First, I want to say thank you to those responsible for making me a netroots endorsed candidate. It is a great honor and I am grateful to Markos, Matt Stoller, Chris Bowers, and DavidNYC and others who have worked behind the scenes on my behalf. I am also grateful for the boost during our recent end of the quarter fundraiser that helped us meet and surpass our goal. Without the help of our netroots friends that would not have been possible. The netroots have shown that the can step up to the plate and aid candidates where many national PACs and organizations have failed to do so. Thank you all very much.
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Just like in the NCAA Tournament, winning takes great teamwork. And that is the main topic I want to talk about today. We've all heard the old Will Rogers statement: "I don't belong to any organized political party. I'm a Democrat." There have been days recently when that statement seemed right on target. We just can't allow that to be the case. We have to get our act together and all of us get on the same page.
A Dem Party that is factionalized -- grassroots versus organized leadership, Beltway versus outsiders, political pros versus upcoming novices, vets versus non-vets, liberal versus moderate, red state versus blue state, northeast versus heartland, ideological purity versus political expediency, or any other divisiveness that we are so prone to promulgate -- is a party that is preparing for election suicide. If recent polls are any indication, we have a great opportunity this fall. We cannot afford to squander that opportunity by getting bogged down in internecine warfare. We have to recognize that the face of the enemy is George Bush and his henchmen, who, in Wes Clark's words in the Dem radio address last night, have led us nowhere. At least he has led us to some place no one wants to be.
Take for example, the issues involved in the candidacy of Paul Hackett and Tammy Duckworth. What was seen as illegitimate intervention by the DSCC and DCCC stirred a hornet's nest of anger and antagonism. I was also subject to what seemed to be "meddling" by the DCCC. Because of concern over my fundraising numbers, a well-intentioned member of Congress, apparently with DCCC encouragement, tried to put forth a candidate who had personal money to spend on the campaign. I bear no ill will whatsoever toward those who wanted to put forth what seemed to them a better candidate. They want to win Rubber-stamp Randy's seat and they thought their action could make that happen. They were trying to do what is best for the party. And so are those who were involved in the Cegelis/Duckworth and Brown/Hackett races and those in the McNerney/Filson case.
Fighting over these hotly contested races, especially after the primaries are over, is counterproductive. And the places where these high profile races took place are exceptional cases. Most Fighting Dem Vets, for example, are grassroots people who are not supported by national groups but by local Dems. And in some cases, such as Bill Winters in Colorado, they were encouraged to run by the state Democrats. Frankly, we cannot let this debate deteriorate into a beltway versus grassroots controversy. Our candidates need all the support they can get on the local, state and national levels.
When the netroots, grassroots and the DCCC or the DSCC work together, they can accomplish a lot more than either one alone. The Massa campaign helped organize local grassroots response to President Bush�s recent visit to NY-29. The netroots also got involved and helped get the word out nationally. The DCCC coordinated some with us in these efforts and later Congressman Marion Berry of Arkansas gave the weekly radio address on the same topic. This was a much more effective effort than could have been made if there were no cooperation. The DCCC, DSCC and others need to listen to the netroots and grassroots and try to work with them as much as possible. And vice versa.
It goes without saying that we need to have a dialogue over what makes one a better candidate and discuss how the limited resources of the DCCC, the DSCC, and other resources such as PACs might be better allocated to multiple candidates instead of a select few -- we need to level the playing field. In spite of the impression that all the Fighting Dem Vets have been getting institutional and national support, for example, only a select few have gotten much support at all. They are a true grassroots effort and have stepped into the breach to fight in districts long abandoned by the Democrats and GOP incumbents that were not challenged in 2004.
Reacting to criticism and to deflect attacks, the DCCC has made it a point to say that they do not support FDs across the board. This in fact is true. It is also not the best strategy to follow. The idea of selecting a few critical races has its merits, but in this year of unparalleled opportunity to take back Congress, just a matter of $5,000 to a Fighting Dem campaign, vet or non-vet, would be a huge incentive and help prime the pump for more funds. Giving money to what seem to be marginal races can be a better investment than a high profile race, especially in a year that has potential for upset victories.
(See Ruy Teixeira on Donkey Rising.)
In many of the districts where grassroots candidates are fighting to build the Democratic Party from the ground up, the local folks simply do not have the resources to battle the huge treasure chests DeLay and cronies have helped GOP candidates to horde. We do not need to match these amounts, but we do need to have enough to run an effective campaign. It is not enough to demand that candidates in poor, "red" districts raise huge sums before endorsing them. Candidates must be supported in order to raise such funds. We cannot put the cart before the horse.
The netroots have shown that they are one source of aid to candidates in all aspects of a campaign: bringing together volunteers from districts where candidates are running, securing national prominence for candidates so they are not lost under the radar, and to raise funds not otherwise possible for campaigns that are understaffed but fighting like wildcats.
With the New Democratic emphasis on National Security that was brought out by General Clark in the Democratic Weekly Radio Address, Fighting Dem Vets have even more potential to make a difference. And far from being one-issue candidates, they hold progressive social positions and reflect the fact that the Democrats are a full-plate party.
Thank you again for your support.