Harold Ford main speaker at Al Wynn's MD kick-off fundraiser. Wynn has opponent.

[madfloridian]

Harold is now chairman of the DLC, and I thought they were not supposed to influence races. Wynn already has the same opponent he had last time...Donna Edwards.

Ford also said this about Iraq:

Ford, meanwhile, offered scathing criticism of how President Bush has managed the war, but specifically noted "I don't think we can leave Iraq right away." Ford went on to say, "As much as didn't do it right, we have to get it right because there are people over there who want to do us harm."

More from the fundraiser:

http://blog.washingtonpost.com/annapolis/2007/06/congressional_rematch.html

About 1,000 people showed up for a kick-off fundraiser for U.S. Rep. Albert Wynn (D) at Prince George's Camelot banquet hall in Upper Marlboro. Wynn survived a tough challenge from local activist Donna Edwards in last September's Democratic primary.

..."There was a bit of buzz at the event, however, about Wynn's selection of a keynote speaker for the event--former representative and candidate for Senate Harold E. Ford, who is now head of the Democratic Leadership Council. Edwards' campaign has been built on attacking Wynn from the left, especially because he voted to authorize the use of force in Iraq in 2003. Ford, meanwhile, is widely seen as a fairly conservative Democrat.

"He's not representative of the district--I don't think he represents the Democratic party," said Del. Victor R. Ramirez (D-Prince George's). "I don't see how it helps ."

"I was a little disappointed in Mr. Ford's comments on Iraq," said Del. Doyle L. Niemann (D-Prince George's). "I thought they were not necessarily representative of where Al Wynn stands."

So in my mind if you are a guest speaker for a candidate's kick-off fundraiser then you are supporting that candidate over his opponent. The DLC said recently they don't do that. Even though they did in 03.

DLC had a meeting and press conference

Here is more about Wynn's opponent, Donna Edwards, who really gave him a run for the money last time.

http://www.donnaedwardsforcongress.com/

"Donna Edwards, the first-time candidate who came out of nowhere last year to give U.S. Rep. Albert Wynn a race for his political life, officially filed to run for Congress April 23, setting up a likely rematch."

Danny Glover:

"I want to tell you about a brave and gifted friend of mine – Donna Edwards. If you take some time to get to know Donna, I have no doubt that you will join me in supporting her campaign for Congress..."

Gloria Steinem:

"I'm writing you with good news! There is a smart, effective, caring candidate for Congress, and her name is Donna Edwards.

Donna is exactly the kind of candidate we need to restore faith in politics in general, the Democratic Party in particular, and the ability of the majority of Americans to see our best interests represented in Washington..."

Just a few of Donna Edwards' endorsers:

Endorsers
MoveOn
Teamsters Joint Council 55
Democracy for America
Friends of the Earth Action
Clean Water Action
Progressive Cheverly
TrueMajority Action PAC
WAND PAC
Sierra Club
ACORN PAC
Future PAC
League of Conservation Voters
Progressive Democrats of America (PDA)
More Endorsements

[Mojambo]

1. God, Harold Ford is a smarmy little prick. n/t

[Dr.Phool]

2. Anybody still have any doubts about the DLC?

[Greeby]

3. How the hell can you co-sponsor

Articles of Impeachment against Cheney and have Harold Ford at your fundraiser at the same time?

For reference
http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/bdquery/z?d110:HE00333:@@@P

[mitchtv]

4. Harold (loser) Ford

One way to get me to vote for the opponent. he makes my skin crawl.

[madfloridian]

5. "Ho Ho Ho" from 2003

As to influencing...what can I say?

http://dlc.org/ndol_ci.cfm?contentid=252280&kaid=131&subid=192

This poster at MyDD claims:

The DLC does not seek to elect or endorse candidates, it only trains candidates in messaging, invites them to conferences to meet other candidates and big donors, and writes stuff on what Democrats should do policy-wise. And liberals on the blogosphere doubt that Democrat part because some of the prominant senior DLC folks are supporting Joe Lieberman, who is no longer a Democrat.
http://www.mydd.com/story/2006/9/15/112954/128

Ho Ho Ho merited a press conference in 2003 and that article later on.

More than 50 centrist Democrats, including Virginia Gov. Mark R. Warner, met here yesterday to plot strategy for the "New Democrat" movement. To help get the ball rolling they read a memo by Al From and Bruce Reed, the chairman and president of the Democratic Leadership Council. The memo dismissed Dean as an elitist liberal from the "McGovern-Mondale wing" of the party -- "the wing that lost 49 states in two elections, and transformed Democrats from a strong national party into a much weaker regional one."

.....""We are increasingly confident that President Bush can be beaten next year, but Dean is not the man to do it," Reed and From wrote. "Most Democrats aren't elitists who think they know better than everyone else."
http://journals.democraticunderground.com/madfloridian/336

So the DLC responded to the IRS that the word Democrat was a misnomer...because:

The DLC responds that its exclusive purpose is to develop and promote its “Third Way” agenda and that some causes it has lobbied for—e.g., welfare reform, fast-track approval of free-trade agreements—got more Republican than Democratic votes in Congress.
http://www.correntewire.com/dlc_loses_tax_exempt_status

Please note I posted no snips from Ho Ho Ho. It was needlessly ugly.

[madfloridian]

6. Donna Edwards already up at Act Blue/Blue Marjority for support.

http://www.dailykos.com/storyonly/2007/6/12/13958/9081

"It's still early in the cycle, too early to identify many of the candidates we'll be rooting for next fall. But a couple of races are starting to take shape. And it's time to start working our combined MyDD/Swing State Project/Daily Kos Blue Majority ActBlue fundraising page for the best of them.

First up on the page are Donna Edwards in MD-04, and Charlie Brown in CA-04. I'll be writing about Brown in a few hours, but since Stoller introduced us to Edwards already, I'll start there.

With Donna Edwards we're playing in a primary, working to get rid of a terrible Democratic incumbent, Al Wynn, the kind of Democrat that a party running and winning on a message of "culture of corruption" must eject. So it's up to the voters of MD-04 to decide whether they want to clean house, and we can help his challenger have the resources to make it happen."

Harold's support for Wynn awakened them early.

[flpoljunkie]

16. Am supporting Donna Edwards in her quest to unseat Wynn. Link to her website below.

http://www.donnaedwardsforcongress.com/node/18

[rinsd]

7. The DSCC and DNC stay out of primaries.

Last I checked the DLC is free to do as they wish.

Are you saying the DLC can't support a candidate in the primaries but progressive organizations are free to do so?

[madfloridian]

10. No, my friend, the DLC said it. You did not read my post, did you?

You did not read the argument to the IRS by them, did you?

Hmmm....

Best to do that before you argue.

And you seemed to think the DLC was the same as the Demcoratic party. So you need to read the post Ho Ho Ho in which Al From and the DLC argue they are more liked by Republicans.

They are a think tank.

[madfloridian]

11. Read the Ho Ho Ho post.

Thoroughly.

[rinsd]

12. The DLC said it? You mean a poster on mydd said it.

Also you conflate Harold Ford with DLC. Even though he is the chairman of the DLC, I don't think you can ascribe his actions to the organization though I know you will.

"You did not read the argument to the IRS by them, did you?"

Yes Bush's IRS which seems to ignore GOP and rw orgs but finds the time to go after liberal churches and the DLC.

"Best to do that before you argue"

I did.

[madfloridian]

14. No the DLC itself argued it to the IRS

If you don't see it I will have to find it for you..later.

[rinsd]

19. The IRS argument was that the DLC was a political organization

The DLC counter is that a small percentage of its budget went to Democrats-only workshops.

Where in the IRS case does it say DLC members cannot give speeches at candidate fundraisers?

[madfloridian]

23. Wynn has an opponent already. Donna Edwards.

So the DLC is stepping in on Wynn's side.

Read it.

[rinsd]

26. So what's your point? The DLC no longer is tax exempt , they can do as they wish.

Not that I think the IRS can make a case about a member giving a speech.

Are only some Democratic affiliated groups allowed to issue endorsements or give speeches?

[madfloridian]

30. Ford said he would control policy for the 08 nominee.

His own words. I don't like his policies. I don't want to see our party under the DLC thumb anymore.

The DLC is a think tank for corporations. They do not need to be setting our policy.

[wyldwolf]

32. You just said that Ford's own words are that he would control policy.

Really?

[rinsd]

34. The DLC is a policy shop.

"They do not need to be setting our policy."

Who said they will be setting the policy? The future President would be doing that.

"I don't want to see our party under the DLC thumb anymore."

Well then you would be better off with more substantive arguments vs the DLC as opposed to freaking out because Harold Ford gave a speech at a candidate's kickoff or playing 6 degrees of separation with Carville because he said something mean about Dean.

[madfloridian]

38. Harold Ford said it. I posted a journal about it.

Good grief.

Harold Ford is one of my least favorite people in the world. But Carville and Doug Schoen, both Hillary people have said to fire Dean and replace him with Ford.

Do I have to look my post for you?

[madfloridian]

39. Here are two journal entries I made about it.

If you need more let me know.

http://journals.democraticunderground.com/madfloridian/1019

http://journals.democraticunderground.com/madfloridian/1327

[rinsd]

41. I posted the link to that interview for post #33

[wyldwolf]

18. now that the IRS has stripped them of that tax exempt status, I guess they can do as they please

double-edged sword, huh?

[rinsd]

20. Yeah, the DLC themselves can hold a fundraiser for Wynn at this point.

[wyldwolf]

21. Madfloridian and other danced a jig here when the IRS did this to the DLC...

... now she complaining about the result.

[rinsd]

22. Ya know what really strikes me as funny....

MF is pissed at Harold Ford conflated to the DLC yet didn't say shit that two state reps were there at the kickoff.

[madfloridian]

24. I don't care about the state reps...that is the state's business.

Harold Ford has stated officially that the DLC will be the policy shop for the 08 candidate....so that makes him my business.

[rinsd]

27. So its fake outrage at your favorite nemesis vs a principled stand (nt)

[madfloridian]

29. I am going to post Ford's words again as a post.

He is anti-choice in many ways. He is anti-gay in many ways. He was pro-Iraq war. He doesn't think Dean should be chairman. He doesn't think the rest of us are Christian enough for him. He doesn't want to leave Iraq.

So since he stated the DLC will be WILL be the "policy shop" for the 08 nominee, then it is my business as a Democrat to be sure that I stand up for what I believe that is the opposite of what Harold Ford believes.

[rinsd]

33. I'll save you the trouble

Here's the Ford interview

http://blog.washingtonpost.com/thefix/2007/01/fords_next_move.html

"So since he stated the DLC will be WILL be the "policy shop" for the 08 nominee"

This is scandalous? The DLC is a policy shop for crissakes! Should the DLC not be allowed into policy discussions?

"He is anti-choice in many ways. He is anti-gay in many ways. He was pro-Iraq war. He doesn't think Dean should be chairman. He doesn't think the rest of us are Christian enough for him. He doesn't want to leave Iraq."

Ford is not my fav by any stretch though he is still loads better than that douchebag Corker.

[madfloridian]

35. He can try to be the policy shop, but I will fight against it.

I did not like his policies when he was running. But that was TN, and not my business.

This is my business because it is my Democratic Party.

I don't like the policies they have espoused, and it is my right to say so.

I don't want him controlling our party's message. They have told Dean to shut up, and I think he should be able to speak up as well...don't you think? At least a little on policy? But no, he can't.

Harold has the power, or so he says.

[rinsd]

36. Has anyone questioned your right to disagree with their policies?

Your OP has to do with Ford breaking a supposed neutrality during the primaries which exists only in your mind.

[madfloridian]

37. Excuse me, but I used their own words....their own words.

Go back and read it all again.

[rinsd]

40. Their own words?

Here are the two quotes from your OP dealing with supposed neutrality.

"Harold is now chairman of the DLC, and I thought they were not supposed to influence races"

"The DLC said recently they don't do that. Even though they did in 03."

Later your Ho Ho Ho post

"This poster at MyDD claims:"

Where are their own words? Their IRS defense?

[madfloridian]

42. I will post this for the 2nd time. Here are two posts to help you.

If you need more let me know.

http://journals.democraticunderground.com/madfloridian/1019

http://journals.democraticunderground.com/madfloridian/1327

The DLC is planning on being in control, and I will fight them.

[rinsd]

43. Again, where are their own words in regards to neutrality in primaries?

Your 1st link, I posted in #33.

Your 2nd link has nothing to do with primary neutrality.

[Egnever]

8. Harold ford makes me want to puke.

He is Lieberman all over IMHO. I just don't understand the hype over this guy and there doesn't seem to be any reason for it other than he is black. Every time I hear him talk he sickens me and the fact that the DLC made him chair is yet another nail in their coffin for me.

I was happy when he lost his senate bid. I had hopes that he would drift quietly into the sunset after that but apparently we have to deal with his BS for a long time to come.

This is also one of my biggest problems with hillary she is very much wedded to these DLC repub light freaks. The idea that She wants to replace Dean with this gas bag is probably my biggest problem with her ATM.

[madfloridian]

9. Well, it will be easy for them to do it...the signal has been sent.

That's was Carville's job on CNN that day to send a message.

But people here at DU are equally disgusted with Dean, so I guess they won't care when we get Harold.

[ShortnFiery]

13. I can't help but believe that "the beltway democratic elite" have completely lost touch

with *the true concerns and best interests of* Average American DEMOCRATS (us "little people" average Americans who don't have thousands invested in The Stock Market) outside their little clutch of wealthy politicos? :shrug:

[madfloridian]

15. Well, if you think Howard's bad...wait until you get Harold.

Ok?

[ShortnFiery]

17. Understood. You're a preachin' to the choir here. Amen.

:hi:

[Egnever]

28. I havent seen the disgust

With Dean, Admitedly I havent been looking for it. I will keep my eyes open.

[AtomicKitten]

25. Oh, it must be Tuesday.

[wyldwolf]

31. HOW DARE Harold Ford campaign for someone other than the chosen "progressive." HOW DARE HE!