Democrats Are Fractured Over Strategy, Funds

[cal04]

Democratic National Committee Chairman Howard Dean and the leader of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee have clashed angrily in recent days in a dispute about how the party should spend its money in advance of this fall's midterm elections. Rep. Rahm Emanuel (Ill.), who is leading the party's effort to regain majority status in the House, stormed out of Dean's office several days ago leaving a trail of expletives, according to Democrats familiar with the session.

The blowup highlights a long-standing tension that has pitted Democratic congressional leaders, who are focused on their best opportunities for electoral gains this fall, against Dean and many state party chairmen, who believe that the party needs to be rebuilt from the ground up -- even in states that have traditionally been Republican strongholds. Emanuel's fury, Democratic officials said, was over his concern that Dean's DNC is spending its money too freely and too early in the election cycle -- a "burn rate" that some strategists fear will leave the party unable to help candidates compete on equal terms with Republicans this fall. Emanuel declined to talk about his meeting with Dean but was blunt about his concern that the DNC is not managing its resources wisely.

"This is a historic opportunity, and we can't squander it," Emanuel said. Although Dean has proved to be a more impressive fundraiser than some skeptical Democrats once thought -- the DNC has taken in $74 million since the start of this election cycle in 2005 -- he has also been a prolific spender. Disclosure forms for the first quarter of this year showed the party with about $10 million in cash on hand. The Republican National Committee, by contrast, has raised just under $142 million this cycle and has about $43 million on hand.

(snip)
Schumer, Democratic sources said, did not join in Emanuel's eruption but does share his concerns about DNC resources. "The cash on hand is not what we'd like," Schumer told reporters yesterday. "The amount of money he has raised is good."
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/05/10/AR2006051001927.html

[Harper_is_Bush]

1. No problem. Just show this clip of him saying "I didn't lie"

coupled with the clip of "we know where they are...."

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v1FTmuhynaw

[Oversea Visitor]

2. First WIN

Change the course.

Second. Send them notice of eviction if they naughty
It is call RECALL CAMPAIGN.
But first WIN.

Only way to tell them who is boss

" Do not doubt that the people can send you hope packing Mr. Representative. We can and will if you
do not do your job."

Let the Representaive be confuse. WIN. Then sort it out. One by one remove the deadwood.

WHO IS THE BOSS?
Fired them if they think they are.

[madfloridian]

3. Spent on building up the state parties.

And much appreciated by the rank and file outside of DC. The DSCC and the DCCC are now starting to get big corporate money that used to go to the GOP.

I hope Dean stands his ground on this issue. He is working mostly with the DLCC...the Democratic group that works with state leaders and locals. I like that very much.

http://www.dlcc.org/

[KoKo]

5. His rebuilding the party efforts have helped us alot here in NC..and

it's really annoying that Schumer and Emmanual want to take away money that the States desperately need. Kerry gave up on NC and only Edwards came for a last minute "rally the troops" function here in NC.

I don't see how Schumer or Emmanuel should be telling Dean how to do his job when Dems have been losing to Repugs because we couldn't even afford computers and software programs to update our Dem Voting base.

The disorganization was terrible here the even though we have had Dem governers for over a decade. The State Party did very little for funding grassroots efforts relying on the same old donors to fund insider "favorites." Deans money gave us two organizers for this very large state to coordinate and organize. It's made a difference.

[KoKo]

4. Rahm Emmanuel is a "Recreational Ballet Dancer" in his spare time?

:eyes:

from the article....

Emanuel, a recreational ballet dancer with the vocabulary of a longshoreman, has for 15 years fashioned a reputation as one of Washington's most aggressive figures -- first as an operative on Capitol Hill and in the Clinton White House, and after 2002 as a representative from Chicago. He was joined during the Dean confrontation by Sen. Charles E. Schumer (N.Y.), chairman of the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee.