We have a chance to get our voices heard with the DNC..

[madfloridian]

We really do have a chance now. Instead of taking advantage of it, many are deciding that the votes in the Senate and House are all the fault of Howard Dean. Many are saying to withhold support.

Way to go. Way to make sure our voices don't count, and way to make sure he fails as chair.

That will accomplish so much. Al From would say thank you, so would Bruce Reed.

The DSCC and DCCC have told Howard Dean he is not to set policy. He is staying off national TV for now. He helped the NJ Dems collect about 350,000 last week, the MS Dems about 90,000, not sure about KS. That money pretty well stays there to build local parties.

That is how he is doing it, building the party from the bottom up. That is how we have to do it to succeed. That is why talking about 08 right now is so useless. Giving to local parties is good, giving to candidates is good, but the DNC to survive needs money. If we don't give, then we turn the party over to the big money for sure.

Many of us miss his voice on TV, but he would be attacked by the party leaders right now if he got out of line at all. It does pretty well leave us without a voice, or at least it feels that way. BUT by showing our support financially (money does talk), we can let the DLC, the DSCC, and the DCCC know that we want change. We can write them, we can express our views, but money talks. It will take a long time, and it is discouraging.

Withholding money is not the answer now...we have someone who will listen. We need to show our support. It has been a discouraging week, but it is not the fault of the DNC chair.

[lastknowngood]

1. Tell Howard I will donate to the DNC when he set's up a direct

donation link so I can donate only to the real Dem's and not to the DNC
which will support every DINO just because he says he's a Dem.

[JI7]

5. i think you can already donate directly to candidates

through their own websites, pacs, and whatever else they have.

[MissWaverly]

2. what was the link to contribute from "DU"

sure, I will chip in but I forgot the link.

[MissWaverly]

7. found the link

found the link so "DU" would get credit. I had made it one of my favorites.

https://www.democrats.org/support/index.html?dsc=DEMOCR...

Here's my e-mail
My contribution is a gesture of support for Howard Dean, Sen. Kerry, Sen. Boxer, Sen. Mikulski and Rep. John Conyers and all who are trying to fight against this current corruption of government by the lobby, of the lobby and for the lobby. I am not impressed when I see an elected democrat being kissed by Bush. I think it's time to stand up and fight for what we believe in. We cannot give in on the rape of our wilderness, the impoverishment of our people or the wholesale plundering of Iraq in the name of democracy.

[madfloridian]

10. Thanks for that.

I am concerned about this new "movement" to not donate. Going on at Kos as well. Kind of sad.

[savannahana]

12. thanks for this link, & bravo

your comment -- well said.

Ana

[saracat]

15. Great message!

[MissWaverly]

23. thanks

I feel that the only way we can be heard is to donate, that is what is screwing up the country, the republicans have turned away from the small donors and now often lobby only the big guys who often are using this open access to screw the american people, all of us, we need to start an attack of the little people

[saracat]

3. However votes are being taken NOW. that we won't be able to recover from.

Grassroots is great but, as we are looking at immediate annilation, I don't think we have the time to concentrate soley on the grassroots. Someone has to step up to the plate and nail these runaway Dems immediately. The Arctib Bill was passed by ONE vote . Gimme a break! Isn't anyone talking to these people? The people the bankruptsy Bill will destroy don't have the time for Howard's grass roots building! These votes must be defeated before they take place!
That being said, I am not blaming Howard. Harry reid is more at fault. It is his job to round up votes. Informaly, however, the Party Chair often assists, in vote gathering. I think we need more emphasis on this element. And the Chair can "promote" the policy decided on by the Party. Howard can support Social Security publically. So he does need to get out there. McAuliffe, as sorry as he was in some ways, often was on TV five days in a row , on everything!

[madfloridian]

6. Then don't donate.

I understand. Just don't donate.

[saracat]

14. oh, no !We should donate! We must help Dean succeed. I just

think we need to let him and others know we need to take more action on those things that are imminent, that is all!

[madfloridian]

16. He can't take action, they can. Congress can.

Remember it was our elected Democratic leaders who did NOT want him as chair. He got great opposition from them.

I agree that we need to pressure our congressional leaders much more. I have and will. So we agree on that.

[saracat]

20. Informally,he can lean on them a bit. Might not be able to do much . but

every little bit counts! Just like we must also keep the pressure up. The worst thing we can do right now is to give up. That is what they are hoping we will do, and the Dino's are right behind them! And while we are "pressering" we might thank the "good guy" like Kennedy, Kerry and Boxer as well. They need to know we appreciate it! "so, keep those cards and letters coming in"!

[blm]

4. It's important for ALL of us that Dean succeed. His success is OUR success

and I don't understand why anyone would even need further convincing at this point, but, I admire your persistence.

;)

[madfloridian]

8. Yeah, I know. There is an active campaign now about this.

I guess I tried because as you say it is OUR success. It is going on at Kos as well. The old "let's not donate" thing.

We fought to get a voice, and now we don't want to support it.

[blm]

11. Hopefully, there are alot more of us

than there are of them.

Success is based on opportunity not perfection.

[savannahana]

9. i'm with you on this, madfloridian:

"That is how he is doing it, building the party from the bottom up. That is how we have to do it to succeed. That is why talking about 08 right now is so useless. Giving to local parties is good, giving to candidates is good, but the DNC to survive needs money. If we don't give, then we turn the party over to the big money for sure."

From the bottom up - even my pittance (sent today) may count, from the bottom up.

Your point may well be made for you if we check out RNC contributions among the Red states in recent years.

And yes: 08 is a longer time off from now than 04 was in 01... Events accelerate & time condenses. Locality becomes para-locality (& politically viable) only very slowly. Visible or potential candidates emerge into strength best without the hype spun of premature prognostication -- that's a glamor game that used to be recognized as such: political folly; & as such, championed by the opposition.

I keep reading & reading; meantime, thanks for your post.

...Final thought: maybe there are some among us who still believe that it's only that Other Party that's connected to the big money?

Where's our own actual, honest "big money"? Hasn't it been, historically, composed of the aggregate of grassroots "small money"?

Ana

[madfloridian]

13. Thanks for that.

[savannahana]

17. most welcome; how about some links

to the debate issuing from this "let's not give" faction?
(including Kos, which I read...but haven't checked it out there as yet)

any leads much appreciated

[madfloridian]

18. Just a diarist there, a new one, I think. Not Kos.

It is still under recent diaries, but about to drop from sight. I don't want to link to it to give it momentum. There was another earlier that did not gain steam.

[savannahana]

19. thanks much, going there now -- i'll find it

...no momentum needed there, nope

maybe the steamed-out one is a hopeful sign

later

ana

[bklyncowgirl]

21. It's much more fun to bitch and moan.

I think Dean's doing what he can do by going to the states and helping their local parties raise badly needed funds and even more badly needed morale.

I supported Dean for DNC knowing he's not going to do everything I would want--not without causing an ugly rift with the congressional leadership. While I would love to see him trouncing renegade Democrats, at this point pressure exerted behind the scenes would probably be the better thing to do on his part. Trashing turncoat Dems should be our job.

It seems to me too, that not being all over the media might not be a bad thing for a high profile politician in who's been accused of using this office to further his own career.

[mikelewis]

22. How did we let them back us up into a corner like this?

What good is being the Leader of the DNC if he can't openly lead?

His help would be invaluable in molding party opinion and raising public awareness. I'm not a "deaniac" but I recognize a weapon when I see one. I will of course support him as I believe he is truly a gifted leader but I think it's a mistake to fly him under the radar while the butt-munchers are driving a stake through our hearts on a daily basis.

I don't blame Dean for any of the things that have transpired, I blame us for failing to organize against this threat long before it evolved into what it has become today. I simply think it's a mistake to tuck Dean away like this. He's at his best when he's raging against the machine.

[candy331]

26. I am sorry to say and take no joy for doing so but I never thought

Dean would have any power as Chair. I believed then and I do now that he was given the position to put him just where he is, off the radar. I certainly posted many times leading up to chair that I hoped he would not do so but respected his right to do and wished him well. The best thing may be that he stay off the radar and let the Dems complete their demise as they are hell bent on doing and then it may be be seen just who really care about the people of this nation, and Dean can reemerge with power given to him by the people.. Perhaps Dean is where he wished to be..

[Carolab]

24. It appears to me that MoveOn is trying to claim the "grassroots" and ...

the Dem leaders are backing that up. Did anyone else watch the MoveOn rally yesterday on C-Span on opposing the "nuclear option"?

Everyone was there, Reid, Boxer, Clinton, Kennedy, Byrd, Durbin, and they were giving ALL the credit and support for grassroots to MoveOn.

MoveOn is trying to "own" this party. They already as much as said so. So what is it? Does MoveOn "own us"? Or do we belong to Dean?

When Dean won the chair, my fiance and I both donated to the DNC to show our support. Please donate if you can or haven't already.

[MissWaverly]

25. we cannot outsource the Democratic Party

We have to stand as Dems, I like the activism of Moveon, but this is my party. I do not want my party controled by a organization no matter how lofty its goals.

[shance]

27. America's establishment needs to realize WE ARE ALL GRASSROOTS

For Americans and the Democratic and Republican Parties to insinuate "grassroots" is anything but the total sum of all Americans, is contradictory of who we are and pretty classist.

We are all grassroots. We need to send that message far and wide.

[shance]

28. Floridian's right. We need to do whatever we can to back up Gov. Dean now

I know most of you will do that. We need to show support whenever we can and in whatever ways we can.

Progress will take time. We have to pace ourselves and realize it's going to take time. We also need to clean house of some of the Dems that are causing the most problems.

We need to start focusing on running incumbants against Democrats who are sabatoging our party and we need to start recruiting other candidates soon.

[Carolab]

29. Right. A lot of this "behavior" is just turf wars that aren't beneficial

to any of us. When they put themselves and their careers ahead of our interests, bring out the hook and yank them off the stage.

[realFedUp]

30. Now is THE time to plan for taking back the House in '06

I'm glad the Doc is working on that stuff.

[Carolab]

31. He needs our help.

The idea is to find local progressive candidates to sponsor and campaign for them. Or run yourself, if you're so inclined. Dean says we have to make politics local and we have to make it part of our daily lives.

[OneBlueSky]

32. why support Republican lite when you can support the real thing . . .

if I wanted to support bankruptcy "reform" and drilling in ANWR, I'd have voted Republican . . . when the Democrats start supporting ME instead of their corporate overlords, then maybe I'll support them . . . right now, I don't give a shit . . .

[paulk]

33. of course it's not Howard Dean's fault

but this was all predictable - since many people seemed to think that he would, as DNC chair, have some say in setting policy.

The DNC chair has never been a policy making position.

Pay no attention to the naysayers here at DU and at Kos. They are a minority in the party.

ps - Your inclusion of Al From and Bruce Reed as somehow related to this matter is gratuitiously divisive, and I resent it. It serves no purpose in the context of this thread. Now is a time for party unity, and your constant attacks on the DLC accomplish the opposite.

[madfloridian]

35. Read their latest about warning Dean.

I make no apology for what I said. Was it gratuitously divisive? No, because of the purpose of the founding. It was founded to keep from being reliant on the traditional Democratic constituencies...like unions, minorities.

Thus my statement was fair. We can co-exist peacefully when they stop "warnings" to Dean and to the grassroots.

They say "do no harm." That implies that Dean does not have good sense, and they also seem to think that we do not know what is best for the party.

All kinds of funding are necessary...their corporate funding, our grassroots funding. We have as much right to be in the party as they do, it is not their exclusive domain.

[paulk]

37. you are sowing dissension

for no reason.

period.

Most people on this board who opposed him have made conciliatory gestures toward Howard Dean. We need him to succeed in his role as DNC chair. Yet you continue to fan the flames of divisiveness.

Your remarks vis a vis From were gratuitous. They had no relation to the point of your thread.

The statement you refer to is over 5 weeks old.

Stop it.

Neither the Democratic party or Howard Dean needs this.

[madfloridian]

39. Please do not warn me. That is a brand new statement.

It is from the new Blueprint.

http://www.ndol.org/ndol_ci.cfm?kaid=127&subid=171&cont...

SNIP...". Ironically, the best thing a party chairman can do is to keep his head down and his nose to the grindstone, and give potential candidates a clear field to have that debate. Dean will do fine as long as he remembers the Hippocratic Oath: First, do no harm...."

They also said he would be the "head cheerleader", and that was his job. No, his job is more than that. From the same article:
SNIP..."We've had differences with Governor Dean in the past, but we wish him well in this endeavor. If he succeeds in building and funding our party, all Democrats will benefit.

In the end, the success of any national party chairman depends not on how well he does his job, but on whether his party wins the White House on his watch. The chairman's role is to be chief cheerleader for the party...."

I can just see all of the grassroots going rah rah. I am sorry, but they need to stop defining everyone's role in the party. I have not been posting nearly as much about them, and I will continue to lessen my activity in that regard. A lot of us are willing to meet halfway.

But then Bruce Reed goes on CNN and says "Democrats have to have their own plan for spreading Democracy throughout the world."
And a lot of us do not believe we need to be spreading Democracy.

[paulk]

46. you threw a dig in at the DLC that had nothing to do

with the point of your thread.

That is a gratuitiously divisive thing to do and I'm asking you to stop in the interests of party unity. Please.

Criticize Al From and the DLC if you feel the need, but at least do it in the context of whatever point it is you're trying to make. To say that not donating to the DNC would please "Al From and Bruce Reed" was uneccesary in making your point.

This war between Howard Dean and the DLC has got to end if we expect to move forward and win elections. Both the DLC and DFA have worked to elect Democrats, they're on the same side.

Besides, From's statement seems to be a (qualified) one of support - I don't understand why it offends you.

[madfloridian]

47. In the context of the funding I mentioned, it made perfect sense.

There is no war between Howard Dean and DLC anymore. He is not the type to let there be one. From's statement was an improvement over others in the past, but he needs to stop warning. It is not his job to warn Howard Dean, and it was never his job to warn the activists off.

It did make the point that we can not simply let the party be funded by corporations anymore. And it has been, while most of us never realized what was going on.

Howard Dean would never let that be in the way of working with everyone, but also as he often said...this is about us not him.

We are the ones who will need to stand up for what we believe. If the DLC continues to be less combative then so will I.

I am well-educated, intelligent, fairly new to hard politics, but learning. I do not like for them to warn us we might hurt the party. The other party owns the country, so apparently the tactics have failed. It will take both wings working together, but I will not give up my right to be critical.

If you have read my posts, they are not ugly, they are pretty sensible. A lot of us did not realize why we weren't listened to and it was important. We were not being listened to because they did not need us. We are trying to change that. You are being far more divisive here than my one sentence was.

Dean will be a good party man. He was before, he will be again. But there is a difference. He changed a lot on the campaign trail when he saw what the corporate policies were doing to the heartland. But he will do what he as to do. I don't intend to criticize anyone with out reason, but since the context of my post is funding....my comment was quite fair.

I gather you have not read How the DLC Does It. The funding needs to change. Your anger at me is a little irrational. Please stop.

[saracat]

44. The ones sowing dissension here are the DLC.

I was and am a Kerry supporter, and I will never ever voice any support for the DLC. It is a destructive anachronism that needs to be put down before it destroys us. The action of its front people have been deplorable Richardson stopping the recount and Lieberman kissing Bushe's tush on everything as well as Ed Rendell endorsing a anti-choice Senate candidate. That is divisive!

[Pallas180]

34. I dont get it. Party leaders wont let Dean set policy, so why should

we send money to support THEM ?

[madfloridian]

36. Then don't. Just that simple. Don't support them.

It is just that simple.

[MaineDem]

38. It isn't Dean's job to set policy

Period.

[Jersey Ginny]

41. They are working together

Don't underestimate Dean just because he's not in the MSM. I said this previously, but Dean and Reid worked together to launch Move On's Operation Democracy last week on the internet.

[Jersey Ginny]

40. I think you are right

He's learned to stay under the radar so he can focus on the task and not to give the MSM any ammunition. I wonder if the recent strong showing by Harry Reid and the Dems against the nuclear option was in part because of the behind-the-scenes support Dean is giving and how the grassroots can be mobilized thru the internet in a second. Dean is smart. Reid and Dean worked together on Move On's Operation Democracy last week.

[truebrit71]

42. Howard Dean is the ONLY reason i gave money to the DNC.

If it had been ANYDODY else they wouldn't have got a dime....

[Norquist Nemesis]

43. One thing to remember about 'leaving us without a voice'

*puts arm around madfloridian* Just because it's not aired across the cable and broadcast airwaves doesn't mean our voice is silent.

Like you said, he's building from the ground up. When he appears locally, it's news locally and reported locally. Remember, this was one of the ways that Bush got all of that free airtime during the campaign was because local TV aired it. Howard's making an impact.

Also, from my view, I think it's an excellent strategy that Dean is NOT on all over the networks at the present time. He's as much a lightning rod for CONServatives as Hillary and Bill. Let him focus without distraction or having to deflect, and do what he does best (connecting with the people). Build, strengthen, and grow the base. Let the 'leaders' in Washington have the face time...they are the elected one's...and make them accountable.

I completely agree that the DNC needs money. I hope all of us with Democratic Governors are leaning on them (and our State elected Dems) to strongly support Dean and the DNC.

[madfloridian]

45. Well said.

I notice that the congressional leaders are fighting more now. So that is good.

Actually, this is what he meant when he said it is not about him, it is about us, the grassroots. We have to do the battles that are important to us.

I have noticed the increased use of blogs by the leaders of congress. Reid responds to bloggers, Boxer is very prominent at Kos now.Feingold post at MyDD. Can't remember all of them now.

I get discouraged when I realize that we could match the GOP right now and their 20 million. I posted today that if 200,000 Dems gave 100 we could hit that 20 million.