DNC MEMBERS Back Dean

BSmack · Post by **BSmack** » Sun Jun 12, 2005 12:57 am

The Washington power elite may be cringing at Howard Dean's rhetoric. But the real foot soldiers are saying "bring it on".

washingtonpost.com
Democratic leaders back Dean, don't want 'wimp'

By John Whitesides, Political Correspondent
Reuters
Saturday, June 11, 2005; 2:56 PM

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Democratic National Committee leaders embraced feisty party boss Howard Dean on Saturday and urged him to keep fighting despite a flap over his blunt comments on Republicans.

After a meeting of the DNC's 40-member executive committee at a downtown hotel, members said Dean was doing exactly what they elected him to do -- build the party in all states and aggressively challenge Republicans.

"I hope Governor Dean will remember that he didn't get elected to be a wimp," said DNC member Gilda Cobb-Hunter, a South Carolina state representative. "We have been waiting a long time for someone to stand up for Democrats."

Dean took fire from Republicans and some Democrats earlier this week for a series of recent comments, including calling Republicans "pretty much a white, Christian party" and saying they "never made an honest living in their lives."

Some Democrats in Washington, including party congressional leaders and several potential 2008 White House candidates, distanced themselves from Dean's comments and called them mistakes.

But in a series of interviews DNC members backed the former Vermont governor, known for his fiery rhetoric during his failed 2004 White House run, and said they knew what they were getting when they elected him in February as chairman of the Democratic National Committee.

"Howard Dean is going to be much more aggressive, much more outspoken and much more of a risk-taker outside the Beltway than any chairman has been. We knew that," said Alvaro Cifuentes, chairman of the DNC Hispanic caucus.

"We have to get our politics out of Washington. We cannot continue to be held captive by party leaders who I respect but who have to play their own local politics," Cifuentes said, calling congressional Democrats "timid" and the flap over his comments "mostly a Beltway play."

BUILDING THE BASE

Karen Marchioro, a DNC member from Washington state, said she was stunned to see so many congressional Democrats back away from Dean.

"We always defend them, why won't they defend us? And they want us to support them for president?" she asked. "I have no desire to lose, I just think this is the way you win -- you let people know where you stand and you fight."

Cobb-Hunter said Dean "should consider the source -- congressional Democrats. What's their track record? He's doing what a lot of us wanted him to do and expected him to do."

The flap over Dean's comments was not mentioned directly during a two-hour executive committee working session, which included polling reports and Dean's report on his effort to move resources and organizers into all 50 states.

Several DNC members said Dean had done what he promised -- shift the party's focus to local races rather than concentrate solely on the White House, and pump money into "red" states dominated in recent years by Republicans.

Western Democrats said they were thrilled Dean attended a regional meeting in Helena, Montana, last weekend. "How many Democratic chairmen have gone out to Montana?" asked Steven Alari of California.

"When we elected Dean we knew we were getting a leader who would be good at organizing the base and getting the message out to the American people, and that's what he's doing," Alari said. "He's our guy."

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/co ... 57_pf.html

But please, keep underestimating him.

Diogenes · Post by **Diogenes** » Sun Jun 12, 2005 3:22 am

I hear Michael (I Hezbollah) Moore wasn't interested in the job, what the hell could they do?

Bizzarofelice · Post by **Bizzarofelice** » Sun Jun 12, 2005 12:27 pm

Diogenes wrote:Michael Moore

You GOPers are like soap opera fans with your obsessions.

Diogenes · Post by **Diogenes** » Sun Jun 12, 2005 2:13 pm

Bizzarofelice wrote:You GOPers are like soap opera fans with your obsessions.

I'll keep that in mind.

Mister Bushice · Post by **Mister Bushice** » Sun Jun 12, 2005 6:03 pm

This party will go nowhere unless they can somehow unify. You can't have prominent Dem political party leaders backing away from the DNC Boss because of comments. Either they get behind him or reel him in a little.

Variable · Post by **Variable** » Sun Jun 12, 2005 7:41 pm

But please, keep underestimating him.

Cobb-Hunter said Dean "should consider the source -- congressional Democrats. What's their track record? He's doing what a lot of us wanted him to do and expected him to do."

You should be much less worried about whether people underestimate Dean or not and more worried about the clear dissention within the party ranks. "Consider the source?" Nice to see the party elite hang it's national figures out to dry.

Shlomart Ben Yisrael · Sun Jun 12, 2005 7:50 pm

"the clear dissention within the party ranks. "

The dissention is between the leadership and the grassroots.
Not within the party ranks themselves.

Mister Bushice · Post by **Mister Bushice** » Sun Jun 12, 2005 7:53 pm

That's clearly what he meant, as well as me.

What is with you anal patrol guys anyway? always nitpicking.

BSmack · Post by **BSmack** » Mon Jun 13, 2005 2:51 am

Martyred wrote:"the clear dissention within the party ranks. "

The dissention is between the leadership and the grassroots.
Not within the party ranks themselves.

More specificly, the dissention is between the Congressional leadership and the rank and file party foot soldiers. This is a debate over campaign tactics and rhetoric. We've seen how sucessful the Congressional leadership has been with their strategies. Now it's Dean's turn.

Diogenes · Post by **Diogenes** » Mon Jun 13, 2005 3:02 am

The dissention is between the Moveon/Moore nutjobs that Dean represents and those who want to win elections.

Good luck turning out the vote in 08 on a ABB platform.

Tell it like it "is", Brother Dean!

BSmack · Post by **BSmack** » Mon Jun 13, 2005 3:07 am

Diogenes wrote:The dissention is between the Moveon/Moore nutjobs that Dean represents and those who want to win elections.

Yea, the Biden, Pelosi, Fienstien strategy has kicked ass. :roll:

All they want to do is maintain their base. They're chickenshit.

Variable · Post by **Variable** » Mon Jun 13, 2005 3:52 am

You're right that they needed to move away from what didn't work, but they needed to move more towards having a substantive platform and AWAY from running smack on Republicans. I think it's pretty clear that lefties don't like righties after 100+ years of a two party system. Do we really need someone to point this out?

DrDetroit · Post by **DrDetroit** » Mon Jun 13, 2005 12:52 pm

Mister Bushice wrote:This party will go nowhere unless they can somehow unify. You can't have prominent Dem political party leaders backing away from the DNC Boss because of comments. Either they get behind him or reel him in a little.

How can a party "unify" when the varied interests of the party are contradictory??

DrDetroit · Post by **DrDetroit** » Mon Jun 13, 2005 12:55 pm

BSmack wrote:
Diogenes wrote:The dissention is between the Moveon/Moore nutjobs that Dean represents and those who want to win elections.
Yea, the Biden, Pelosi, Fienstien strategy has kicked ass. :roll:

All they want to do is maintain their base. They're chickenshit.

'04 was not the Biden, Pelosi, Feinstein strategy, dumbshit. It was the George Soros, MoveOn show. It was called a smear campaign and you people lost.

BSmack · Post by **BSmack** » Mon Jun 13, 2005 1:05 pm

DrDetroit wrote:'04 was not the Biden, Pelosi, Feinstein strategy, dumbshit. It was the George Soros, MoveOn show. It was called a smear campaign and you people lost.

I'm sure that's exactly what Rove wanted you to believe. You'll know what a truly agressive campaign looks like if Dean can put the Bidens and Pelosis in their place.

DrDetroit · Post by **DrDetroit** » Mon Jun 13, 2005 1:57 pm

Yep, it's all Karl Rove all the time. It's ironic that you constantly call righties obsessed when they accurately describe what's going on with Dean, the Democrats and Bush's judicial nominees, Soros, etc., yet, it's always Rove with you people.

And do you really believe that Biden and Pelosi have been put in their place?? Um, it's the other way around, dipshit. Why do you think your party chair was missing in action the first five months of the year here? Why is it that it's their comments re: Dean's behavior that's getting the media coverage and not what it is that Dean is actually saying or doing?

Diogenes · Post by **Diogenes** » Mon Jun 13, 2005 11:52 pm

DrDetroit wrote:
Mister Bushice wrote:This party will go nowhere unless they can somehow unify. You can't have prominent Dem political party leaders backing away from the DNC Boss because of comments. Either they get behind him or reel him in a little.
How can a party "unify" when the varied interests of the party are contradictory??

It takes leadership and vision.

Too bad for the Dems Newt is a Republican.

Diogenes · Post by **Diogenes** » Mon Jun 13, 2005 11:54 pm

Bizzarofelice wrote:
BSmack wrote:I'm sure that's exactly what Rove wanted you to believe.
You GOPers are like soap opera fans with your obsessions.