President Obama, Your Misters Gibbs & Emanuel Are Not Helping Democrats, But Here's Someone Who Can:

[David Zephyr]

As Chairman of the Democratic Party, Dr. Howard Dean took back both the House and the Senate from the Republicans during the 2006 mid-term elections shocking the entire political establishment and robbing George W. Bush and Dick Cheney from their rubber stamp congress. Dean's triumph humiliated the Bush White House, Karl Rove and all the king's horses and all the king's men.

But that wasn't enough for Dr. Dean. As head of my Democratic Party, Dr. Howard Dean took that 2006 victory forward right into 2008 with his then-ridiculed "50-State Strategy" which helped propel Democrats into even more sweeping victories increasing our numbers in the House and the Senate and taking back the White House with a terrific candidate, Barack Obama.

Howard Dean understands the Base of the Democratic Party and he respects it. Robert Gibbs and Rahm Emanuel have shown nothing less than contempt for the very folks who wear out the shoe leather at election times, who canvas neighborhoods, who work the phone banks...you know, the people who get out the vote.

President Obama, pick up the telephone and give Howard Dean a call. He's a loyal Democrat and you would be wise to give him your ear. Former Governor and Dr. Dean is on your side.

[BrklynLiberal]

1. I KNEW it was going to be the Doctor!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Sadly, I doubt President Obama will make use of this incredible resource...and we will all suffer for it.

[Monique1]

42. Sorry to tell you

he is doing things for Obama. Dean was here not long ago at a Dem get together. He said he was doing things for Obama and he supports Obama. He also stated people are not seeing the things Obama has accomplished. He also mentioned the people are not aware of Obama's executive orders

[David Zephyr]

47. That's because as I wrote in the OP: He's on Obama's side.

The distinction is that Howard Dean can deliver things for Obama and the Democrats without getting his own agenda in the way of the President...unlike Rahm and Robert.

[Myrina]

80. "doing things for Obama" doesn't mean he's part of the Admin ...

... or that Obama actively seeks out his counsel. He's a good Dem who's supporting his President and party.

Hell, I "did things for Obama" during the '08 campaign - knocked on doors, helped set up rallies, etc etc - that doesn't mean I was anywhere near the inner circle. Which is where Dr. Dean NEEDS to be.

[BlueMTexpat]

92. +1,000,000!

And that's exactly where Obama should put him - up front and center!

Yes, the good Dr. Dean is working for Obama right now - and always will - but so long as Emanuel is where he is, it's an uphill battle all the way. And much more difficult than it needs to be.

[1776Forever]

97. Yes, the DLC has a firm grip and Dr. Dean is one that stands tall in their shadow! Read on...

Howard Dean vs. the DLC-- a battle for the soul of the party
posted by rwallnerny
Sat, 11/11/2006 - 4:55pm

http://www.r8ny.com/blog/rwallnerny/howard_dean_vs_the_dlc_a_battle_for_the_soul_of_the_party.html

The dust had barely settled from this past week's 2006 elections, when Clinton/DLC loyalists, using James Carville as their mouthpiece, started calling for the ouster of DNC chairman Howard Dean. Carville's claim is that Dean did not spend enough money targeting specific races and was wrongly intent on spreading the money around in a fifty state strategy. He is spearheading a movement to replace the progressive Dean as DNC chairman with the centerist Harold Ford Jr., who needs a job after losing the Tennessee Senator's race. The DLC led Clinton Folks, Carville, Begala, Rahm Emanuel, .etc never wanted Dean as chairman in the first place. They think the future of the Democratic Party is as a centerist party, a more moderate version of the Republicans. To that end, a number of the candidates who the DCCC and DSCC ran this year, to the consternation of Dean's people at the DNC, were centerist and conservative candidates (Tester in Montana, former reaganite Jim Webb in Virginia, pro-life Casey in Pennsylvania, conservative heath shuler in north carolina .etc)

Howard Dean came to the DNC looking to build a national progressive movement around the party's base. The whole point of his candidacy in 2004 was that the party was losing its identity because after losing for years it was trying too hard to look and sound like republicans. His candidacy represented the progressive heart and soul of the democratic party waking up. When Dean became DNC chairman it was a breath of fresh air, a sign that things were finally changing and that the party would stop trying to look and sound republican, and would no longer be afraid to be progressive or liberal and reflect the true values of the majority of its members.

But now it appears that Rahm Emanuel with the DCCC and Chuck Schumer with the DSCC, with the backing of the DLC, have attempted to push the party back to the right in the name of "winning" They ran democratic candidates who are pro-life, anti-gun control, hawks. They even ran some conservative candidates, like one in georgia, who support repeal of the estate tax! Howard Dean has tried to get the best candidates to run and support the best candidates, but he's been fought along the way by Emanuel and his idea that the democrats have to run republican candidates in the red states to win. Now Emanuel and Carville and co. are tired of fighting with Howard. They want him out, so they can get the centerist Harold Ford in and continue pushing the party to the right.

This is a battle for the heart and soul of the Democratic Party and it is one that the progressive wing of the party may not be able to win from within. Not if they force out the guy who is in there fighting our fight. I think we ought to lobby the DNC members not to force Howard out, that we want a party that reflects our progressive values. But if Carville and co. DO succeed in forcing Howard out as chairman, and get their own guy in who would implicitly back pushing the party to the center-right, the only alternative would be to fight this from the outside. Which means Howard Dean, if this happens, ought to go right back to Vermont and announce he's running for President again. Setting up Dean vs. Hillary in the primary season, in a battle for the ideological direction of the party. Dean representing the 'democratic wing' of the democratic party and Hillary and the DLC the 'republican wing' We cannot let the progressive movement we've been building these last few years be hijacked by centerists who want to take advantage of our success to move the party to the right. Why have a democratic party if it runs republican candidates?

............

That says it all!

[BlueMTexpat]

99. True,

but Dean will NEVER run against an incumbent Dem for President.

I have had the honor of meeting the Good Dr. in person. I've been a fan since 2003 (didn't know about him before or would have been one much earlier). I supported his candidacy for President in 2004. I would have supported it again in 2008, had he decided to run. I supported the eventual Dem nominee both times and voted for each. I voted for Hillary in the 2008 primaries - I couldn't NOT vote for the first exceptionally well-qualified Democratic woman in my lifetime to run for President since I was not vested in any other candidate. But, had either Dean or Gore been running, I would have voted for either instead because I fully believed in both. I like Obama generally and supported him enthusiastically in 2008 once it was clear that he would be the nominee, although I frankly believed that he could do with more "seasoning" before taking on the Top Job - another reason why I supported Hillary in the primaries. I never ever believed that Obama was anything like Howard Dean - at least not yet - perhaps he will be some day. I have been surprised to see so many who say that they were among his most fervent supporters turn against him almost viciously because he isn't. Obama is a conciliator, first and foremost. That has been evident all along. In some cases, conciliation is good, but not in today's strictly partisan RW climate. He needs to be more of a fighter, IMO.

Obama's single biggest mistake, IMHO, was in shunting Dean aside after he was elected Pres. That was truly stupid. It was hurtful - and disrespectful - to Dean after everything that he had done for all of us. Saddest of all, it has ultimately been harmful to all.

[Enthusiast]

100. I don't want Harold Ford anywhere

around my political party. He is nothing more than a faux Democrat, just like James Carville.

[bjobotts]

110. Gibbs wants 100% support.Can't grasp how we can both support and criticize Obama at same time

[bjobotts]

112. He's like Bush and worse on civil liberties and executive power but

Completely different on Health care, the economy and education. Gibbs can't seem to handle what the "professional left" disagrees with and does not support and just wants us to STFU and just applaud the accomplishments we supported (even though they were watered down to a point of just being 'barely acceptable'). It's true, Obama represents all Americans, not just the ones who voted for him,

BUT...He does not represent their policies. the policies of the minority and those who brought us to the brink of destruction...just their right to have such policies...so stop acting like you're supposed to include or implement their policies instead of the policies the majority voted for.

Even if they don't fire Gibbs he will from this point on be held in disdain so he might just as well resign.

[xxqqqzme]

106. If the people are not aware

of Obama's EOs, then that is the fault of the White House. They are probably afraid the rong wingers will launch another of their tiresome tirades. But since they are going to scream anyway, why be shy? The constant whining by the rong wingers labels them as the sore losers they are and their whining then becomes their failed message.

[truthrocks]

108. "...people are not seeing the things Obama has accomplished."

NO KIDDING! This the single most destructive aspect of the Obama administration and it will eventually bring the dems down if the WH continues to ignore this Fatal Flaw. They are completely and utterly inept at getting out the TRUTH with a clear and SIMPLE narrative, and then staying on message. They simply WON'T do it! They seem to just sit back and watch the repub's finely tuned spin-LIES machine go round and round. I'm so fed-up with it, I could SCREAM ... oh, I just did. Thanks for listening.
:banghead: :banghead: :banghead: :banghead: :banghead: :banghead:

[FedUp_Queer]

115. Yeah...

Like...

More death in Afghanistan?
Putting a 15 year old on trial in Guantanamo?
More warrantless wiretapping?
Not closing Guantanamo and expanding Bagram?
Selling out on health care?
Selling out on financial reform?
Expanding the military industrial complex?
Allowing that disgusting survey to go to the troops about how "icky" they feel being around us gays?
Approving extrajudicial killing of American citizens?
Coming out in favor of indefinite detention (this was my favorite because he did this in a speech at the National Archives).

Obama is nothing but Bush lite...and not so lite. He is a little bit o' change for a whole lot of corporatist swill. This member of the "professional left" will never let O-Bush-a and his minions fool me again. I will continue to vote, of course, but not for this useless tool of corporate Amurka.

[roguevalley]

113. I *LOVE* this man.

[derby378]

2. But not on Robert Gibbs' side, unfortunately

The ad slowly moved in on a Time Magazine cover featuring bin Laden, zooming in on a close-up of Osama's eyes, while saying that Howard Dean was an unqualified Democratic candidate because of his lack of military or foreign experience.

Tricia Enright, who was the spokeswoman for Howard Dean at the time, summed the ad up best, saying: "Whoever is behind this should crawl out from underneath their rock and have the courage to say who they are." But Robert Gibbs, who was the spokesman for the group, embraced the slime ad against Dean, and refused to say who had funded the ad. Now sure, you can say that Gibbs was just doing his job. But Gibbs wasn't just aligned with the group, he was in the leadership. The group took seed money from crooked former Senator Robert Torricelli to get off the ground, and then went out and raised over a million to run the ad. Gibbs was one of three people that made that ad happen.

http://mydd.com/2007/2/22/robert-gibbs-the-drag-on-obama

And this attack ad on Dean was way back in 2004. I guess Gibbs was hoping everyone would forget.

Hails and props to madfloridian for unearthing this inconvenient truth.

[Kolesar]

6. If anybody could tell me what Kerry's message was during the campaign, I would still like to know

He dispatched Dr. Dean with "this stuff" and then went on to run a campaign about "Strength through strength" or something like that.

And what was with that 2004 convention speech? The Vietnam war had ended thirty years before.

sigh

[blm]

18. Blaming Kerry is horseshit...Do you not UNDERSTAND that what Dean did as DNC CHAIR made the

difference? Dean and other Dem candidates who EXPERIENCED the party's weakened condition in the states during the primary travels knew it would take working 24/7 to strengthen party infrastructure state by state, especially in states that had been collapsed (deliberately, imo) long before 2004...remember 2002? 2000?

Terry McAuliffe robbed ALL of us in 2002 and 2004. The Dem nominee was set up to lose in states like Ohio by ESTABLISHMENT Dems in charge of our party for the four years before election day. Any nominee, including Dean, would have been stuck in 2004 tapping into the weak or nonexistent party infrastructures in too many crucial states...like Ohio.

Hillary2008 had been in the works long before her senator run. Senate seat was step 1.

You need to GET what David is saying....it was Dean's hard work as Dem party CHAIR that helped Dems win 2006 and 2008. What do you think he was working on during that time?

[David Zephyr]

26. blm has the intent of my OP

:)

[David Zephyr]

27. Kolestar, in fairness to the great John Kerry, Ohio was stolen from us

just as Florida was. John Kerry would have made a great President. I was a Dean supporter in the primaries that year, but I was an enthusiastic supporter of John Kerry, a hero on so many dimensions in my eyes.

[defendandprotect]

48. That true . . . and Democratic Party has still done nothing about it ...

save for what Conyers did --

HOWEVER, Kerry was a weaker candidate than Howard Dean -- that's why elites

attacked him -- with help of DLC!!

The DLC cancer is growing INSIDE the Democratic Party -- we have to get rid of it because

we can't survive with it eating away at the party!!

[tomp]

95. it sees us as the cancer and is getting rid of us.

in the long run, i believe, that is for the best.

[blm]

98. If Dean had been the stronger candidate he would've done better in the debates and on the ground

in Iowa. He was being attacked far less than Kerry...or do you forget that many were telling Kerry to get out of the race in the fall? DLC was not ever really behind Kerry they were for Lieberman and Edwards. They wanted Kerry out and then focused on Dean only when they thought Kerry couldn't survive.

So many of you also forget that the last 3 debates before Iowa caucus, Dean just did not perform well. And at the last one before Iowa he got called out on his support in 2002 for Biden-Lugar version of the IWR which was a better written resolution (Kerry was for it, too) but still would not have prevented Bush's decision to invade Iraq. The corpmedia NEVER BOTHERED to unearth that position and coronated Dean as the anti-war candidate and he ran with it....fine...it was a primary and expected...but, the truth was always going to come out eventually and Dean would have been in the exact same position as Kerry...being for a resolution that allowed a decision for war to be made if national security was threatened, but, against the decision to invade once the weapon inspections were proving invasion wasn't necessary.

[quakerboy]

93. If anyone could explain the relevance of this, I would like to know

What the hell does Kerrys message, which incidentally was enough to win the election up until it became an election via SCOTUS, have to do with whether Obama would be wise to bring Howard Dean into his administration in some significant fashion?

[mistertrickster]

126. I totally agree. Dean was submarined by a cabel of big money Dems including John

FORBES Kerry.

What debates and voting records could not acheive, attack ads and ridicule could.

Kerry's message of "I'm not Bush" wasn't good enough, and neither was he.

[David Zephyr]

7. And thanks to you for reposting it.

madfloridian is one of our best.

[derby378]

9. Definitely a good 'un

:hi:

[peacetalksforall]

25. OK. That's it. Gibbs and Emanuel have to go. Who else in the Oval Room is DLC?

Mr President, do you know why we're unhappy? It's not hard to figure out. Why surround yourself with Republicans and Republican Democrats who are ONE WORLD operatives? One World as in rulers and their serfs, who have a buck or two so that the rulers can keep on getting rich off the serfs.

This is my message - LET US HAVE A DIFFERENCE BETWEEN A DEMOCRAT AND A REPUBLICAN !!!!!!! This is what we want - not left, centrist, neo-con, radical, progressive,far right ..... just plain differences.

With nearly every document you sign or decision you make or participate in - Dems are Republicans!

That's the way we see it.

Please don't order a campaign against us - especially one lead by Gibbs.

We, who are not DLC, admire Dean - even though I don 't think he is one. He's just a Dem - the way I like a Dem.

If you can surround yourself with bums like Geitner, you can surround yourself with gems like Dean.

Them ..... don't let Rahm bring him down, better yet - get rid of Rahm soon.

It's not hard to figure us out. And don't demean us.

[defendandprotect]

49. Obama is "New Democrat" -- had I known I would not have voted for him....

DLC is a cancer eating away at the party !!

[Enthusiast]

102. Yeah! nt

[jefferson_dem]

3. I'm a died-in-the-wool apologist but would like nothing more than to see Dr. Dean on board...

as CoS even. It could happen.

[David Zephyr]

10. CoS even.

Indeed. I don't see anyone else on the landscape (including Bill Clinton) who can salvage the mid-terms for us with the creds and experience of Dr. Dean. I doubt it could happen because of the vested and entrenched interests of Rahm and Robert, but...

[Jackpine Radical]

15. I hope you haven't died in the wool--or anywhere else

(even if you are an apologist :evilgrin: )

[jefferson_dem]

17. Aye.

:hug: for that.

[Jackpine Radical]

22. We mustn't let our ephemeral divisions blind us

to all that we have in common. It's like a spackled wall: magnify it, and all you see is the lumps and irregularities; get some perspective, and you'll see it's all the same surface.

[David Zephyr]

28. Well said.

:)

[MsPithy]

90. You think not investigating WAR CRIMES is ephemeral for me?

You think presiding over the destruction of the middle class is a fleeting disagreement? Is not lifting a finger to prevent the planetary apocalypse that is climate change a momentary problem for me?

[FedUp_Queer]

125. BING(fricking)-O!!!!!

Or expansion of Bagram; warrantless wiretapping; indefinite detention; sucking up to banks (Geithner, Summers, Rubin...for Geithner to go to the banks and fellate them into "not being scared" about reform is disgusting...if they aren't afraid, they GD better be); extrajudicial executions of American citizens; government immunity over warrantless wiretapping.

My GOD...when are people going to actually demand accountability? How many people have to die in Afghanistan, how many missed birthdays, holiday, widows and widowers...not to mention money for bombs that could be for NECESSARY infrastructure improvements.

I, for one, will vote for everyone BUT Obama in 2012.

[defendandprotect]

50. +1000%

[havocmom]

4. Several cabinet members also not helping

Sadly, that says something very important about the one man who made all those appointments and nominations.

They all serve at the President's pleasure. Seems not helping Democrats is something the President finds pleasurable and/or helpful to his agenda.

[defendandprotect]

51. This whole corporate administration has to go -- Grayson in 2012!! Or Dean!!

And we need to work on ridding the party of the cancerous DLC!

[Autumn Colors]

111. Alan Grayson / Elizabeth Warren 2012 + Dean as Chair of DNC again (nt)

[onpatrol98]

123. Howard Dean/Elizabeth Warren

I'm actually not a huge Alan Grayson fan. He seems to find the camera, just a tinge too much. I like Warren's behind the scenes, get the job done attitude.

Dean is on TV a bit, also. But, he's all about business. No showboating as far as I can tell. I think in the past, I've been too caught up with the personalities of politicians. The bigger than life politicians are great for sound bites, but I'm beginning to wonder how dedicated they are when the camera goes off.

I don't know much about Grayson. He may be a real workhorse behind the scenes. It's just unusual to me that there are some senators and congressmen that YOU NEVER SEE. And, there are some, that you see ALL THE TIME.

I think I want to find out a bit more about the more camera shy types.

Then again...Howard Dean is definitely not camera shy. But, whenever he ends up on television, he's not usually ranting...he's the adult in the room. I just like that. I'm leaning more toward that these days.

[Patchuli]

5. K&R 1000 times!

:patriot: I love the good doctor! In a perfect world, he and Dennis Kucinich would run things!

[madrchsod]

8. have you noticed the people who are advising barack are the people responsible for this mess...

while the people who could actually do something good for us are never given the chance?

[mod mom]

11. Howard Dean is the man who got me to be politically active!

Love him!

[David Zephyr]

59. He's the real deal.

[laughingliberal]

12. K & R nt

[Lifelong Protester]

13. I STILL stand with Howard Dean

The man is a political genius, and talk about grass roots organizer! Plus, I feel he knows the base better than any other yes-man (or woman, if deemed appropriate) who surrounds the President. I think President Obama needs to clean house.

[David Zephyr]

60. Rahm despises Dr. Dean.

And that's pathetic.

[BlueMTexpat]

94. That alone tells me everything that I need to know about Rahm.

Emanuel has let his personal animosity towards Dean trump the good of the country.
Dr. Dean has never done that - and never will. As you say, he's the "real deal."

[SugarShack]

117. Agree Rahm is barely a democrat, who kicked out progressives in 06 for moderates

Can we get DU to get Obama to drop Rahm?

[proud patriot]

14. I loves me some Dr Dean

:)

[David Zephyr]

61. Yep.

It's shameful to have the successful Howard Dean sitting on the bench while Obama taps rookies and fools over and over again.

[Arkana]

16. And I'm sure that if Howard Dean was interested he'd be in the administration.

[KoKo]

38. He WAS INTERESTED...he was the DNC CHAIRMAN...and thrown out like garbage!

If Obama had put him in his administration he could have headed off some of the mistakes he's made that are causing Gibbs to FREAK OUT and ATTACK DEMS!

Howard Dean comes from a Wall Street Family..."Dean Witter" so Howard and his brother are no slouches when it could have come to having a voice in Wall St. Reform.

Instead...Obama Advisors or Obama himself decide not to reward Howard for his "50 State Strategy" which was most successful in getting the Dems to take back House and Senate. (Granted some were Dinos but his success rate is far better than Tim Kaine," who is an Obama friend and confident.

Instead all we have is Rahm and Gibbs calling part of our Democratic Party (the Activists) names like "Fuckin' Retards"..."Should be Drug Tested"...because they are Crazy. And to make matters worse Gibbs is now into Trashing Dennis Kucinich to try to prove a point which is unprovable.

DISGUSTING...ALL OF IT..and just IN TIME for the MID-TERM ELECTIONS. I'm wondering how many Repugs Gibbs has ENERGIZED with his CRAZY RANTS designed to SHAME us DEMS who are trying to REBUILD OUR PARTY.

The SHAME should be on Gibbs and Tim Kaine's Head for dismantling what Howard Dean tried to build and was at least pretty successful in doing before they threw HIM UNDER THE BUS!

[defendandprotect]

52. Baloney . . . DLC-Rahm did everything he could to keep him out of the administration ....

including doing all he could to sideline him in the party!!

[Parker CA]

19. Every time I see him on tv I wish he had a big role in shaping messaging/policy in this admin.

A true hero who's on the right side of the issues time after time.

[KittyWampus]

20. Actually, hate Rahm all the heck you want, but he was a big part of winning back Congress too.

[blm]

23. so the establishment wing of the party was quick to claim....gee, couldn't have been Bush's plummet

in the polls after his attempt to privatize Social Security, Schiavo, Katrina, Iraq slipping into Civil War, and the Mark Foley scandal right before election, could it?

[Marr]

40. Bullshit.

He claimed as much before the dust had even settled, but it is not so.

[defendandprotect]

53. No --it was Howard Dean who ran the 50 state program which won a Dem Congress ....

DLC-Rahm is a corporate cancer INSIDE the Democratic Party -- and if we

want to get off this Obama downward spiral then it's time to dump the DLC --

and move on to a liberal/progressive Dem candidate in 2012.

[David Zephyr]

62. Rahm had nothing to do with the Dems taking Congress in 2006 and little in 2008, but he takes credit

for everything. He's petty, vindictive, foul-mouthed and is hell-bent on holding his position even if it takes the Democrats down and Obama, too.

Rahm is Obama's Halderman.

[Le Taz Hot]

78. You say that with a straight face.

Excellent. Their mission is complete here. They can move on.

[ChiciB1]

89. Sorry, Rahm STOLE Howard Dean's 50 State Strategy & Then Had The

audacity to CLAIM IT AS HIS OWN!! It was DEAN who FIRST implemented the POLICY!! Rahm is a WORM, and now Gibbs seems to have topped even him!!

These people aren't Democrats IMO, I don't know WHO they are, but they aren't like ANY Democrats I've grown up with!!

I'm so sorry that many of you just DON'T GET IT!! In time, it will become VERY EVIDENT what this is costing the Democratic Party AND THIS COUNTRY!! I sincerely believe we are on a road to ruin now!

NEVER wanted to say it out loud, but it is staring me right in the face and it SUCKS!!

This administration has veered so far away from what I had expected and to say "disappointment" just doesn't do justice! What we're getting is JUST ICE!!

[BlueMTexpat]

96. Nowhere near to the extent that Dean was.

As DNC Chair, Dean rebuilt all state networks, most of which had been left to languish for years! Like all of his predecessors at the DCCC, Rahm only concentrated on what he deemed to be the "key" races. This was one of the major points of tension between the two.
It was Dean's strategy that paid off the most for ALL Dems.

[Poboy]

21. Autorec for Dean, always.

[Odin2005]

24. K&R for the DEMOCRATIC WING OF THE DEMOCRATIC PARTY!

[David Zephyr]

63. "My name is Howard Dean and I'm here to represent the Democratic wing of the Democratic Party"

What a great line that was, Odin2005. :) Still sounds great today, too.

[Cleita]

29. From what I understand Rahm Emmanuel hates

Dr. Dean. I don't know why unless it's a parting of ways over policy. In order for your dream to happen, there would have to be a major blow-up between Obama and Emmanuel and something involving pigs flying.

[havocmom]

31. missed the OP's point

completely

[Cleita]

57. If you want to throw arrows at me, at least explain

what I missed, just so I know what you are thinking about.

[defendandprotect]

54. Of course, DLC-Rahm hates a progressive Howard Dean . . .!!

[David Zephyr]

64. Perhaps there should be a "blow-up" between Obama and Rahm.

Rahm is the steward of the demise of this President's popularity with the public and is doing the President no good.

[Cleita]

66. I'm still thinking of flying pigs in this instance.

What you and I want is very remote.

[bettyellen]

79. $$ he wanted Dean to fork over DLC money for his pet races , Rahm wanted DNC cash for DLCers

[scheming daemons]

30. Dr. Dean *HAS* been a fierce advocate for Obama... I love Howard Dean

I was one of the original Deaniacs. I joined DU in 2003 because of Howard Dean.



He's the best we've got. He should have a radio show.... or an MSNBC show.

[Cal33]

33. Yep. You can say that again. nt

[Ignis]

32. K&R. The treatment Dean has endured from Gibbs is reprehensible.

:kick:

[David Zephyr]

65. Obama's team needs shuffling. Soon.

And I agree with you about Gibbs.

[myrna minx]

34. Love the Doctor. K&R n/t

[LostinVA]

35. DOCTOR DEAN!!!!!!!

[David Zephyr]

70. Yeah. Too bad they won't listen.

Obama has a champion sitting on the bench while he taps sycophants who are sinking his presidency.

[LostinVA]

76. Oh, I agree

[Gold Metal Flake]

36. I like your post, David Zephyr.

It's the real deal!

Now, if we could get a job for Robert Reich as well...

[David Zephyr]

44. Well, right back at you. I'm a fan of Robert Reich, too.

Thanks! :)

[KoKo]

37. Interesting Post, and something we need to think about given the latest of what we are up against!

:kick;

[David Zephyr]

72. Obama and the Democrats should be high in public polling. Rahm and Gibbs have hurt the Democrats.

Power does that. What a waste of opportunity.

[HipChick]

39. Don't Rahm and Dean hate each other?...

[David Zephyr]

68. Hate is more in Rahm's M.O. than Dean's.

Rahm is dragging Obama's Presidency down and the entire Democratic Party with it.

[jillan]

41. Howard Dean should replace Gibbs - wouldn't you just love to see Dean handle the press?

We might actually control the message wars for once.

[Monique1]

43. I hope you go to to the top of this thread and read my remarks

[defendandprotect]

45. Someone has to step forward and challenge Obama ... we have someone worse than Carter on our hands!!

[Tommy_Carcetti]

84. If you buy the bullshit that Carter was somehow bad, sure. nt

[defendandprotect]

109. I don't see Carter as anything but finally unelectable and not working for the country .....

And, the result of that moved us into a Reagan presidency --

Nor do I think Carter was a saint -- nor someone who had evil intentions for the nation.

However, during his presidency, we did create Taliban/Al Qaeda and, as Brzezinski relates

we went into Afghanistan 6 months before the Russians came in . . . "in order to bait the

Russians in . . . in hopes of giving them a VN type experience."

Was that done without Carter knowing of it? While he removed us from the Russian Olympics

because of Russia's aggression against Afghanistan?


The Carter desert rescue missions were headed up by Ollie North -- with Secord second in

command -- the helicopters didn't have the appropriate/required sand shield for the engines!


Gates was primary in moving the Bush/Reagan "October Surprise" -- and this was all happening

under the noses of the Carter Administration --


Many problems with that administration -- sabotaged, of course.

Carter should not have run for re-election, he should have stepped aside.


I'm not saying that Obama has the same problems -- I'm saying that his agenda is corporate --

and he is as useless to us as Carter was.

[defendandprotect]

46. +1000% --

[laughingliberal]

55. Rec nt

[progressoid]

56. It'll never happen.

But K/R anyway. :)

[David Zephyr]

67. Not with Rahm and Robert holding on to their positions at Obama's expense.

Thanks.

[Major Hogwash]

58. Dean was like Paul Revere, he warned them "the internets were coming, the internets were coming."

And man, was he right about that!!

TV news sucked, and then they fired Dan Rather.
And then the internets came, and this series of tubes has led the way to enlightenment.

"Dean in 2016" doesn't sound bad now!!

[Lugnut]

69. Howard Dean still speaks for me. n/t

[Daphne08]

74. He speaks for me as well. I love him! n/t

[pa28]

71. Howard Dean guided us to our current majority in Congress.

He deserves credit but is treated like a red-headed stepchild by the party elites to this day.

Instead of marginalizing people like Dean we should understand they actually represent mainstream values. They are willing to stick to principles and principles get votes. Our losing strategy in the past has been to play the calculating centrist and that strategy has proven failure time and time again. Voters may not be as plugged in as they should but they can recognize over-comprise and weakness. They can actually vote for someone they respect even though they occasionally disagree but they absolutely despise and will never forgive a leader they interpret as weak.

Dean got results by recognizing liberal values are actually mainstream values which appeal to all 50 states. Not just the daydreams of some fringe radicals.

[disillusioned73]

73. a F-ING men!!!

:fistbump:

[Mad_Dem_X]

75. Yes!

Dr. Dean is a true, strong, loyal Democrat!

:loveya:

[laureloak]

77. So that's why this DU group heckles Obama. n/t

[LaurenG]

85. I think you misunderstand

It's not heckling, it's his failure to stop some of the really bad things going on and going along with other things his predecessor set up. Everyone knows Obama has done a tremendous amount in the last 18 months but there are other things such as this partial piece from Greenwald:
"You may think that the reason you're dissatisfied with the Obama administration is because of substantive objections to their policies: ...apparently endless devotion to Wall Street. Or because the President has escalated a miserable, pointless and unwinnable war that is entering its ninth year. Or because he has claimed the power to imprison people for life with no charges and to assassinate American citizens without due process, intensified the secrecy weapons and immunity instruments abused by his predecessor, and found all new ways of denying habeas corpus. Or because he granted full-scale legal immunity to those who committed serious crimes in the last administration. Or because he's failed to fulfill -- or affirmatively broken -- promises ranging from transparency to gay rights."

It's very frustrating to see how we have become so polarized over issues that all of us should be in favor of, especially because we are all democrats.

Edited to add link: http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=389x8914671

[NorthCarolina]

81. He would never call. The DLC despises Dean almost as much

as they despise Kucinich.

[lonestarnot]

82. K & R!

[Tommy_Carcetti]

83. You mean the man who twittled his thumbs for 8 months while the legality of my vote was in question?

No thanks.

I lost all respect for Howard Dean after that debacle. Horrible, horrible leadership.

[whathehell]

86. You betcha!....This administration seems to be comprised of

slow learners.:eyes:

[Frisbee]

87. K&R +1000 n/t

[FourScore]

88. He's just the medicine we need right now. n/t

[The Wielding Truth]

91. I agree. He can make things happen. I supported in his Pres. primaries.

[ChairmanAgnostic]

101. If only he had a big blue phone box.

[femrap]

103. Dean is too

much of a Real Democrat for this administration. They'd have to drug test him and have him sign a statement that he would never vote for Kucinich.

[spooky3]

104. I could not agree more. k&r

[4_TN_TITANS]

105. Amen....

Obama should be begging Dean for him to be the go-to-guy.

[mnhtnbb]

107. I agree. Problem is...Dean represents progressives and Obama wants no part of that

or you would see an entirely different Cabinet and Administration.

[Spheric]

114. I also agree. But, why would he want to talk to a progressive or liberal?

They are not on board with his program.

[highplainsdem]

116. K&R

[democrank]

118. Kicking for Howard Dean

A man of courage and conviction who says what he means and means what he says.

[Ysabela]

119. Dean / Grayson 2012 !!!

Kick the corporatist Obama administration out! Or, failing that, Dean / Grayson 2016 :P

[Oceansaway]

120. K&R...n/t

[felix_numinous]

121. Remember when his candidacy

was ruined because he let out a scream and it was taped? He was made to look like a lunatic! That was some kind of media magic trick. He was just having a good time.

[patrice]

122. YES!

[onpatrol98]

124. Rahm and the democratic party

When President Obama select Rahm Emmanuel...my father said simply, he chose Rahm to keep other democrats in check.