I was at work, reading the
L.A. Times on my lunch, and was thrilled to see this story on the front page:
Meet the Powers Behind the Democrats' Strategy:
Emanuel and Schumer are playing a huge role in congressional races. And they're not subtle.
The story finally shows Dems in a positive light, highlighting the great fundraising and candidate picking these two have done, with spotlight put on Jim Webb in Virginia (and in one of their darker moments, the Hackett fiasco). On the whole, it was a great treatment that we all should read, and spread on. Hopefully more papers pick up on this.
More after the jump....
Rep. Rahm Emanuel, the hyperactive Democrat from Illinois charged with winning control of the House for his party in the 2006 elections, was trying to goad a colleague to move into attack mode.
And so he phoned. And phoned. And phoned again.
For days, Rep. John M. Spratt Jr. (D-S.C.) received about three calls daily from Emanuel, urging him to run a political advertisement criticizing the Bush administration's decision to let an Arab company manage U.S. ports, an issue sparking nationwide outrage at the time. With Vice President Dick Cheney heading south to campaign for Spratt's GOP opponent, Emanuel thought the best response was to run an attack ad in the local newspaper -- quickly.
The quick response mode we need is being demonstrated by Emanuel. He's showing the fire we haven't had before, and it's good to see he's not acting like a Shrum and hiding in the shrubs.
Spratt finally agreed to put out a news release, one that was less in-your-face than Emanuel wanted. But the fact that the lawmaker was prompted to act at all was a tribute to the intensity, persistence and abrasiveness that Emanuel has brought to his job as field marshal of the Democrats' battle for the House.
Those edgy traits are shared by Emanuel's counterpart in the party's fight to gain Senate seats -- Sen. Charles E. Schumer of New York. It is a convergence that has gladdened the hearts of many Democrats; both men are credited with having boosted the party's chances for a strong showing in November.
Democrats as fighters? What?! That meme never plays in the MSM.
But wait, there's more.
They have hand-picked candidates, crafted campaign themes, set fundraising goals and micromanaged staff hiring decisions for candidates around the country. In the process, these two big-city pols -- Emanuel from Chicago, Schumer from Brooklyn -- are injecting a dose of discipline and drive among traditionally unruly Democrats, who often suffer from the image that they are too soft. "Both in terms of raising money and recruiting candidates, no one is more focused and disciplined," said Steve Elmendorf, former top aide to ex-House Minority Leader Richard A. Gephardt (D-Mo.). "They do this 24/7 at 100% velocity every day. This is the focus we need."
Emanuel and Schumer bring the kind of whip hand to campaigning that leading Republicans have wielded for years. Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich (R-Ga.) tutored conservative candidates via audiotapes as he led the GOP to its landmark 1994 election victory, which gave the party control of Congress for the first time in 40 years. More recently, President Bush and his political guru, Karl Rove, have been heavily involved in recruiting candidates -- efforts credited with helping the GOP maintain its congressional majorities in the 2002 and 2004 elections.
A favorable comparison to winning GOP campaigns? Fabulous. It'll make us look more favorable to those southerners who sit on the fence every election and who decide at the end. Comparisons to Gingrich's and Rove's winning styles is a gift, and best of all, this article SOUNDLY rejects the divided, undiscplined Democrats meme. It shows a hard-charging, ass-kicking, togetherness that voters need to see from the party.
This is a start, and it's up to us to push for more of this nationwide, so voters can see what Democrats really stand for.