MoveOn to Democratic Party: 'We bought it, we own it'

WASHINGTON (AP) -- Liberal powerhouse MoveOn has a message for the "professional election losers" who run the Democratic Party: "We bought it, we own it, we're going to take it back."

A scathing e-mail from the head of MoveOn's political action committee to the group's supporters on Thursday targets outgoing Democratic National Committee chairman Terry McAuliffe as a tool of corporate donors who alienated both traditional and progressive Democrats.

"For years, the party has been led by elite Washington insiders who are closer to corporate lobbyists than they are to the Democratic base," said the e-mail from MoveOn PAC's Eli Pariser. "But we can't afford four more years of leadership by a consulting class of professional election losers."

http://www.cnn.com/2004/ALLPOLITICS/12/09/democrats.critics.ap/index.html

Earl G posted the entire email Moveon sent out, and there are plenty of threads on the topic.

Another Good reason to remain a member of Move-On!

links the upset individual was talking about. I would be interested in seeing them.

Did look around and did not see anything about the article and was glad to see this.

The letter from move on is linked from the home page - I believe it is over in GD.

The way the MSM reports this it is like the MO made a public statement, they sent a letter to members, the media picked it up. I was more irritated by their spin that at you, sorry.

I probably should have just ignored. Appreciate your letting me know where it was and I went to it and read the links. I had just saw it and was glad to see that some action was being taken to make a attempt to get the party back to its roots and under the right control and goals. I still believe in this party, and I am over to the left of it probably but have always been behind Dean. Supported Kerry but have to admit now, was not energized by the campaign.

Post what you like - this is what DU is all about.

and about damn time, as well.

Fuck 'em.

Time we take what's ours. We are the party.

Thanks Jon!

I had just seen the message from MoveON by e-mail.

I am proud of him and Move On who I have supported almost from the beginning.

anyone who saw al gore speak at the move-on sponsored events over the past year know that gore shares the sentiments of eli pariser.

gore was undermined by the dlc types post 2000 because by the end of his campaign in 2000 he was breathing fire with his populist rhetoric and scaring the shit out of the corporate donors.

don't count out al gore, he's the man.

Air America today. He was against Move-on. He's way too middle of the road for my tastes. Anyone agree?

like it either. (He was interviewed on AAR earlier in the day.) Anyone who makes a lucrative living in the Dem party or connected with the Dem party is going to feel a little threatened by this.

But the Dem party and the American electorate in general are going through some major shifts and growing pains.

And I'm a supporter of MoveOn. However, I disagree with MoveOn on this issue. Going more to the left is not the answer.

This war with Iraq isn't even over and we're in deep doodoo all around because of it. We are more and more like the USSR was when Afghanistan finally drove them out. We can have these wars, but we can't have tax cuts, an inadequate military, and privitize SS while we are globally throwing our weight around. And then there's The War on Terror - you cannot declare war on a tactic. You can't expect a PR offensive to win over Muslim fundamentalism, while your actions are declaring war on the Islamic world. Yes, the Dems need to have a clearer plan for National security, but we also have to difuse the fear the current administration has put on our citizens.

MoveOn's point is the grassroots worked like hell this election cycle, we do deserve oour voice to be heard when it comes to who gets DNC chair, or next election cycle the party will have shrunk, because many of the activists will go elsewhere.

i like Big Eddie, and Stephanie Miller. And Al Franken, and am a member of MoveON.

and i think MoveOn nailed this one on the head.


dp

Let's get back to our roots!! If the DLC and the compromisers want to get closer to the Repugs, let them either become Repugs, or form a third party somewhere to the right of the REAL Democratic Party!!!
I am sick of trying to play nice and meeting them half way.
Anyone out there familiar with the story of the scorpion and the turtle?
Long story short......No matter how charming and friendly the scorpion may appear when he needs the turtle, and no matter how much it may appear to serve him to be accommodating to the turtle...in the end, the scorpion's nature is to kill, even if it means sacrficing his own life.
So, NEVER EVER trust the scorpion. It is just the way he is.
Any willingness to compromise or backdown at all will be seen as weakness by the Repugs. There is absolutely no room for fairplay on their part. They want to dominate and destroy. That is all there is to their game plan. To give them an inch, is to give them everything.
Do you really think that KKKarl Rove or Grover Norquist have the slightest intention of playing nice.....? People who stand in their way have unfortunate accidents or mysteriously disappear.

thru. He had to practically hand them his testicles in a plastic bag!!!!!!!!!!!

Wouldn't they have to dissolve as a 527 first? Will they elect a leader or appoint one?

Two different sets of rules.

Secondly, "we own it" is more figurative than literal. He means that with all the effort and money put forward by folks like us who make up the grassroots, we ARE the Democratic party.

At the very least, the Dems need to start paying attention to the base -- US.

sw

Must have had to run this by the White House to see if they were allowed to "report" on it.

The original discussion, besides the letter itself, was an article that appeared in The Guardian of the UK on Thursday night, early Friday morning. News travels fast over the ditch apparently.

DNC spokesman Jano Cabrera, praising Terry McAuliffe's efforts:

'"Call me crazy, but I think the fact that for the first time in party history we outraised the Republicans, and did so primarily through grass-roots fund raising is something to be proud of," Cabrera said.'

That's ridiculous. Repubs used to have to outspend us because they had a weak message and bullshit candidates. Now I am to believe that we are better off, evene though we lost, because we successfully outspent them?

raised!

It was through the efforts of organizations like MoveOn, ACT, PFAW, labor unions, etc, that the money came pouring in. It was because millions of citizens KNEW that bush* is the worst thing that ever happened to our country and they were DESPERATE to see him unseated. Therefore they (we) poured our money and our hopes into the only means available to us (the Dem party and John Kerry) to evict this evil blight from our government.

And the DNC FAILED us, once again.

sw

can make up for a complete lack of principles, vision, integrity. They cannot even see what comes beyobd raising money.

Well-said! That truly is the crux of the matter!

It doesn't matter how much money they have, the DNC is bankrupt.

sw