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Tuesday, February 15
John Drury: The Dream Behind The DNC Election
by
John Drury
on Tue 15 Feb 2005 06:44 PM CST
 The Dream Behind The DNC Election
by John Drury
Not surprisingly, this blog has had its share of articles this
past week on Governor Dean’s election as Chairman of the Democratic
National Committee.
There’s
no doubt the party needed new leadership and while I think the Governor
has an outstanding ability to lead and will bring a fresh look to the
job, I think it’s more important to be ever mindful of his message.
Governor
Dean spoke of the people. He said that the people could stand up, take
back their country from the corporate giants and once again be a
government of the people. I don’t recall him saying if elected, that he
could do this alone. He always emphasized that the people have the
power to do this and I think that is what we should keep front and
center in our minds as we move to the mid-term elections in 2006 and
beyond.
Governor
Dean inspired millions of people with his message. The people in this
country do have the power to take back their country—but no matter who
leads our party, if we continue as we have been, it will not happen.
During
my campaign for the Iowa Senate, we made the case for a better north
Iowa. We made the case that we could beat an incumbent with a record of
inactivity matched only by five other Senators. We made the case that
we could win the election with strong grassroots campaigning and about
half the amount of money that is typically spent in an Iowa Senate
campaign. We knocked on thousands of doors, and we ran a positive
campaign on the issues. We did all of these things and yet we still
lost.
I can
remember the early days of the campaign. We held committee meetings and
only a few party faithfuls would show up. We expressed hope that Bush
and his scorched earth policies would certainly make this the year of
the Democrats down the line and with the idea that people would
eventually come out of the woodwork to help in this campaign. I didn’t
worry too much about the light attendance early on, but I can
remember saying that if we had this turnout at an October meeting, we
would be in trouble.
The
truth is, the people didn’t come out. In fact, we struggled to find
people to hold key positions in the campaign. Darrell Lewis was
campaign chair, treasurer, and webmaster all wrapped into one very
efficient package.
Don’t
get me wrong, the support we did have was very much appreciated, and I
met a lot of great people. And I suppose it could always be said that I
didn’t rally the troops. But in retrospect, I don’t think a Democrat
had a chance of winning this seat. I never believed that Kerry was our
best choice of candidates, certainly not one that cared to win from the
bottom of the ticket up, anyhow. And Karl Rove driving the Republican
message of “be afraid, be very afraid” didn’t help our cause either.
But
that’s not the point, my point is this: Governor Dean’s message was
never about Governor Dean. It was about how a Democracy should be run.
It was about how everyday people like you and me can and should have a
voice in our government. It was about how people who get up to go to
work every day ought to have the right to join a union. The Democrats
have a strong, and yes, moral message and we must not run from it.
Again, he spoke of the people having the power to take back their
country from corporate America. (Perhaps if he’d only used the words
evil-doers instead of corporate America, but I digress …) We must
listen to his message and yes, take back our country.
But in
order to do that, we must start now. We must be organized, we must pay
attention to what our government is doing, we must comment on the
issues, and we must be ready to help our candidates in any way that we
can. It’s more important to know where we want to go than it is to be
the driver getting us there. Chairman Dean is our driver; let’s tell
him where we want to go and how to get there.
Sunday, February 13
KEEPING THE TORCH BURNING
by
Molly Regan
on Sun 13 Feb 2005 04:30 PM CST
 KEEPING THE TORCH BURNING
Normally my Sunday postings have to do with OUR PHYSICAL ENVIRONMENT. Today, I would like to address a topic just as near and dear to my heart….. GOVERNOR HOWARD DEAN IS OUR NEW CHAIRMAN OF THE DEMOCRATIC NATIONAL COMMITTEE…..
CHAIRMAN-GOVERNOR DEAN deserves this as no other person and his ORGANIZING EXPERTISE bears this out.
CHAIRMAN-GOVERNOR DEAN exemplifies COURAGE. He showed us this by creating DEMOCRACY FOR AMERICA after his bid for president came to a close.
CHAIRMAN-GOVERNOR DEAN will be our best TEACHER, LEADER & MENTOR all in one feisty, aggressive package.
These things are what many of us needed at a time when we knew something dramatic needed to be done.
Our growing pains will be less because of CHAIRMAN-GOVERNOR DEAN'S CONSISTENT ATTITUDE, BELIEFS AND IDEALS.
This picture of then GOVERNOR DEAN and me was taken in Muscatine, IOWA, on Labor Day, September 1st, 2003. It was the first time I had met him, and the first time he had met me.
I was holding in my hand a newspaper article on the front of the New York Times about him. I showed it to him and said it was an excellent article. He signed it for me and told me the young woman who had written it was also there that evening and I should ask her to do the same.
It was a magical, warm summer evening with a sliver of a moon hanging in the western sky as he appeared in the backyard of a couple's lovely Victorian home and began to inspire and awe us.
HE CONTINUES TO DO THE SAME…….DEAN ON! AND ON! AND ON!
In the words of President John F. Kennedy, THE TORCH HAS BEEN PASSED TO A NEW GENERATION… Yes, it has, to a new generation of PROGRESSIVES.
Saturday, February 12
Howard Dean Gives Inspiring Acceptance Speech at DNC Winter Meeting
by
Trish Nelson
on Sat 12 Feb 2005 04:23 PM CST
Howard Dean Gives Inspiring Acceptance Speech at DNC Winter Meeting
Gov.
Howard Dean was elected chairman by acclamation today at the Winter
Meeting of the Democratic National Committee. Here are some
excerpts from his speech:
“I’m humbled and I’m ready to go to work.”
“This is
the first race for DNC chair that was driven by the grassroots of the
party. It is not my chairmanship. It is our chairmanship.”
“If we want to win nationally we have to start by winning locally.”
“Together this will be the beginning of the reemergence of the Democratic Party.”
Dean thanked and acknowledged the other DNC candidates. Dean thanked and honored Terry McAuliffe.
Gov.
Dean recognized Judy Dean. She stood up briefly, then began to
sit down, and Dean could be heard from the podium, gently saying “stand
up.” It was very touching. Judy looked great! (If
Maureen Dowd was watching, I hope she noticed Judy was wearing make-up
today!)
“Workers deserve a government that protects them. Veterans deserve a government that honors them."
“Ours is the diverse party that welcomes all Americans.”
“As
Democrats we will stand up for what we believe, organize at the local
level, and recognize that strength does not come from the top down, it
comes from the grassroots up.”
“[W’s]
budget deliberately conceals the cost of their fiscal
recklessness. Cuts education, children’s health and community
policing. Bush's Budget brings Enron-style accounting to the
nation’s capital. And it demonstrates you cannot trust
Republicans with your money.”
“Something
this administration and the Republicans are very afraid of - that
we may begin fighting for what we believe: fiscal responsibility
and social responsibility.”
“Americans want a strong and smart national security policy.”
“Americans who get up and go to work every day have the right to join a union.”
“We
believe that every American ought to have the right to affordable
health care…particularly our children. The biggest difference
between Democratic governors and Republican governors is the provision
of health insurance for kids.”
“We
believe that every American has a voice and it ought to be heard in
the halls of power every day. And on election day.”
Social
Security: [Bushies] “invent false crises to create policies that
don’t work. We will not let it fall victim to a dishonest scheme
that only serves to heap debt on our children.”
“Democrats will set the agenda. We need to be united and we need to be organized…really organized.”
“Politics is at its best when we create and inspire a sense of community.”
“Strategy
for every state and territory: show up, knock on doors and tell them
what we believe and that is what organization will help us do.”
“We’re going to take our country back for ordinary Americans.”
“I have found that the path to power is to trust others with it.”
“Empower people at the local level. If we trust voters, they will trust us.”
“We are the party of reform and change.”
“We look like America. We are America.”
“Republicans stop progress. Democrats start progress.”
“It is going to take a lot of work; I will be asking for a lot from all of you.”
“Election
by election, state by state, precinct by precinct, door by door, vote
by vote, year after year, we are going to take this country back for
the people who built it.”
- Gov. Howard Dean, Chairman
Democratic National Committee
Chairman Dean wants to hear from you. Click here to send him your ideas for the Democratic Party.
Hell Freezes Over, Dean Elected Head of the DNC. Whoo-hoo!
by
Linda Thieman
on Sat 12 Feb 2005 10:47 AM CST
 Hell Freezes Over, Dean Elected Head of the DNC. Whoo-hoo!
by Linda Thieman
Well,
this is either proof that there IS a God, or else proof that Hell has
finally frozen over. Whichever way you look at it, it is GOOD
news for the progressive community, GOOD news for what’s left of the
Democratic Party, GOOD news for this once great country, and GREAT news
for our beloved Deaniacs who have worked so hard to bring this into
being. Make no mistake - if Dean had not garnered and KEPT the
support of his activist base, this astounding feat would not have been
accomplished.
It’s a day for Deaniacs, Kucitizens, and other fellow progressives to celebrate!
In the
end, I was glad that Dean did not get the Democratic nomination for
president – this because I firmly believe that the Republicans would
have stolen the election from whomever was running on the Democratic
ticket. And, clearly, the year spent building Democracy for
America and the great success DFA had in supporting and helping elect
candidates around the country added to the Dean cachet.
Yup, right place, right time, Dr. Dean. Congratulations!!!!!
And now, here's the news:
Dean Elected DNC Chairman
by The Associated Press
 NEW CHAIRMAN:
Howard Dean, a former presidential candidate, was elected Democratic
national chairman by members of the Democratic National Committee.
DEMOCRATS' GOALS:
Dean wants to lead the party toward a more aggressive approach with
Republicans, staying on offense and learning how to talk more
effectively about Democratic positions on the issues.
PARTY BUILDING:
His leadership plan calls for investing more in state parties, but
requiring them to provide detailed plans of how they will use the
money. He also wants to develop better grass-roots support in the
states so Democrats can recruit more people locally to get out the
vote.
(Guardian.co.uk)
Democrats Elect Howard Dean As Chairman
By WILL LESTER
Associated Press Writer
WASHINGTON (AP) - Democrats elected Howard Dean chairman of their
national party on Saturday, casting their lot with a skilled
fund-raiser and organizer whose sometimes caustic, blunt comments can
lead to controversy.
The 447-member Democratic National Committee chose Dean on a voice vote
to replace outgoing party chief Terry McAuliffe. The former Vermont
governor and presidential candidate had promised to rebuild the state
parties, take the offensive against Republicans, and better explain
party positions on issues.
(Guardian.co.uk)
Friday, February 11
Unifying The Democratic Caucus
by
Chad Thompson
on Fri 11 Feb 2005 12:13 PM CST
 Unifying The Democratic Caucus
Since it's Friday, I'll pass along two good things from "Kos" - unified Democrats producing good results.
In the Senate:
U.S.
Senate Democrats admitted on Thursday they did not do enough to protect
their ousted leader, Tom Daschle, from Republican attacks and vowed to
defend his successor, Harry Reid, who is now under fire.
Reid's
43 fellow Senate Democrats, along with a Democratic-leaning
independent, wrote [Bush] to protest a partisan offensive.
They
called on Bush to halt what they denounced as personal and unfair
attacks by the Republican National Committee and the Republican
senatorial campaign committee against Reid. The Nevada lawmaker
replaced Daschle last month as Senate minority leader [...]
"Calling
him (Reid) names is pointless and silly," Democrats wrote in the letter
sent on Thursday. "We feel that suggesting Democrats are simply
obstructionists because they have honest policy disagreements with your
administration is dishonest."
From the House:
Rep.
Paul Ryan (R.-Wis.) was asked at a CATO conference in Washington
yesterday whether he had persuaded any Democrats to back his plan to
rescue Social Security from its financial troubles. Under his
legislation (HR 4851), no new taxes would be needed to pay for
"transition costs," participation in the new system would be voluntary
and individuals would be allowed to divert a portion of their payroll
tax into a mutual fund.
A questioner from the audience, stressing his own Democratic
credentials, said he believed Ryan's plan should attract members of his
own party and wondered whether the Wisconsin lawmaker had secured any
Democratic sponsors. Ryan said he had been working with friends on the
"other side of the aisle" who were favorable toward his solution, but
he faced an enormous problem: intense pressure on his colleagues from
the minority leadership.
"We were in planning stages [with friendly Democrats]," said Ryan. But each essentially told him: "I
like what you're doing. I like this bill. I think it's the right way to
go. But my party leadership will break my back. The retribution that
they are promising us is as great as I have ever seen. We can't do it."
Aside
from the "posturing" from Ryan - Democrats acting as a unified block is
paying dividends, particularly in uniting Democrats to stand against
proposals like Social Security phase-out.
Kos also passes along this from the National Journal:
In
the latest example of his muscle flexing, incoming Democratic National
Committee Chairman Howard Dean agreed during a meeting Wednesday with
Reid to cede full control of the party's policies and agenda to
congressional Democrats and to provide financial and message support to
Reid's efforts, Senate Democratic aides said.
Dean
told Reid "he wants clear lines of communication [with Reid] to ...
amplify what the Democrats up here are doing," an aide familiar with
the conversation said.
While
careful to avoid criticizing former Minority Leader Daschle, many
Democrats also privately argue Reid's early emphasis on unity is
welcome within both the moderate and progressive factions and has
helped bring about the current détente between the two wings after
several years of increasing tensions.
Democrats
point to the fact that none of the party's moderate senators has broken
ranks with Reid's position on Social Security, despite an aggressive
White House conversion campaign aimed at "red state" moderates such as
Sen. Max Baucus of Montana.
The DNC, state parties and Congressional Democrats working toward the same goal. I like the sound of that.
Along those lines, Paul Krugman wonders if the Democratic Party will finally stand up to Republican class warfare.
Democrats
have surprised the Bush administration, and themselves, by effectively
pushing back against Mr. Bush's attempt to dismantle Social Security.
It's time for them to broaden their opposition, and push back against
Mr. Bush's tax policy.
Thursday, February 10
POLL: 90% of DNC Members Think Dean Will Do Good Job
by
Linda Thieman
on Thu 10 Feb 2005 07:23 PM CST
POLL: 90% of DNC Members Think Dean Will Do Good Job
CNN/USA Today/Gallup poll
WASHINGTON (CNN) --
As the Democratic National Committee opens its annual meeting, a new
poll of DNC members suggests party leaders want to see some serious
changes and believe former Vermont Gov. Howard Dean will do an
excellent job as party chairman.
...Surveyors
questioned 223 of the DNC's 447 members or their spokespeople by phone
between January 27 and February 8. Answers are representative of the
views of the members who chose to take part in the poll.
...63
percent of the DNC members who responded to the survey said that the
socially liberal/fiscally conservative Dean would make an excellent
chairman (and another 27 percent said he would be good in the job).
Click here to read the complete article.
Tuesday, February 8
Howard Dean: Last Man Standing
by
Linda Thieman
on Tue 08 Feb 2005 04:53 AM CST
Howard Dean: Last Man Standing
Dean's Last Rival Quits the Party Race
New York Times
WASHINGTON, Feb. 7
- Timothy J. Roemer, the last of Howard Dean's rivals in the race for
Democratic national chairman, dropped out on Monday, assuring Dr. Dean
of victory.
Mr.
Roemer, a former congressman from Indiana, had been backed by the House
Democratic leader, Representative Nancy Pelosi of California, and had
staked out a position as the most conservative alternative to Dr. Dean.
(Click here to read the complete article.)
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Yeah,
well I guess in the end it came down to a choice between a
level-headed, REAL Democrat and a pseudo-Republican. I can't
believe Pelosi backed an anti-abortion candidate. Just the
direction we want to take the party in - let's all gather 'round the
guy who wants to take away the right of women to control their own
bodies. Hey, remember when Pelosi backed Gephardt, too? And
then she sent around that smear letter against Dean? And she's our
"leader" in the House?????
What
leading? It looks more like whiplash to me. First, she
backs the pro-labor, pro-choice (eventually) former rep from Missouri,
and then she does a 180 and backs one of the most conservative members
of the Democratic Party.
No wonder the Democrats are in such trouble. We're too busy trying to be Republicans to get anything done.
Saturday, February 5
Dean's OTHER Top Rival Drops Out, Endorses Dean
by
Linda Thieman
on Sat 05 Feb 2005 06:30 PM CST
Dean's OTHER Top Rival Drops Out, Endorses Dean
With the
February 12th election for chair of the DNC just one week away, looks
like Howard is mopping the floor with the competition. Howard
Dean: The Ultimate Insider. It just oozes irony.
According to the Chicago Tribune, Dean's OTHER top rival, Donnie Fowler of South Carolina, dropped out last night and endorsed Dean.
Pretty
much everyone, including Dean, now believes Dean's got it locked
up. My theory on why the Democrats couldn't stop Dean THIS time
is because the last time, a year ago, they had all the help they needed
from GOP-TV, who set out on a lovely and timely smear campaign.
When you're only personally courting 447 people, those 447 people are
much better informed and less inclined to be led like sheep by what the
perverted media spoon-feeds them.
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