Dean moves to end the Democratic family feud (with Terry McAuliffe)

[ariesgem]

Howard Dean, long on the Democratic establishment's you-know-what list for dumping on party boss Terry McAuliffe, has made nice. Insiders tell Whispers that Dean, the front-runner in opinion polls and fundraising, has become the first--and only--of the nine presidential candidates to help McAuliffe raise cash for the Democratic National Committee Presidential Trust. "For all those who think Dean and Terry don't get along," says a party insider, "here's the proof that the feud is over." Another official 'fessed that Dean's plea to big donors was "shocking," but added: "We love this guy now."

http://www.usnews.com/usnews/politics/whispers/whisphome.htm

[JaneQPublic]

1. Whatever helps the Dems beat the Bush and his Fat Cat War Chest

Although McAuliffe should have been booted after the 2002 election and Dean was right in dumping on him, it doesn't hurt to have a little extra party unity and more cash in the "kitty that goes to the eventual party nominee to fight President Bush."

As the article said, "Of course, party officials say the effort isn't totally magnanimous; it suggests that the candidate thinks he has the nomination sewn up."

I have a problem with one statement in the article: "...the self-declared liberal has started to tout himself as a moderate."

I've never heard Dean describe himself as a liberal -- it's the media and his opponents who do that. I've heard him call himself a centrist and a moderate. At best he's said "if being liberal means balancing the budget, then I'm a liberal."

[ariesgem]

2. "Whatever helps the Dems beat the Bush and his Fat Cat War Chest"

Amen! :dem:

[chaumont58]

14. The problem with Inside the beltway Journalist

Anything, by god, any thing that comes of the mouth of a DC journalist should come under a byline of "Dispatches from a parallel universe." Their grasp on reality is a tenuous as Thomas Friedman's.

[Rose Siding]

15. Ack! I should read the thread before I post

I was so steamed when I read the "liberal" line that I went ahead and wrote the same thing you did! (and maybe more have in between) If enough of us know the truth, hurray.

[stickdog]

3. 1) He's always said he was fiscally moderate.

2) He was right to dump on TM.

3) He was right to make up with TM. We need some coattails in 2004 and that won't happen if there is an active civil war within the Party.

Those dissing Dean take several different tacks:

1) He's too liberal to win.

2) He fooled you by saying he's liberal because he's not.

The contradiction between these first two ploys speaks for itself.

3) He sold himself as a straight talker but he sometimes changes his mind.

This one's so Rovian it gives me chills.

But here's the bottom line. The Democrats need what Howard Dean has got if they want to revitalize the Party. Unless you are protective of the status quo, you have to come to terms with at least this much. And if you are further left than Dean, you should be particularly thrilled about his use of "direct action" people-powered ideas and small donation political fund raising to get his message out. Even if a Dean Presidency fails to live up to the aspirations of those who supported him, it will be worth its weight in gold to future progressive moments because of its groundbreaking strategies in grassroots' empowerment.

So, unless you are intent on protecting the rich-get-richer status quo in this country for the foreseeable future, stop trying to throw a monkeywrench in Dean's grassroots explosion out of petty jealousy that he happened to be the guy saying the right things and the right time.

We need to take back our country RIGHT NOW and then never let get away from us again. We put Dean where he is today, and if we just nuture the power we've unleashed with a modicum of care, we'll be able to replace him with someone even better in 2012 (or even 2008, if Dean somehow manages to forget who made him).

Every committed progressive should see at least this much hope in Dean's campaign.

Remember when you were a young activist and thought "maybe it has to get worse before people wake up"? Well, I've got a newsflash for you. That day is here. It has gotten a HELL OF A LOT WORSE IN JUST THE LAST 2 1/2 YEARS. And many of us are so fucking awake now that we hear every backroom whisper like it was a train going by. And we're starting to make so much noise ourselves that a few more Americans are stretching, wiping their eyes and then joining our little festival of human alarm clocks every single day.

Dean facilitated us by saying what we desperately wanted to hear and acting like a true public servant rather than a corporate shill, a mobster, a handled "product" or an inside "player." But WE are the ones using OUR power again, and that transcends Dean, all of the other candidates and even the entire Clinton era. And it's not going to be easy to put this genie back in the bottle. This -- and not Dean per se -- is why our current corporate masters are already shitting bricks about Dean's excellent adventure.

[JNelson6563]

4. well said stickdog!

Good post!

Julie

[Flying_Pig]

5. Excellent comments & observations....

Stickdog :thumbsup:

[piece sine]

6. My Dean support is fraying at the ends...

Help! No sooner do I get on-board with Mr. Straight-talk then he starting making friends with the same corporate Dems. that drove me to Dean in the first place. Damn, it's going to be loooooong primary season if this keeps up. If Dean continues to turn right onto Route DLC, he won't have me in the backseat.

[JNelson6563]

9. um, hello?

Do you think a lone man shaking his fist at the sky is going to win?

No, it will take a coordinated effort. The establishment lashed out at Dean and he's lashed back. Then he's brought in boatloads of money and grassroots support. The establishment takes another look.

To me, that Dean is smart enough to know he needs the Dem orgs. is a good thing. Also, that the orgs. are reassessing their relationship with Dean looks like another good sign to me. Like maybe they "misunderestimated" him in the beginning. (No suprise there as they thought we Dems wanted them to stand "shoulder to shoulder with PResident Bush"--idiots)

So, since Dean and the Dem orgs aren't sworn enemies for life and are looking at each other with new eyes is a bad thing in your eyes?

Yikes!

Julie

[robbedvoter]

12. And you were on board for how long again? Life-time, no doubt

Funny how the psy-ops have been debunked at the start of the thread and are being practiced afterwards.

[MODemocrat]

16. I think Dean needs the "blessing" of the DLC

It seems to me that it behooves Dean to be in touch with the DLC, as much as I dislike TM. Wasn't Bill Clinton once an underdog with them, until they realized that he was such a skillful comunicator. They may not do this in Dean's case, but, the Democratic party has to unite, or we will have to endure another Bush term, and the country cannot last under his regime.

[w4rma]

20. McAuliffe is chair of the DNC, not the DLC. The DLC is From and Reed (n/t)

[searchingforlight]

7. Worth the reading.

I hope it is read by many. Thank you.

[Eloriel]

17. GREAT post, stickdog!

Eloriel

[RevolutionStartsNow]

28. Well said, Stickdog!

I'm so tired of people telling me why I like Dean -- I must be young, or brainwashed or whatever.

But you nailed it. Thanks.

[Corgigal]

8. Dean isn't turning right

He forced Terry McAuliffe to break bread with him. I'm sure Terry never wanted to consider Dean the choice BUT Terry also never wanted to consider how pissed off his base was.
I see this as a good thing, we are slowly (10 bucks by 10 bucks) taking back our party. They better fear us.

[Pavlovs DiOgie]

11. Amen!

Dean is defining this race, not letting the race be defined by the establisment. Actually, it's not Dean defining the race, it's his supporters. As he said, WE taught him all of this. Man, it feels so good to be a part of the group that is breaking the rules and making everyone else tweak their campaigns to compete with the grassroots.

[Patriot_Spear]

10. Dean is a genius...

He took his campaign FIRST to the party faithful- now he's taking it to the DINO's- beautiful.

The man is going to win.

[Rose Siding]

13. Bedard should be deluged with mail

"self declared liberal" :wtf: When did Dean EVER declare to be a liberal? He's said things like "If it makes me a liberal to want a balanced budget, then call me a liberal" but on LK he was clear- "I AM the center, Larry"

Dean does the right thing and the press screws up. Par.

Some of his positions ARE socially liberal and he takes pride in them and encourages us to be proud to vote Democratic.

[w4rma]

18. Drudge -- Wrong Again

Anyone who knows anything about how the DNC works -- knows that there is no way any of the candidates for president could have any impact on the DNC chairmanship -- least of all the Dean Campaign. Particularly in the days following the New Hampshire primary regardless of the result. No one from the Dean Campaign leaked anything to Drudge -- this report is like a National Enquirer headline proclaiming "Martians surprised that George Bush is our leader"

Now back to the process of encouraging Americans to participate in their democracy.... Keep the focus on how each of us can encourage one more friend, co-worker, or family member to join the Dean Campaign this week.

Ask them to visit our website or this blog and sign-up.

Joe Trippi
campaign manager
Dean for America

Posted by Joe Trippi at 11:15 PM
http://blog.deanforamerica.com/archives/000630.html

Also, Dean is a centrist/moderate. He's never been a "self-declared liberal".

[JaneQPublic]

21. What was the Drudge story Trippi is referring to?

The story in the initial post of this thread didn't come Drudge, but from the US News & World Report's "Washington Whispers" article:

http://www.usnews.com/usnews/politics/whispers/whisphome.htm

Plus, the Whispers article provides a link to a PDF of the actual letter from Dean asking for donation to DNC:

http://www.usnews.com/usnews/politics/whispers/documents/dean.pdf

Plus, I noticed that the quoted statement from Trippi was from July 06, 2003.

[w4rma]

22. Drudge had an article up saying Gov Dean would fired TM if nominated

I suspect that Drudge's article is the basis of the "feud" rumour used in the USNews article.

[JaneQPublic]

23. Thanks for the info! (n/t)

[goforit]

19. Well bravo for Dean......But WTF is McAulliffe gonna do to amend the

conflicts!!!

Move-on is far more successful than a phoney pretty boy
like McAuliffe.

[He loved Big Brother]

24. Good news.

Dean is an honorable person, I don't think he will sell out on America. I don't mind overlooking some things he's doing during his campaign...we have to play to WIN.

[Voltaire99]

25. LOL! And so the diminishing of H. Dean, "iconoclast," begins...

McAuliffe is one of the suits to thank for neutering the Democratic Party, an unprincipled man whose true constituency is corporate America.

That Dean is running to him only weeks after being ridiculously baited by his own party is telling. The tactic worked. Put on notice that independence of mind will not be tolerated, now Dean's eager to prove that he won't scare the money away, that he can read from a script. Those who fund the Dems and the GOP aren't willing to sign any checks for populist revolt.

It's kind of amusing watching this process as Dean models obedience for the party bosses. Which issues will he have to dilute his position on next? Any bets? The Cuban flip-flop and the Nixonian Democracy-With-Honor-in-Iraq were early signs of spine trouble, but I'm sure the doctor can do a much better impersonation of a jellyfish when he's given his orders.

[grasswire]

26. wow

THAT was a particularly meanspirited and insidious post.

And I'm not even backing Dean.

[farmboxer]

27. Democrats Need To Be Very Careful

about attacking one another. Bush will be very difficult to beat, since he controls the media, has more money, and has help from the Republican manufactured and programmed voting machines. Bush lost the election in 2000, but there was a coup! Never forget that.