What effect is the DLC having on the Democratic Party?

[AntiFascist]

I have been encouraged by the moderators to discuss the direction of the Democratic Party, so here goes:

Suppose that supporters of PNAC are a minority within the Democratic Party, but they happen to consist of the fortunate few with all the wealth and power within the party. Is it really fair that they should have the power to steer the direction of the Democrats when in fact Democrats do not have control of two branches of government, have lost control of both sides of Congress (are about to lose the power to filibuster), and are in danger of being overruled by the Judicial Branch?

[AntiCoup2K4]

1. The DLC is a cancer on the Democratic party

And like all cancers, it has no beneficial purpose and will only continue to kill its host until eliminated by whatever means neccessary.

[Robbien]

2. The DLC is the Democratic Party, the question should be reversed

What effect will the Democratic/liberal base have on the Democratic Party. Since the DLC has no power anywhere, will the grassroots seize the opportunity?

The DLC money raising is severly damaged by the loss of seats where they are getting smaller payouts from the lobbyists. The Democratic base has organizing power and power to raise money.

If there is a time for change, it appears the time is now.

[matcom]

3. long term effects:

- supressing a woman's rights over her own body

- continuing the barbaric practice of state sponsored killing

- allowing religion to dictate "values"

- ENABELING CORPORATE MEDIA TO OWN THE PROCESS (in order to get favorable 'coverage')

- polarizing those of us on the true left and forcing us out of the party (in the name of justifying a "winning strategy")

- selling out Progressive ideas (causing Wellstone to flip in his grave) in the name of "electability"

- the creation of essentially a one party system (i.e. Dictatorship)

[Tinoire]

4. No it is not fair but they aren't in it for fairness

any more than the neoconservatives are in the Republican Party for fairness.

People in both parties are beginning to wake up to the fact that both parties have been hijacked by the followers of Leo Strauss and Scoop Jackson whose priorities are to shape a New World Order where small, elite, moneyed groups (e.g. corporations and family empires) control everything.

One of the PNACers, Marshall Wittmann, from Ralph Reed's Christian Coalition, was just signed on as a Sr Fellow of the DLC and the PPI. I am not sure if he was signed on before or right after signing the latest PNAC letter urging Bush to go after Putin (letter signed Sept 28, 2004). Can you imagine that? Straight from the arms of PNAC, Ralph Reed, and the little group he co-chaired with Bill Kristol, "the Conservative Reform Group", to the loving arms of the DLC.

These people are strangling our Party just as they strangled the Republican Party.

Their stranglehold on the Democratic Party may be even worse because it was the Democratic Party that spawned Perle, Feith, Wolfowitz (who went and infilitrated the Republicans but made sure to leave enough people in our party to carry on).

One of the saddest things at DU has been the influx of "Liberal" Repbulicans who are genuinely angry at Bush and wanting him out because they recognized the danger. It is only now that many of those same people are realizing that the problem is worse than they thought, can put a name to it and see that the danger they're fighting is also present in our party.

The DLC needs to go. It needs to take its think tanks (PPI), its spawned organizations like the ndol.org, and it's neo-liberals with it.

To this day Richard Perle is still a professed Democrat. Marshall Wittman, one of the worst behind the scenes neo-cons, has come back home to the DLC's loving arms. Who's next? Wolfowitz? Feith?

Oh no. The DLC has got to go. That is one cancer that can't be cut one moment too soon.

[manhattanite]

5. If you eliminate the DLC ...

... the Democractic Party will be left with a much smaller base than it already has. A lot of DLC members would be liberal Republicans if the DLC did not exist, giving money and support to Republican candidates. As a Democat, do you really want that? All this Democrat infighting keeps our party weak. We need to stick together and find common ground if we are to retake the White House and Congress.

[Tinoire]

12. Is that you Al?

Last thing I want in a Party fighting for Progress is "Republicans" who are having a personality crisis with Bush pushing my Party further to the Right. Let those dissatisfied Republicans go retake their own party instead of trying to turn mine into a Republican-lite version. We have enough problems.

If people disatisfied with Bush are now regretting their Republican votes, they should just gracefully repent in silence. What arrogance to come reshape the Democratic Party because you (generic you) fucked yours up!

[reprehensor]

6. A bad effect.

The DLC needs to be recognized for what it is, a collector of corporate donations, Al From's pet project.

It does not represent the teeming masses who need affordable health care, jobs, Social Security, a working Democracy, etc.

It is an entity by, and for, the Corporations who make it exist.

Just cut them loose... the sooner the better.

Let Dean have a go at the DNC chair, and show some REAL leadership, not corporate-sponsored 'leadership'.

The DLC should change its name to the JBLRLC: Just Barely to the Left of the Republicans Leadership Council.

Al From sickens me.

NO MORE MOORE the DLC Joins the Witch Hunt

[Walt Starr]

7. If you dump the DLC we'll actually win elections

The DLC are Republicans trying to claim they are Democrats.

[manhattanite]

8. Clinton was a Republican?

He was the most successful Democratic president of our generation.

[Walt Starr]

9. I think Clinton was the damned finest

Republican president in recent memory.

[matcom]

10. bingo

LIBERAL & PROGRESSIVES UNITE!!

[Q]

11. We didn't just wake up one morning and decide to 'hate' the DLC...

...we've watched them over a course of at least four years. They became obvious during and after the 2000 election when they (Lieberman and other DLCers) pressured GORE to concede and later insisted that he shouldn't run again because of his 'anti-corporation' populism.

Later on we had a debate here on DU about the Iraq War Resolution and the excuses Democrats had to come up with to rationalize their representative's vote. The Iraq 'war' has the PNAC doctrine written all over it: wait for 'another Pearl Harbor'...increase military funding...aggressive war...military and economic domination of the world. (Not an exaggeration).

Whether you disagree with the PNAC/DLC connection should have nothing to do with being a moderate, centrist or conservative. You should be against it because you're an American concerned with liberty, equal justice and the rule of law.

[AntiFascist]

14. Right On!

and don't forget democracy. It's odd that we're fighting for "democracy" in the Middle East when in fact what we have at home is "republicism".

[Tierra_y_Libertad]

13. The DLC(R) has staged a successful coup. Time to go.

The Democratic Party is now little more than the (somewhat) moderate wing of Republican Party. The DLC(R)has been so successful that even supposed "progressives" are now endorsing it's proposals to further abandon the principles and gains made by the liberal/left.

Women's Rights
Civil Rights
Anti-militarism
Internationalism
Economic Justice
Universal Health Care
The Environment

All are on the chopping block of compromise made in the name of "electability".

The Democratic Party as a progressive party is dead. It does nothing but provide a stooge for the Republicans to defeat in supposedly democratic elections. Sort of like the "villains" in pro-wrestling provide entertainment value.

The fix is in and I'm out of the game and off to join a real progressive/left party that actually stands for something. The Greens.