A DLC/DEM overview, please: Thoughts and questions

Who are the big Democratic Corporate politicians, and are they in charge of the Democratic Party?

Howard Dean is not the corpo type and is chairman of the DNC, right? Is he leery of DLC types? Is he able to communicate with them?

What's the plan for pulling the Dem party back together, in other words, how are the grassroots, DLC-type leadership, and moderates, and far-lefties going to coalesce? Who is working on that as a national plank, anyone?

Another issue: who is working on a national plank to reform the voting scandal as it now stands? It is unacceptable to have the vote disenfranchised by privatizing vote-counting. The American public might as well overthrow the entire system before accepting the belief that their votes count as things now stand.

There are other important issues, but healing an opposition Party to the Repubs, one that is hemorhagging to death, and reestablishing the enfranchised vote reliably and securely are priorities IMO.

"Who are the big Democratic Corporate politicians, and are they in charge of the Democratic Party?"
And why should we tell you?

Do you know who is in the DLC? Why not? It's not like their website doesn't list their members, after all.

"healing an opposition Party to the Repubs"
Is that what somebody who says "All of us who ain't Dems" is trying to do?

"one that is hemorhagging to death"
Yeah? News to me. Last time I looked, it was the Republicans that were sinking down the toilet.

sounds like it.

NoFederales

Who are they? But half a dozen people - with no constituency - sitting in a room and making up policy proposals that no one listens to.

About a half dozen Senators and a few outgoing Governors listen to them. But that's it. Far more hate them.

They tried to get Lieberman nominated in 2004, and lost badly.

They tried to stop Dean for DNC chair in 2005 and lost badly.

They have nothing. All they have are the Clintons. If Hillary goes down in 2008 (either in the primaries or the general) - the DLC will be even less than they are now. There whole future is now tied to Hillary. Mark my words, if Hillary goes down - so do they. Hillary might win the nod (I don't think she stands a chance in the general) but it will be because of her last name, not her ties to the DLC or any of her positions. But she will keep them propped up. They need her more than she needs them. But given her (wrong) belief that the DLC positions will help her "win" over "moderates," she might keep them around. Trouble is that the only ones who believe this are "Washington Democrats."

Want to hear a joke?

What would happen if Al From fell from a 20 story building?

Answer:

Nothing.

The DLC are irrelevant in every known way.

unification of the Dem Party? DUers are all over the board with this person, that person, this idea, that idea--is there a "go to" person(s) that has policy unification plans for the Dems?

I'm an outsider looking in. Snarky sharpshooting at DU on isolated incidents is unappealing and wasted time. I believe people are interested in sincere organization of the Eem Party, but I would like to aim at focused effort, not xmas wishing so to speak.

NoFederales

It is 19 senators who are DLC.

Here they are, and where they stand on progressiveness.

Harkin (Iowa) 95
Boxer (CA) 90
Lautenberg (NJ) 90
Akaka (Hawaii) 80
Corzine (NJ) 80
Dayton (MN) 80
Durbin (IL) 80
Feingold (WI) 80
Kennedy (MA) 80
Kerry (MA) 80 - DLC
Levin (MI) 80
Dodd (CN) 70 - DLC
Leahy (VT) 70
Mikulski (MD) 70
Reed (RI) 70
Sarbanes (MD) 70
Shumer (NY) 70
Wyden (OR) 70
Clinton (NY) 65 - DLC
Obama (IL) 65
Bayh (IN) 60 - DLC
Biden (DE) 60
Dorgan (ND) 60 - DLC
Stabenow (MI) 60 - DLC
Byrd (WV) 50
Inouye (Hawaii) 50
Murray (WA) 50
Reid (NV) 50
Rockefeller (WV) 50
Baucus (MN) 45 - DLC
Bingaman (NM) 40
Cantwell (WA) 40 - DLC
Johnson (SD) 40 - DLC
Kohl (WI) 40 - DLC
Conrad (ND) 35 - DLC
Feinstein (CA) 35
Carper (DE) 30 - DLC
Leiberman (CT) 30 - DLC
Landrieu (LA) 20 - DLC
Lincoln(ARK) 20 - DLC
Nelson (FL) 20 - DLC
Salazar (CO) 20 - DLC
Pryor (ARK) 15 - DLC
Nelson (NE) 0 - DLC

They are hardly irrelevant....they are almost half of our senators! Also, 13 of them vote more often with Bush's policies than Democratic ones and have hurt the opposition tremendously, especially when it really counts. What's more is their actions have the net effect of blowing the steam out the Democratic base....a real morale buster.

I cannot agree that this organization is irrelevant, but I can agree that FINALLY their actions are being questioned and sometimes thwarted in the current political atmosphere. That is a good thing

Clinton, Kerry and Lieberman.

Kerry has been pulling away...

19 members are DLC...so what...it doesn't change what I wrote. Are you saying that these members would not be elected if they weren't DLC? Pure nonesense. They're nobodies.

The organization itself IS IRRELEVANT.

They have only 20 reps in the US House (out of 200 Dems), the fourth largest group (out of five), they may be fifth now.

Of the 8 candidates we are running for the Senate...none are DLC.

Of 23 governors...5 are DLC.

How about mayors? Very few I am guessing is DLC.

So if we win the majority in the Senate, we'll have what? 18 out of 50-51 members?

Big woop. And that's their strongest suit. This Washington based organization that commands support from less than one-fourth of our elected officials. Worse still, they are reviled by the base.

Yet they think they can dictate our policies and are shocked and angered when no one listens.

What do you call that? Irrelevance.

Like I wrote originally, the only thing keeping them around now is the prospect of another Clinton candidacy. If she goes down...they go down.

P.S. All those Senators are idiots.

Then I would say that you are not qualified to tell DU whether the DLC is relevent or not. You aren't even aware of its membership.

And nice try at putting words in my regarding "are you saying they wouldn't be there if they weren't DLC?". The real version of me makes a lot more salient points than the strawman version. Please adress me and no a strawman.

are utterly ignorant about the group, isn't it?

Or maybe the DLC are nobodies with delusions of grandeur.

Here's my version of Al From being waited on by his sponsors.

NoFederales

Part of the Democratic Party.

DNC-Democratic National Committee
DSCC-Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee
DCCC-Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee

Charged with helping get Democrats elected.

http://www.democrats.org/a/party/ourorganization.html


edit: spelling

NoFederales

Howard Dean seems to take a lot of abuse on DU, but he sure seems to be on the ball with organizing and planning for the future.

http://thehill.com/thehill/export/TheHill/News/Frontpag...

It is difficult to understand how the Dem Party operates, but I like what seems to be grassroots activism taking place.

NoFederales

(Edit to add: kpete's post can be found on the DU homepage; the Hill article is "Dems will win House and Senate in 2006")

Actually, I think a small minority is against him on DU. They're just loud about it.

changing the voting system to secure and reliable means. Next I'll post on the Missouri board to see if there is a statewide effort being made.

I am worried that if the voting booths aren't made reliable (that is to say with oversight capabilities) it won't matter who is put up as a candidate.

NoFederales