Vindication! (by Howard Dean)

[Nbadan]

http://www.salon.com/opinion/conason/2006/11/10/dean_dems/story.jpg
Yeaahhhhhhhhhhrrrrrraghhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!!



Nov. 10, 2006 | Only weeks after the Democratic National Committee chose Howard Dean as its chairman last year, the nasty whispers began to circulate around Washington and among longtime party donors and activists in cities from New York to Los Angeles. "He's going to be a disaster," they muttered. "He can't raise any money. He doesn't know what he's doing. And what does he mean by this crazy 50-state strategy?"

Those early days must have been painful for the former Vermont governor -- still smarting back then from his presidential primary defeat and that endlessly looped "scream" video -- and he endured a barrage of snarks and snipes from the Democratic congressional leadership as well. Unfortunately for Dean, he doesn't play the Washington press corps nearly as well as do rivals like Rep. Rahm Emanuel, D-Ill., who ran the House Democrats' campaign committee, or Sen. Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., who performed the same role in the Senate.

But this week, he is enjoying vindication far earlier than he ever expected.

Despite all the complaints and demands directed at him over the past 18 months, Dean stuck to his principles. He and his supporters in the netroots movement believed that their party needed to rebuild from the ground up in every state, including many where the party existed in name only. These Democrats prefer to think of their party as one of inclusion and unity. They openly disdain the divisive strategies of the Republicans who have so often used racial, regional and cultural differences to polarize voters.

Salon (http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=364x2669125)

Dean wins. Rove loses. Mehlman resigns.

[xrayzebra]

Howard Who?

[ChumpDumper]

Howard the guy who just kicked the Republicans out of both Houses.

[Ocotillo]

Howard Who?

Do a search of your own posts and you will find the answer to your question. He is one of your favorite bogeymen along with Kennedy, Pelosi, Reid, etc....

[Ya Vez]

your howard dean...

http://littlegreenfootballs.com/weblog/pictures/Pictures/dean-with-kaffiyeh.jpg

[ChumpDumper]

There's talk of replacing him with Harold Ford Jr. That would be a good move.

[smeagol]

Most of the Dems that ran were nothing like 'ol Howard

[gtownspur]

There's talk of replacing him with Harold Ford Jr. That would be a good move.


The question is, how would Ford raise the same amount of money?

[ChumpDumper]

By hitting up donors at Playboy parties, of course.

[George Gervin's Afro]

By hitting up donors at Playboy parties, of course.


Now that is my kinda party!!! :smokin

[xrayzebra]

The question is, how would Ford raise the same amount of money?


You better check your screwed up facts. Howard almost bankrupt the
party. He was begging candidates for money for the National group.

[gtownspur]

By hitting up donors at Playboy parties, of course.


Well that's cool, but donors from playboy parties would get bitch slapped from big oil, and buisiness interest.

[Extra Stout]

Nancy Pelosi is so thankful for Dean's contributions, that one of her first acts with her newfound power will be to get his ass fired.

[ChumpDumper]

Well that's cool, but donors from playboy parties would get bitch slapped from big oil, and buisiness interest.Since they're in power now, that money will come in on its own. In fact, alot of it already did when it looked like the House might shift.

[Bob Lanier]

Nancy Pelosi is so thankful for Dean's contributions, that one of her first acts with her newfound power will be to get his ass fired.
Pelosi isn't a right-wing/DLC/Clintonite Democrat.

Replacing Dean with Harold Ford is a joke. Replacing him with Hef, on the other hand?

[Extra Stout]

Pelosi isn't a right-wing/DLC/Clintonite Democrat.

Replacing Dean with Harold Ford is a joke. Replacing him with Hef, on the other hand?
Pelosi opposed Dean's election to be DNC head in the first place.

It is not the job of a party head to be "ideologically correct." It is the job of a party head to raise money and get party members elected. Pelosi didn't get where she is today without understanding that.

If you Dem adherents can't resist the urge to go on an immediate ideological purge to root out all the Blue Dogs, your majority will be quite short-lived.

[Bob Lanier]

You?

[xrayzebra]

Hillary will handle the screamer, in her own way and own time. Never fear. She cant
afford him to be around when she runs as a center of the road candidate.

[Nbadan]

Back to the original topic:

No Harold Ford for DNC: Dean praises centrists DEMOs


WALLACE: The election results were barely in when a top Democratic strategist, James Carville — you can see where I'm headed with this — a former adviser to Bill Clinton, started going after you. And let's take a look at what he had to say.

"The RNC —" this is from Carville — "The RNC did a better job than the DNC —" that's the Republican National Committee and the Democratic National Committee, "— this year. He says the House and Senate Campaign Committees made up for your shortcomings and that Congressman Harold Ford should replace you as chairman of the DNC.

First of all, what do you make of this criticism, and do you have any intention of stepping down?

DEAN: I have to say I get a laugh out of that one. (And he did have a big smile there). Here we have — let's leave the federal races aside, because the DCCC and the DSCC did do a wonderful job. But the truth is we got six additional governors. We got nine additional legislative chambers. New Hampshire now has a Democratic house and senate for the first time in a century.

We did great. And I think the time really has come now, now that we're in power, at least in the Congress, to pull together, to be unified. We've got a lot to do in the next two years. We've got to elect a Democratic president, and so...

WALLACE: Do you have any intention of stepping down?

DEAN: No. I talked to Harold last night, and he has no — he doesn't want the job. This is some kind of inside the Beltway silliness."

[Ocotillo]

Now Dean needs to lean on all states that are controlled by Democrats to redistrict their congressional districts to the Democrats advantage. The Delay precedent has been established and blessed by the Supreme Court. Get it while you can. :lol

[boutons_]

The Repug gerrymandering was supposed to install the Repugs as the permanent majority, but even with Repug gerrymandering, they got kicked into second place.

[Nbadan]

Political pundit James Carville won't get off of Dean's arse:


Democratic strategist James Carville says his party should dump Howard Dean as chairman of the Democratic Party because of incompetence.

Carville, during coffee and rolls with political reporters today, said Democrats could have picked up as many as 50 House seats, instead of the nearly 30 they have so far.

The reason they didn’t, he said, is the Democratic National Committee did not spend some $6 million it could have put into so-called “third tier” House races against vulnerable Republicans. snip.

He added, “I think he should be held accountable.” He added, “I would describe his leadership as Rumsfeldian in its competence.”

AJC (http://www.ajc.com/blogs/content/shared-blogs/washington/washington/entries/2006/11/15/carville_says_d.html)

:rolleyes

Carville has crossed over into the insannity zone.

[FromWayDowntown]

What on Earth does Carville know? After all, he only managed two extremely successful Presidential campaigns by understanding the need for centrist rhetoric and policies.

Dean has shown himself to be far less pragmatic.

[Bob Lanier]

:lmao

There's more truth in that post than you know, FromWayDowntown, but not in the way you formed it.

(Nor does your conception of Dean bear any resemblance to reality, but that's to be expected and forgiven.)

[Nbadan]

Errrrr........but what has Carville done lately besides political quackery for CNN? Carville sees his little money train moving on with him and he wants a piece of the action, but nobody trusts Carville anymore, except maybe the Clintonistas.

[Nbadan]

Facts...

Then: February 12, 2005 - (CNN) Dean named Democratic Party chief



He immediately laid out his vision for rebuilding a party clobbered in recent elections, leaving it out of power in the White House, both chambers of Congress, and a majority of governorships.

"Republicans wandered around in the political wilderness for 40 years before they took back Congress.

"It won't take us that long -- not if we stand up for what we believe in, organize at the local level, and recognize that strength does not come from the consultants down. It comes from the grass roots up."

Dean has proven an ability to build widespread, grass roots support, particularly through the Internet.

CNN (http://www.cnn.com/2005/ALLPOLITICS/02/12/dean.dems)

Now: November 7, 2006 - (CNN) America Votes 2006


Democratic majority in the House
Democratic majority in the Senate
Democrats win majority of Governorships

CNN (http://www.cnn.com/ELECTION/2006)

[Nbadan]

Clintonistas distance themselves from Carville comments...

BY KENNETH R. BAZINET
DAILY NEWS WASHINGTON BUREAU


WASHINGTON - James Carville's attempt to topple Howard Dean as chairman of the Democratic National Committee failed after state party officials and even a vocal critic of Dean crushed the coup, officials said. Insiders from the Clinton camp winced at Carville's untimely remarks last week calling for Dean's ouster in favor of unsuccessful Senate candidate Harold Ford of Tennessee.

"It was not coming from and they made a real effort to distance themselves from James' comments," said a source close to the Clintons.

The Clintonistas don't want an undeserved backlash from the activist wing of the party that overwhelmingly supports Dean, especially because some anti-Clinton Democrats have blamed Sen. Hillary Clinton (D-N.Y.) for the attack by Carville, a longtime Clinton insider. Those forces claimed Carville's motive was to topple Dean in favor of a chairman more favorable to Sen. Clinton's bid for President.

NY Daily News (http://www.nydailynews.com/news/politics/story/472767p-397816c.html)

Had Hillary really wanted to put an end to the week of endless Carville bullshit, all she had to do was issue a statement to the effect that Dean had done a great job side-armed with Schumer and Emanuel. This is a classic weak and waffling utterance that doesn't evidently even come from the Senator. She didn't make any comment, just had spokespeople edge away from the sliming by Carville.