Who should be the leader of the Democratic Party?

I think it will be easy to find out by watching what happens in the next few months. Which Democrat in office is brave enough to fight the Bush nazis and resist their mechanisms instead of rolling over and playing dead? In my book, anyone who is deluded enough to think Bush will suddenly start working with the Democratic minority needs to have their head examined. Sure, we might not get any say in legislation if we raise cane, but did we get any say in health care legislation the last time around when we tried to play by the rules? The Rethugs know only one thing-take no prisoners. You are with us or against us, because the Rethugs don't know the meaning of compromise. We need fighters in Congress.

We also need fighters that aren't in Congress as well. We need spokespeople like Howard Dean, Al Sharpton, and Wes Clark who are willing to tell the truth on the Repukes and how they are out to snooker folks with their reverse Robinhood tactics. It will be easier for one out of office to do this on one hand (no immediate political repercussions), but more difficult on the other, because one will have to work hard to get media attention. I encourage that Democrats out of office create their own organizations like Dean did with Democracy for America to help their opinions get heard.

The bottom line is that it is a waste of our time supporting anyone-and I mean anyone-who isn't willing to fight for Democratic values. If we don't define ourselves to the public as progressives willing to help the people-all the people, not just the rich-the Repukes will continue to define us in the way they want, and we'll never regain power, and this country will become in fact the facist dicatatorship that we fear.

May as well be!

And while it would be mistake to make the decision to soon, it's also bad strategy to wait too long.

I believe the most important one decision we could make would be to
stand up for our traditional Democratic values and do not under any circumstances try to imitate the wrong social policies of the Republicans.

but that isn't going to help much if we have NO elected officials who are willing to do the same.

I'd love it if we have more than one Democrat who shows they have a spine and are willing to buck the nazis in office.

getting two in.

I heard Ford trying to talk on CNN yesterday, and liked what I heard. Bayh is from Indiana, isn't he? And Warner from VA? Or am I wrong. I'm showing my ignorance here. But if I don't know, I want to find out about these folks. If they are doing good work for the Dems, we need to know what they are doing so that we can spread the word.

I'm so sorry to vent here about this, but can't remain silent --

I recall becoming frustrated with Evan Bayh when he started out this election cycle on all the pundit shows with a variation of the following phrase:

"While I agree with you that President Bush is extremely popular and very strong on national security, I feel that the Democratic Party is up to the challenge of facing this very strong and popular war time president."

Also, if you can find footage of Bayh "questioning" Rumsfeld during the Abu Ghraib hearings, you might be inclined to label him as I did, after seeing his doting expression and verbal stroking of Rumsfeld, with the admittedly rude phrase (I apologize in advance for using it) of scrotum-licker to the Bush administration.

And I started out LIKING Evan Bayh, until I had the chance to see what he's made of.

that he is a Republican lite.

Expect a thorough house cleaning and really nasty hardball-lots of pictures of coke addled Republicans and hookers.

GET 'EM!

Also, do you have any ideas how we can fracture the Republican party? I don't think that the neocons, conservatives, and religious right are really all that compatible. What issues can we use to break them apart?

and he HATES the idea that his party is now identified with the religious fundies. We get along really well (even though he is a Conservative, so I feel comfortable in ribbing him.)So just to remind him on a daily basis that he now belongs to the party of religious nut cases and whack jobs, I printed up the Wall calendar from the www.presidentialprayerteam.org website which notes all religious holidays, along with birthdays of all the bush co. crooks, and I ordered a big bag of "Scripture mints"- these are mints that come individually wrapped with bible quotes printed on their wrappers.
Can anyone think of anything else I can get him?

Do what Clinton did -go to the middle. Maybe not popular here but become the party of the middle and the left will follow.

n/t

Thanks

:thumbsup:

I can trust Howard but not Terry

and for good reason. He is for real, tells the truth simply and fearlessly, and takes no sh!t. That's the reason the establishment had to destroy his campaign early on: he was way too dangerous to allow to survive. He would be great as Democratic Leadership. Add Kucinich and Sharpton, and we have a force to be reconed with.

Tough, Smart.

among the elected people, my sens Durbin and Obama will get lots of face time, the washington state babes and landrieu will also step out, and hopefully rendell and mark warner and sanchez will too. and we will probably see harold ford and rahm emanuel from time to time.

on the media side i'd like to see clark, hughes, randi, and some of the outspoken * critics get regular gigs. i am sick of alleged dems like estrich, myers, barnicle, and juan williams campaigning for republicanism as the tv's versions of "from the left".

the "left" spokespeople aren't left at all. Any ideas how we can get some real fighters on the air?

No brainer.

GDoyle

US Congressman Henry Wexler. Why not! He has been the most doggedly opposition democrat that we have in congress now!

who is willing to take these Bush bastards on, and who plays it the smartest to accomplish what we can: Supreme and Appelate Courts, ANWR, fiscal sanity, poor people, labor.

It's just sad.

He revolutionized and energized the 2004 Campaign.