James Carville had the guts to send me this

Fast on the hills of his candidate's threats to sue the Texas Democratic Committee, apparently on the grounds that democracy is getting out of hand in the Lone Star State, James "Stealth Advisor" Carville sent me, or at least signed, this appeal for funds.

Wanted to take a break from work to reach you quickly. Big FEC deadline tonight at midnight. We know we need to win the White House. But, we also need to lay the foundation for our Democratic nominee.

Beating Republicans that sat like bumps on logs while Bush ran amuck for seven years is a huge part of the puzzle. It's clear this race is going to be between Republican despair and Democratic energy. But at the end of the day you know they'll be flush with right-wing cash from the top of the ticket down. That's why you've got to give today to the DCCC before the February FEC deadline and House Democrats will match your gift.

Okay, this isn't much of a diary, and I'm being immature, but what the hell, I'll plummet off the edge of diary-in-your-face land (diary-in-your-peripheral-vision land?) soon enough.  Until I do, I'm here to screaming, "Where the hell do these wonks get off?"

I refuse to let you coopt the "Democratic energy" that is rising in spite of the behavior of your party machinery and your candidate.  And as to winning the WH, "What do you mean we, paleface?"

I know we need to focus on Congress, also.  I don't know if DCCC contributions are the way to do it.  I've given a lot in the past.  But the divisive, selfish and dangerously undermining behavior of one of the Democratic candidates has made me loathe to give a red cent to anything that smacks of the old-time Democratic power structure.

Go back to CNN, Carville, and pretend to be objective.

•  Impulsive behavior: good or bad?

  by geomoo on Fri Feb 29, 2008 at 10:23:54 AM PDT

  •  The DCCC is pretty brazen.

    Don't mind though.  What I do is send back the letter with a note scribbled right on it: "I only contribute to candidates who [whatever]", and I mention the last person I contributed to.  For a whole decade it was "candidates who are trying to end the drug war".  Since 2002 it's been "candidates who will actually stand up against Bush".

    I don't get too many (printed) such requests anymore.  Wonder why...

    by codairem on Fri Feb 29, 2008 at 11:00:10 AM PDT

    •  Thanks for the terrific idea. n/t

      by geomoo on Fri Feb 29, 2008 at 11:04:24 AM PDT

•  ???

  I think your democrat party is not the same as mine.  I just dont think it is helpful to insult and make every dem your enemy because you think they have been around to long.  Your Democractic party might be just a little to small to get elected.

  david

  by giusd on Fri Feb 29, 2008 at 10:31:15 AM PDT

  •  "democrat party"?

    Something is amiss.  Doc.

    by Translator on Fri Feb 29, 2008 at 10:36:34 AM PDT

    •  Yes

      The ic but i am not one who really cares about this one way or another.  The GOP does this to piss of the hill but i dont think it really matters and frankly is nonsense.

      david

      by giusd on Fri Feb 29, 2008 at 10:37:53 AM PDT

      •  What's in a name?

        I've learned from Obama that we can invalidate years of GOP effort and money by side-stepping their absurd word play.  Obama doesn't care what you call it, he just wants you to support him on the issues, which happen to be in line with Democratic tradition and liberal tradition.  Why should we care if you say Democrat and hate liberals if you vote to get out of Iraq, support universal heath care, etc.

        by geomoo on Fri Feb 29, 2008 at 10:42:24 AM PDT

      •  The -ic does matter

        None other the late William F. Buckley explained why:

        William F. Buckley, Jr., the Miss Manners cum Dr. Johnson of modern conservatism, dealt with the question in a 2000 column in National Review, the magazine he had founded forty-five years before. “I have an aversion to ‘Democrat’ as an adjective,” Buckley began.

        Dear Joe McCarthy used to do that, and received a rebuke from this at-the-time 24-year-old. It has the effect of injecting politics into language, and that should be avoided. Granted there are diffculties, as when one desires to describe a “democratic” politician, and is jolted by possible ambiguity.

        But English does that to us all the time, and it’s our job to get the correct meaning transmitted without contorting the language.

        It is meant as a slur, and was market tested by Luntz for Newt Gingrich.

        by Grassroots Mom on Fri Feb 29, 2008 at 11:28:12 AM PDT

        •  I hear you and I know that

          All things being equal, I would prefer that such childish, cynical manipulative behavior be seen for what it is.  I have spent a lot of energy these last years being angry and frustrated, feeling helpless, screaming at the television.  It has been difficult to see even Democratic politicians refer to themselves improperly.

          But it is more important to get things done.  The reality is, we don't have the media.  When I see Obama sidestep the silly semantic game idiot reporters want to play, I watch and learn.  He is avoiding their playing field, a playing field slanted in favor of conservatives, and discussing things on his own terms.  We know that the majority of Americans are on the liberal side of most issues.  Probably too, the majority of Americans have an absurd notion that there's something wrong with being liberal.  So Obama speaks liberal and people like what he says.

          If it walks like a Democrat, talks like a Democrat, and votes like a Democrat, it's Democratic no matter what you call it.  I know words matter, but they matter a lot less than getting us out of Iraq.

          by geomoo on Fri Feb 29, 2008 at 12:03:50 PM PDT

  •  Coming from you....

    that comment is hysterical.  The man who will leave the presidential section of his ballot empty if Hillary isn't the nominee, but will give to the DCCC and vote Dem down the ballot criticizing another Dem that doesn't want to give to the DCCC but is still a Dem supporter?

    He's just a mirror image of you, giusd.  What's the problem?

    by Coach Jay on Fri Feb 29, 2008 at 10:38:54 AM PDT

    •  ???

      First off it is hard to take noise from someone who uses the word "hysterical" and IMHO that shows limited maturity.  Second, i have never give a dime to the DCCC or the DLC and you have your facts wrong or are just sloppy.  Third i give monthly to the DNC and Dean and am a huge Dean supporter so again your facts are less than accuate.  So, i can i take your conclusion at face value when you seem to have some many mistakes in you statement?

      david

      by giusd on Fri Feb 29, 2008 at 10:45:08 AM PDT

      •  Ok. My mistake

        I'm sorry, I was mistaken in your contributions to the DNC, vs the DCCC.

        On language:  Here, try out one of these:  I find your comment ironic, contradictory, incongruous, disparaging and derisive.

        But, as usual, you don't address the point that I made. You have a criticism of the diarist for not being supportive of the DCCC and the efforts of James Carville, when you yourself will not support any other Democratic presidential nominee other than Hillary Clinton.  You don't think that any of the above descriptors applies to your position?

        by Coach Jay on Fri Feb 29, 2008 at 01:23:26 PM PDT

  •  Your point is taken, but

    I'm not blown away by your inclusive attitude:

    I think your democrat party is not the same as mine

    In fact my point is that, when a usually even-tempered person like me has a strong negative reaction to a simple fund-raising letter, it's a sign that the party indeed should be careful about splintering.  Not threatening to sue a state party would be a good start, IMHO.

    by geomoo on Fri Feb 29, 2008 at 10:39:25 AM PDT

  •  outside the beltway

    I'd be surprised if there are even a dozen centrist DINO Democrats not on a politician's or political organization or lobbyist payroll.

    We've heard from you, I wonder who the other 11 are.

    Nobody is saying "we won't contribute", it's just a matter of finding the right individual progressive Democrats and donating directly or giving to the Democratic National Committee and funding the 50 state strategy.

    In the case of the DCCC, let the corporations that benefit from their candidates fund them.

    by alizard on Fri Feb 29, 2008 at 12:18:06 PM PDT

•  James "ive never seen one so old" Carville

  and his cheney towel girl, give me break, they still paying him to p*ss down people backs and tell them its raining?

  by TAPayne on Fri Feb 29, 2008 at 10:33:04 AM PDT

•  If it had been Dean or

  someone else with real Dem creds, I wouldn't have batted an eye.  But Carville's stock has been flat for a long time - I'm surprised that the DCCC is so tone deaf as to have him represent them.

  by wozzle on Fri Feb 29, 2008 at 10:43:02 AM PDT

  •  Yes, it's the Carville--Hillary connection

    that turned me off.  Tone deafness has reached a new high in her campaign.  I guess it's a fast-changing world out here, and it's scary when the old manipulations no longer work.

    Dean is the greatest.  I wonder why we see so much less of him than of Carville.  Dean represents the new Democratic Party.

    by geomoo on Fri Feb 29, 2008 at 10:46:08 AM PDT

    •  I suspect that Rahm threw some

      business Carville's way.  Wonder how much Jamesmeboy got from the DCCC for his sig?

      by wozzle on Fri Feb 29, 2008 at 11:37:50 AM PDT

•  Don't let Carville's name make your decision.

  Donate where your conscience tells you. If you purposely want to sidestep this email and route your contribution another way to keep him for gaining prestige from it, fine. If you'd rather give to individual candidates, fine. If you want to send a letter to the DCCC telling them that Carville is not the key to your wallet, fine. But don't let him stop you from supporting this fight.

  by davewill on Fri Feb 29, 2008 at 10:48:12 AM PDT

  •  No worries there, friend

    I'm not a hothead and I'm not immature.  I give to individual candidates now, and I'll do what I can to support Dean.  And I'll vote for Hillary for President if it comes to it.

    Besides being a self-indulgent rant, I only want to make the point that the behavior of Hillary's campaign is creating negative feelings toward the party in general, even among long-time contributors like me.

    Thanks for the terrific comment.  I would call it an almost perfect response to this diary.

    by geomoo on Fri Feb 29, 2008 at 10:51:59 AM PDT

    •  DCCC is not the Democratic Party

      They're the "Democratic" organization of Congresspeople who support DINOs against progressives in primaries. Let their corporate donors pay for this.

      by alizard on Fri Feb 29, 2008 at 12:32:48 PM PDT

      •  This primary season has certainly

        clarified these distinctions for me.  I have gone over to the dark side of those who have been claiming for years that there is little difference between the establishment wings of the parties.

        by geomoo on Fri Feb 29, 2008 at 12:45:11 PM PDT

•  I got the same crap

  since I can't reply to that email.  I am recommending this diary in hope that people will send a message to the DCCC that they ain't getting any money until they adequately deal with FISA, New Orleans, DoJ, the war, etc., etc.

  Maybe the Obama campaign can fund the congressional races?

  by shlenny on Fri Feb 29, 2008 at 11:39:05 AM PDT

  •  Thanks for the recommend.

    I actually don't think such a flimsy diary deserves one, but I'm glad to have company in my views.  Since there were only two of you who recommended, I can thank you each personally.  :)

    by geomoo on Fri Feb 29, 2008 at 12:06:31 PM PDT