Howard Dean Strikes Again
Sun Oct 01, 2006 at 10:55:44 AM PDT
Howard Dean has served as a convenient punching bag for Old School Establishment folks since 2003. With his high flying shouts for victory and unsolicited comments about evil among the GOP - Howard has been both the dream and the nightmares of both sides of the isle.
Today is no different. At a time when Democrats are finally united behind a previous leader who stood before his harshest critics on what could have been a normal interview and announced boldly, pointedly, and decisively "NO MORE!" - Republicans want nothing more than to continue their label and smear campaign against our leaders as being "Crazy" - "Loose Cannons" and "Bad Leaders."
Today's New York Times article is another convenient attack on the only target they can find - as they hope they can successfully label Democrats as troubled, divided, and a sinking ship when in reality - its the pot calling the kettle black.
There is nothing the Republicans love more than to call us crazy. And there is nothing we do better than agree with them or even make their arguments for them.
When Howard Dean was overheard at a Democratic Party fundraiser in Lawrence Kansas in 2005 comparing Dems and R's as a
"struggle of good and evil. And we're the good." The Lawrence Journal World
The Republicans stood united saying what they've said about him since his presumed victory or BTS (Before the Scream). The Republican response was something we are known for claiming about Republicans:
"My immediate reaction to that whole dialogue is, it's full of hatred," Sontag said. "The Democratic Party has elected a leader that's full of hatred."
Establishment Democrats went on the offensive immediatley. One such member was Senator (now presumed presidential candidate) Joe Biden who hurriedly attacked Dean on Meet the Press saying Dean:
"doesn't speak for me ... and I don't think he speaks for the majority of Democrats." Sen. Biden
Yet, when President Clinton went on FoxNews and accused the station of deliberatley misleading the American people while doing Bush's bidding - the Democrats had never been more united. While Republicans fell in lockstep with their practiced talking points of "meltdown" and "crazy" the Democrats stood up and in unison said "Clinton is right. Lets look at the real facts here." In the days following Investigative Journalists have closley examined claims made by Clinton and concluded ... well... yeah.. he is kinda right. Just in time to back up Bob Woodward's new book a scathing report about a divisive and felonious White House Establishment and their fight to mislead the American People.
How is it that we falter so when it comes to Howard Dean? Is it that he truly is an outsider as a Governor? Is it that some blame him for losing the Presidental race in 2004 - because let's face it - he was beloved by both Democrats and Republicans pre-scream spin and the GOP Leadership feared his anti-war pro-health care policies and out of the box campaigning that could very well come very close to beating down Bush's Washington Machine and already faltering support. Who knows what it is - the point is - a lot of people just don't seem to like him....
The article aledges- substantiated by gossip this past week that there was in-fighting between the DCCC, the DSCC, and Dean at the DNC. Rahm wanted money - Schumer wanted his money - and even Sen. Clinton got in on the action saying that:
"The [Republican National Committee] is pouring tens of millions of dollars into races and we're not matching that," Clinton said during a DNC fundraiser in Washington. News Day
Here are some facts that few understand.
***The structure of the DNC seems to me to be the leadership that helps state Democratic Parties. The money that has been raised has gone to these entities. Each state democratic party has staffers paid by the DNC, money given to them by the DNC, training bought and paid for by the DNC - and the money raised by the DNC has gone to these states to spend in ways that are best for them.
***Dean's DNC fundraising has initiated a coalition between state parties who were generally on their own when it comes to guidance from the national party. Red States operated on a non-presidential year policy - where they took breaks in the presidential years knowing full well they couldn't win anything because resources were being delegated elsewhere - but for the first time ever someone is focusing on something other than federal races.
***As much as I love, respect, and adore Sen. Clinton - there is more than just the House and Senate.
***In Kansas there is an Attorney General that gives workshops to mega-churches on how they can side-step the IRS and advocate for a candidate from the pulpit. A man who went after women's confidential medical records in clinics so he could gather names and identifying information about women who were having abortions. With a strong Governor guaranteed to win - Kansas has a real opportunity to take this guy out before he runs for Governor.(Insert plug for Paul Morrison Here)
***For the first time in a very long time Oklahoma has an opportunity to take back their State House.
***For the first time in something like 30 years New York has an opportunity to take back their State House.
***Missouri will probably take back their State Senate.
***And Kansas - well Kansas might have an opportunity to not just take out a Right Wing WackJob like Phill Kline - but they might make enough gains in their State House to guarantee a moderate majority and actually sustain the Governor's Veto.
***Not to mention that Kansas finally got some resources to fight their Conservative Controlled State School Board who tried to outlaw Evolution....
***California - one of the most Democratic States in the nation has an opportunity to take out a Dangerous Irresponsible Rubberstamp Republican Secretary of State who is in the pocket of Diebold. And given the number of electoral votes generally delegated to Democrats it is a little important for any federal candidate that the votes are counted as they are cast. (Insert Plug for Debra Bowen Here)
***Colorado - the front line of the Evangelical James Dobson Focus on the Family Fascists has an opportunity to take back their Secretary of State. (Insert Plug for Ken Gordon Here)
***As does - Ohio... a kind of important state for us to guarantee that each vote is counted here - UNLIKE what happened in 2004 (Insert Plug for Jennifer Brunner Here)
***Iowa, Minnesota, New Mexico, Nevada, every state matters in some way. In each state is a politician - a right wing wackjob that is curiously well funded who is climbing the latter to Congress, the US Senate, and to the White House.
And while Republicans are recruiting as far down as the School Board level - we have sat back and focused on the federal level leaving our state parties out in the cold.
Dean is on the forefront fighting against that kind of thinking. And while energizing the base, getting every dime out of them, and recruiting good staffers and candidates is important - there is something even more important. Party Building.
Most state parties, politicians, staffers, and the like take a break in the off season. Time to govern. Everyone figures. But that is the time that they are back building. With DNC money that can fund state parties in the off season - parties can now hold onto full time staff, fundraisers, organizers, trainers to teach workshops, faith based outreach, recruitment, and more. Because it isn't over on November 7th. That kind of thinking is just as reckless as Bush thinking that Iraq was accomplished when we toppled the statue.
The Times article quotes Dean in true form as he fights tooth and nail to win hearts and minds of everyone - going into the lions den isn't new and he doesn't shy away from a fight:
"I didn't come all the way up here just to talk to people who already agree with us. I want to talk to everyone else. I'm fine with doing Air America, but we have to do something else too. Isn't there some conservative show we can do?" Teeters warned that the few right-wing shows in town could get nasty for the chairman. "If you can set something else up too, great," Dean said with finality. "Otherwise, I won't do Air America."
And the result??
In paying for two new staffers, Dean had, virtually overnight, doubled the size of Alaska's beleaguered state party, which used to consist of only an executive director and a part-time fund-raiser. But now, as Dean considered the vastness of the state's landscape, he decided that one organizer wasn't enough. "In most states, we have three or four," Dean said, thinking out loud. "Seems like you should really have more. We should be able to find that money in the budget."
The article is interesting - I recommend reading the rest of it.
But let the truth be known - regardless of where you stick the hose in - at the bottom or the top the water is going to rise and the boats are going to go up. Hillary and Shumer want to put it in at the Senate level because they are in in the Senate - Rahm wants it in the DCCC because he runs the DCCC.
The thing is - the DCCC and the DSCC are there to raise their own money. So... do it. State parties are having tough times raising money on their own because they have races all over the state at every level that is calling, sending out direct mail, and doing fundraisers begging for funding. And why support a state party when you can support someone like Debra Bowen, Paul Morrison, Darcy Bruner, Patricia Madrid, Brad Henry, State House candidate Jennifer Seal in her 2nd race now an open seat against a Republican Lobbyist with more grassroots support and good money in a close race for a race the republicans are ignoring....
There is more than just the House and Senate. There is more than money for TV. Lets keep our eye on the ball here.
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