy the Democratic Party? That's what it looks like to me.

A plan to lose our majority in Congress? Probably.

[kenfrequed]

46. Is it 17th level Vulcan three-d telepathic chess?

Yeah 'cause then I totally believe it completely. Just like when someone told me there was a secret squirrel plan to get a public option by taking it off the table.

[kenfrequed]

85. Sorry misunderstood

I should have read more carefully.

[ooglymoogly]

78. Too bad, but that glowing theory no longer holds any water.

All one has to do is examine the record coupled with his simpleton Friedmanesqe leanings; Holding sway on all his decisions to back the corporates over the people. IMO I think we are observing diligent, barely college level intelligence; As apposed to genius or near, the intelligence of folks like a Dean or Grayson and a few others of presidential material.

[droidamus2]

30. Why is it?

Why is it that the DLC reminds me of the 'conservatives' in the Republican party in the 1970's. The conservatives didn't want to work within the party they wanted to control the Republican party (worked out pretty well from what I can see) so they got people into positions of power within the party and then worked to purge or limit the effectiveness of any politician that didn't toe their conservative line. The DLC and their like seem intent on doing the same thing in the Democratic party. In the name of 'centrism' what they are really doing is attempting to solidify their control over the party by only backing those politicians that are willing to have very brown noses. At some point the liberals/progressives in the party (I think many on DU already realize) are going to have to realize that this faction is not working for their benefit or to support their agenda and either take back the party from them. This means actively working to defeat DLC candidates, getting truly liberal/progressive leaders installed within the party and electing liberal candidates, or starting a movement to create a viable progressive party in this country. As I am sure many on DU are I am damned tired as a lifelong liberal Democrat of being asked to accept that 'we don't have the votes to pass true liberal programs'. The fact is they don't want or intend to pass liberal/progressive programs because they don't support them. It has very little to do with winning or losing elections as a party and everything to do with the DLCers winning and controlling the party.

[Enthusiast]

33. I want to disagree.

But I can't.

[Enthusiast]

32. K&R! nt

[Flipper999]

38. Rahm must be one smooth talker...

because I can't think of any other reason why anyone would seek his assistance. He shows open disgust with the Democratic party's base. He thinks that giving up on large swaths of America is a winning political strategy. He has the stink of failure all over him, but a lot of democrats don't seem to realize it.

[Eyerish]

39. K&R

[JDPriestly]

40. Rahm Emmanuel should be added to the long list of Obama decisions that just

stinks.

Justin Coussoule needs our help.

[uponit7771]

41. *******ANOTHER KNEE JERK ANTI OBAMA THREAD******* more he said she said

[hobbit709]

47. No different than a knee jerk PRO Obama thread.

[w4rma]

48. Rahm is a well paid sabotour and con-artist. He is trying to cost us the elections.

He is pro-Wall Street and pro-DLC and pro-billionaire. He *wants* progressives to lose and would rather have Repukes over a progressive in any seat. Stand up to them and demand that Obama fire Rahm and re-institute winning tactics and proven tacticians.

[Cal33]

49. Obama always did say that he wanted both left- and right-leaning

opinions from his advisers, and then he would make up his own mind.
Maybe Obama overestimated his own strengths?

[jeff47]

51. It's about access

When the right-leaning advisors don't let the left-wing advisors into the room, they win. The incident where Somers did not present the larger stimulus targets to Obama is an example.

[TheKentuckian]

73. That is what he said but then to short circuit that whole concept he omitted the liberal advisors

[Greyhound]

62. Former. Investment. Bankster.

What more do you need? He made over $16M in 2 1/2 years, with no relevant degree and no experience, from stealing people's pensions and throwing them out of work.

He, Dick Cheney, and Don Rumsfeld all followed the same "career path" through the revolving door between regulating looters and being looters.

He is scum.

[ooglymoogly]

80. + many nt

[laughingliberal]

89. +1000

[Stoic]

56. We keep on blaming Rahm but Obama is the President

And the buck stops right at his desk. This is his doing, his choice whether it was recommended by another. The Democratic Leadership fought against Dean becoming DNC chair. And ignored his success. They don't want real choice and real democracy in the party. Only top-down dictates.

[ooglymoogly]

81. They both stink to high heaven, like all duplicitous DINO's

sabotaging this wonderful old party of liberal principals; Trying to gut it from inside.

[johnaries]

57. 2006? Why are we talking about 2006?

:shrug:

[laughingliberal]

63. Uh, because they're still pulling the same shit?

Unfortunately, it looks like DCCC head Chris Van Hollen and DNC chair Tim Kaine are listening more to Emanuel in this year's mid-term elections. Justin Coussoule, who is enjoying the full endorsement of Blue America, openly tells Chris Jansing that he has received no support whatsoever from the DNC or DCCC.

http://crooksandliars.com/nicole-belle/justin-coussoule-confirms-obamakaine

[ooglymoogly]

82. Uh, because 61/2 more years of this DINO shit will decimate

the Dem Party; Of which I am a proud progressive member; Totally intolerant of the hypocrites and liars calling themselves pugs, bluedogs, DlC'ers and DINO's, that are in full advance on destroying our party.

[AllTooEasy]

59. Didn't the Dems sweep both houses in 2006? It worked, didn't it?

Do you think the Dems would have won conservative states and conservative districts with Liberal candidates? Not even close. We want liberal Dems to win these conservative areas and THAT'S NOT GOING TO HAPPEN. The problem is not Rahm, Obama, the DLC, or DNC...

...it's the low-life voters living in those areas!!!

The Dems knew that and took advantage of it. My hats off to them.

[tom_paine]

60. Once again, the Democratic Leadership is playing to lose.

How many times do we need to see this same dumbshow before we start noticing a trend.

Whether or not there is something else going on here, it certainly appears as if the DLC Democrats are playing the Washington Generals to the Bushies' Harlem Globetrotters.

Either they are incredibly inept or in on it.

Incredibly inept or corrupt? Exactly the choice we faced with the Bushies. (NO that does not mean Obama = Bush, but it does mean Obama = Clinton)

[ooglymoogly]

87. Just as they did with the Brown win in Ma., supporting their favored DLC prosecutor

and the Lincoln the Conservative v/Halter the Progressive, who was outpoling Lincoln for the finals, supporting Lincoln to cut Halter out of the picture; With the forgone conclusion that she will lose to a Pug in the final; Thereby knowingly handing the seat to a pug rather than a progressive.

These folks do not deserve any support from us. Certainly not in the primaries, where I will write in Grayson; If he is not on the ballot.

[robinlynne]

61. worse than that, the Party actively works against progressive candidates.

[laughingliberal]

65. Electing plenty of Blue Dogs has always seemed to be a priority for Rahm.

And Van Hollen and Kaine seem to be of the same philosophy.

[ooglymoogly]

84. Even more damning; Trying to get, out of favor pugs, to run as a D.

or any pugs for that matter.

[Radical Activist]

68. So this assumption is being made based on one candidate who isn't getting help?

First of all, the DCCC focuses on races it thinks they can win. There will always be long shot candidates who complain about not getting everything handed to them by DCCC. That's going to be true no matter who's in charge. And the DCCC doesn't take orders from the President, so the Obama link is very weak.

So why would someone write an inflammatory headline which reaches a conclusion only barely supported by an anecdotal example of one candidate? Well, it's because they're raising money for their little group, Blue America. They know that bringing up Rahm and Dean's 50 state strategy is a good way to manipulate the emotions of the netroots for their own fundraising benefit. At least you left their fund raising ask out of the OP.

This is the professional left Gibbs was talking about. We have a group spouting off inflammatory spin for only one reason: they see it as a good fundraising tactic targeted to progressives. It's the same as writers who do it to attract controversy and readers. Or action-alerts that want to get your attention so you'll email Congress about their issue.

These are usually good organizations but sometimes they stretch the truth to suit their own interests. Part of being a fully informed adult is recognizing the motivations behind some of the rhetoric and making the effort to confirm things from another source. You can't be gullible about believing every headline that attacks Obama from the left.

[laughingliberal]

88. I'd be intersted in hearing about DNC/DCCC support for progressives running this year.

I really don't know. Perhaps you can find that for us.

[Radical Activist]

94. Do you know of any progressives in a general election campaign?

That would make up your list.

[laughingliberal]

97. I don't. I'm pretty focused on our campaigns here at the moment. I was just wondering. nt

[Radical Activist]

100. What campaigns are those?

If you consider Reid to be a progressive that's one example. Although I'm guessing you'll tell me why any candidate I name isn't really progressive or doesn't count.
In my state, the DNC is putting effort into Alexi Giannoulias' race for US Senate. He's progressive.

[laughingliberal]

112. You misjudge me

I simply asked for information.

Our rundown for November:
I really was just asking for the information. From what I can see, Alexi Giannoulias, looks good. I particularly like this from his web page:

http://www.alexiforillinois.com/blog/need-senate-progressive-caucus>AlexiForIllinois.com

August 13, 2010 | Submitted by Alexi Giannoulias
Allow me to state the obvious: despite the fact that Democrats control the House and Senate, conservatives control what gets sent to the President’s desk.

Legislation that starts off strong is watered down by conservative Democrats in the House and Senate. It’s then whittled down to ineffectiveness in order to try and get a handful of Republican votes on board.

My solution: I’m going to create a robust Senate Progressive Caucus that will hold the line and fight for progressive policies that help all Americans.

As for my state, here's what we've got:

Reid (D) defending his Senate seat against one of the worst candidates in the country, Sharon Angle (R)-batshit crazy. Reid is not as progressive as I'd like but he is a lot more progressive than a lot of the Blue Dogs in the Senate. I consider Reid a slightly left leaning centrist and I very much appreciated his efforts to get us a public option and I like him a LOT better than Sharon Angle, who would be a disaster for the people of our state.

We have Dina Titus (D) is defending her Congressional seat (3rd Congressional District) A candidate I've supported before, polling shows the race a dead heat right now. Is being heavily targeted for defeat by nauseating RW reactionary groups.

Shelley Berkley (D) is defending her Congressional seat (1st Congressional District). Disappointingly, she is a member of the New Democrat Coalition but her voting record is not horrible. She felt the HCR bill did not do enough for veterans. She is expected to hold her seat.

Nancy Price (D) is challenging Bushbot, Dean Heller, for his seat in the 2nd Congressional District. Almost anyone would be more progressive than Heller (and I say that despite the fact that he is a personal friend of Mr. Laughing Liberal who, nevertheless, won't vote for him). She looks good, AFAICS on the issues. It would take a miracle for anyone to unseat Heller. He was a very popular Secretary of State who governed in that position as a moderate (on some issues, almost a left leaning moderate) and insisted when the state decided to purchase electronic voting machines that they have auditable paper receipts which pissed off his fellow Republicans to no end but he won on the issue. Once he was elected to Congress, he became a lockstep with Bush voter.

Rory Reid (D) is running against far right Gibbons copy cat, Brian Sandoval for Governor. Unless we catch Sandoval in bed with a dead woman or a live man, he'll probably win this one. I'm dismayed we had no strong Democrats step up to the plate to try for the Governor's mansion. Gibbons is so universally disliked, we should have been able to pick this one up. Reid is good on the issues, especially education but the voters see a win for him as creating a Reid dynasty.

I am not opposed to ever supporting centrists. I just don't like right of center centrists which is what I find a lot of those who describe themselves as centrists tend to be.

I've also noticed, in his dealings with Congress on the President's behalf, Emanuel is often pounding on the Progressive Caucus to compromise with the Blue Dogs and New Democrats. If there is an example of him ever going the other way (pounding on conservadems to compromise with the Progressives), I'd be open to hearing about it. Some fairness would be a good thing, IMO.

[Radical Activist]

113. I guess I'm used to expecting a certain attitude on DU.

Alexi is hard to pin down because he doesn't have a voting record. But he should be good. Since he's young he could have many years to build up seniority.

Durbin isn't the DNC and these aren't all progressives but you may find this interesting:
http://ga3.org/dickdurbin/survey2010.html

[laughingliberal]

115. Thanks. nt

[ooglymoogly]

90. Please pay attention...There is more than enough of this kind of blatant duplicity to justify

this total disappointment in the men claiming to run our party and you know it; So you are just playing games or you are not paying attention.

[Name removed]

105. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[RaleighNCDUer]

118. self delete

I should teach myself restraint, and not dig where is may, or may not, be necessary.

[SteppingRazor]

71. You want someone like Coussoule to win, fight for fairer, nonpartisan congressional districts.

As things stand, it's just goofy to expend limited supplies of money and manpower on a quixotic campaign to overcome John Boehner in a district tailor-made for Republican dominance. Ohio's 8th has a Cook Partisan Voting Index of R+14, fer chrissake. It's been culled specifically from areas of west Dayton and Cincinnati that vote Republican. It has been drawn that way for a reason, and that's to keep a solid Republican like Boehner in office.

If you want to get people like Boehner out of office, support movements like the Amendment 5 and 6 initiatives that are on the November ballot in Florida. (Google "Fair Districts Florida" for more info on that.)

Until the process by which congressional districts are drawn is reformed to prevent partisan gerrymandering, trying to win elections in places like Ohio's 8th is the Pickett's Charge of political campaigns.

[beforeyoureyes]

76. Color me shocked

:sarcasm:

[Name removed]

83. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[LostInAnomie]

86. Shhhh.... you'll wake the Obama bashers from their fevered delusions.

They love the quiet comfort of believing the RAHM!!! and Obama are masterminds working to destroy all things progressive.

[Radical Activist]

92. I can't help but post this.

I'm not a big Rahm fan but the preoccupation with him is bizarre. I'm sure he loves it.

[liberation]

96. "I'm not a big Rahm fan ..."

LOL, you crack me up... you really do. :-)

You are such not a Rahm fan that you took the time to photoshop those images and upload them, that is how little you care. LOL.

[Radical Activist]

99. Yeah, I got a laugh

out of poking fun at the obsession over Rahm. I didn't like his approach as DCCC chair either but at some point I got over it and moved on.

[ooglymoogly]

91. Rahm, is that you....games up. nt

[Radical Activist]

93. The game of facts, basic logic and reading comprehension?

[Name removed]

106. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[Radical Activist]

107. I don't know what I wrote that made you go batshit crazy.

But if all you can do is post your conspiracy theory about anyone you disagree with being paid by the DLC then you should put me on ignore.

[Blue_In_AK]

108. I hold Rahm Emmanuel totally responsible

for Diane Benson's failure to take Don Young's seat in 2006. With the momentum she had toward the end of the race, I'm convinced she could have gone over the top with even a little support from the national party. She got none, zero, zip, nada. Spending a tiny fraction of what Don Young spent, with only grassroots support, she still got over 40% of the vote here.

[amborin]

116. more on Rahm here:

http://www.nakedcapitalism.com/2010/04/rahm-emanuel-and-magnetar-capital-the-definition-of-compromised.html