Democrats in Accord

After months of negotiating, the leaders of the Democratic National Committee and Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee have struck a deal on the national party's spending strategy in its quest to capture control of the Senate in November.

DNC Chairman Howard Dean has agreed to put what one Democratic aide said was roughly $5 million into Senate races. Sen. Charles Schumer (N.Y.), the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee chairman, welcomed the agreement, saying: "The DNC is helping us at a time we need it very much, and we appreciate Chairman Dean's efforts."

A few weeks ago, Dean struck a similar deal with Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee Chairman Rahm Emanuel (Ill.) to spend $12 million on voter-mobilization efforts this fall, with $2.4 million allotted to the most competitive House races.

The deals bring a measure of closure to a heated debate this year among Dean, Schumer and Emanuel over the party's spending strategy. Emanuel and Schumer have advocated spending resources on this year's races, when the national political climate favors substantial Democratic gains in both chambers. But Dean has said that the party's long-term health relies on spending money to develop party infrastructure across the country.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/10/07/AR2006100700785.html

This goodwife from California is so proud of you!! Kick em where it hurts, baby!!:applause: :applause: :applause: :applause: :applause: :applause: :applause: :applause: :applause: :applause: :applause: :applause: :applause: :applause: :applause: :applause: :applause: :applause: :applause: :applause: :applause:

If Dems do not wrest control of either side of Congress from the Repubs, he is going to take a lot of heat for not dumping more money into those races, especially if we get very close but fall just short. It's the kind of thing he might not survive.

FWIW, I think he's right in his strategy, whether we win Congress or not. Things are dire, but it's the long term that matters most and his approach is the right one. It's just that the control of the party is at such a delicate place right now that even a small thing like this could enable the DLC types to make a comeback.

I hope we score a resounding victory and Dean is vindicated.