Kerry moving closer to the DLC

[TakebackAmerica]

New Democrat group working with Kerry campaign to woo swing voters
DLC think tank helped spearhead Clinton campaigns
By Lauren Shepherd

The Democratic Leadership Council (DLC) has been coordinating with Sen. John Kerry’s (D-Mass.) presidential campaign in recent months to help the presumptive nominee shape a message that will appeal to swing voters.

“The Kerry campaign is now moving to a much more New Democrat approach,” said Al From, founder and CEO of the group that serves as the organizational head of the centrist New Democrat movement.

http://www.thehill.com/campaign/050604_democrat.aspx

[freetobegay]

1. Great news!

[ijk]

2. Bear in mind...

If you think you've got a winning or even a viable candidate around, you want to take credit for him. Al From saying Kerry is a New Democrat is not indicative of very much.

[Freddie Stubbs]

6. Yes, there is no evidence that Kerry has ever been a New Democrat

None at all.

[madfloridian]

8. Here you go.

http://www.ndol.org/new_dem_dir.cfm

[blm]

9. From had to be dragged into supporting Kerry when Lieberman

took a dive in the polls and Edwards didn't catch on. I think Clinton had alot to do with making From put the DLC behind Kerry.

Kerry represented the furthest left in the DLC and maintained a liberal voting record despite his membership in the DLC and the pressure of those Democrats who governed as centrists and tried to lead the party further right.

Not one of From's favorites. Especially since Kerry appointed two liberals, Durbin and Tubbs-Jones to represent his interests at the DNC.

[flpoljunkie]

11. Thanks, blm. Most helpful.

[AP]

3. It's in Al From's interest to say that his group is relevant.

Do they have any other source for the conclusions he states?

And, of course, every group with "Democrat" in its name should be helping Kerry.

[KoKo]

5. Al From is really disgusting to me. I know I shouldn't say this but every

time I see him, I feel he crossed over from the Repug Right...

I don't see that this article does anything for "swing voters" though.

Most people don't see Kerry as a Left Winger, so it only antagonises us Left Wingers who are already worried that Kerry is moving right.

Do they really want to keep poking us in the eye?

[blm]

10. ANY candidate would try to appeal to the center for the general election.

Take it from someone who trusted Kucinich even when he was voting prolife and for banning flagburning. You either understand what is in their hearts and minds or you don't.

[AntiCoup2K4]

12. Yes you should say that

Because it's the truth. From is a Republican. So is Bruce Reed. Will Marshall is worse - he's a neocon shitbag PNAC'er. If (and it's a huge if) the DLC had any respectable purpose in the beginning, that purpose is long gone.

As the Democratic party will be if this cancer is not cut out.

[no name no slogan]

4. Yay. Apparently 12 years of decline is not enough.

The only people who are excited about the DLC's message are the DLC and Republicans, and the Republicans will vote for GeeDubya.

Apparently, losing the House and Senate, as well as more governorships and the lowest number of state leg Democrats since 1962 isn't enough of a clue to the DLC that they're killing the party. And there's no Ross Perot around to play the spoiler like he did in 1992 and 1996.

[madfloridian]

7. "Good night, Vietnam." by the New Dems.

http://www.ndol.org/ndol_ci.cfm?contentid=251439&kaid=1...

A careful reading of this always make me think of where we are going.
SNIP..."This is the tradition that President Bill Clinton sought to revive, and that led him to lead NATO to military action in Kosovo, again over the protests of neo-isolationist Republicans. It supports active diplomacy, collective security and multilateral institutions, not in order to surrender our country's right to act on its principles, but because good allies and strong institutions of international law make us stronger as well. And it's the tradition that was reflected in a Congressional use-of-force resolution that demanded the Administration take its case against Saddam to the United Nations while preserving America's right to enforce international law against Iraq alone if necessary.

Some aging baby boomers may continue to view every military conflict as a reprise of the big war of their youth, and some politicians may opportunistically offer them a sort of battleground reenactment of the protests they fondly remember. But for the rest of us, the Vietnam War is long over, and it's time to reassert Democratic internationalism for a new era.

[Pastiche423]

13. SURprise, SURprise, SURprise!

You think w/the DLC's help, Kerry will be as "victorious" as the Dems were in '02?

Don't forget to read my sig line!

[salonghorn70]

14. How About 1992?

The DLC helped Clinton convince middle of the road swing voters that he was not a wild-eyed liberal. So with DLC help, Kerry will be as victorious as we were in 1992 and 1996,

[Mattforclark]

15. swing votes = victory

Yes, this is a good thing.

[JHBowden]

16. Probably a smart move.

With Nader eating 5% of the vote, we have to make it up someplace.

[Guaranteed]

17. Dumb.

Period.

This is a different kind of election than that in '96. Kerry is shooting himself in the foot.

[rebellious woman]

18. He sure is and he's no "new dem" either.

[GreenPartyVoter]

19. Sucky, suck suck!