Dean may be too liberal, ranking Louisiana Dems say

[TheWebHead]

Howard Dean, the front-runner to become the next chairman of the Democratic Party, will have a hard time increasing party support in states that supported George W. Bush for president because of his liberal image, the three Democratic members of Louisiana's congressional delegation said Tuesday.

Sen. Mary Landrieu and Reps. William Jefferson and Charlie Melancon said they would prefer the party choose one of Dean's three remaining challengers, although that seems increasingly unlikely.

...

Landrieu said she has not endorsed anyone for the job but believes that former Indiana Congressman Tim Roemer or Simon Rosenberg, president of the centrist New Democrat Network, "would have had a better feel for the Southern states, which are extremely important as we rebuild our party to be a nationwide party."

....

Jefferson, who represents the New Orleans area, said he likes either Fowler or Roemer for the job. He said Dean "might help energize party activists elsewhere in the country, but he's not likely to "help change (Republican) red states to (Democratic) blue states. And that's what our challenge is."

more...
http://www.nola.com/news/t-p/washington/index.ssf?/base/news-0/1107329193315960.xml

[Carolab]

1. We need some e-mail addresses for these people.

They need to understand that Dean's "liberal" label doesn't really fit his background.

Mary's e-mail: http://landrieu.senate.gov/contact/index.cfm

Charlie's congressional office:

Washington, DC Office
404 Cannon House Office Building
Tel: [phone]
Fax: [phone]

And William's:

Honorable William J. Jefferson
2113 Rayburn House Office Building
Washington, D.C. 20515

Phone: [phone]
FAX: [phone]

[Carolab]

8. I e-mailed Mary.

I write in response to an article concerning the Louisiana delegation's position concerning Howard Dean as DNC chair:

Sen. Mary Landrieu and Reps. William Jefferson and Charlie Melancon said they would prefer the party choose one of Dean's three remaining challengers, although that seems increasingly unlikely.

Landrieu said she has not endorsed anyone for the job but believes that former Indiana Congressman Tim Roemer or Simon Rosenberg, president of the centrist New Democrat Network, "would have had a better feel for the Southern states, which are extremely important as we rebuild our party to be a nationwide party."

Jefferson, who represents the New Orleans area, said he likes either Fowler or Roemer for the job. He said Dean "might help energize party activists elsewhere in the country, but he's not likely to "help change (Republican) red states to (Democratic) blue states. And that's what our challenge is."

Senator Landrieu, I would like you and Reps. Jefferson and Melancon to know that:

Scott Maddox, the Florida Democratic chairman, announced on 1/18/05 that the Florida members of the Democratic National Committee voted to unanimously endorse Governor Howard Dean for the role of DNC Chair:

"The only knock against Howard Dean is that he's seen as too liberal," Mr. Maddox said. "I'm a gun-owning pickup-truck driver and I have a bulldog named Lockjaw. I am a Southern chairman of a Southern state, and I am perfectly comfortable with Howard Dean as D.N.C. chair."

"What our party needs right now is energy, enthusiasm and a willingness to do things differently," he said. "I think Howard Dean brings all three of those things to the party."

Incidentally, on that same day, 1/18/05, Dean also picked up endorsements from Mississippi and Oklahoma, as well as from Utah, Washington and Vermont.

Governor Dean was pleased by the unanimous endorsement, which highlights to his ability to speak to supporters' concerns across all parts of the nation.

As a long-time Dean supporter and current member of Democracy for America, I can attest to Howard Dean's widespread popularity from east to west and north to south, among not only Democrats, but also Green Party members, independents, and even Republicans.

Howard Dean is a "straight talker" and that's what people want--especially southern people, as I am sure you will agree. What's more,
Howard Dean represents the voice of the party's base. As a social progressive and fiscal conservative, his positions on the issues satisfy most everyone across the spectrum of the base.

He has energized this party and brought people into it on a grassroots level as never before. I know, I'm one of them. At 56 years of age, I am finally active in my party, though I never even so much as gave a dime to any candidate or campaign before Dean.

Howard Dean loves America and he loves the Democratic party; his life's goal is to reform it and bring it back to its roots. In his campaign for the presidency and now as head of Democracy for America and a member of Progressive Democrats of America, I can think of no other who has worked harder toward or been more successful in that goal.

People say the Democratic party needs its own "Rove"--a strategic scrapper, someone who can build the party up from the base, and who will fight for it like a pitbull. We've got him. I ask you and your colleagues from Louisiana to endorse Howard Dean.

Thank you.

[American Tragedy]

2. Liberal in what way?

<<He said he would never have won his race in the conservative district if he had agreed with Dean's positions in supporting abortion rights and civil unions for gay men and lesbians. >>

The former is a staple of the Democratic party platform, and the latter is shared by Democrats and Republicans, and is fairly mainstream.

[TheWebHead]

7. I think it's safe to say....

that now matter where he stands on fiscal issues, it is social issues that rule the zeitgeist right now and he's quite liberal in that respect. Dean also paints himself quite deeply left after he just remarked "I hate the Republican party and everything they stand for..." It's a quote the right can beat the party over the head with to the same effect they did with "I actually voted for the $87 billion before I voted against it."

Even during the campaign, a commentator question to the guy in the crowd was whether they "hated" Bush, it was one of those buzz words that even political neophites resisted using even if they truly did "hate" *. That's why Dean using it in prepared remarks in a very public setting really troubles me -- not to mention his "evil Republican machine" remark only days earlier in LA -- as further evidence he just doesn't "get it" in regards to tact required in a party leadership position.

[Zensea]

44. Harry Truman didn't have much tact either did he?

I think he was in a leadership position, right?

[LittleClarkie]

3. As Deaniacs will tell you, and even John Kerry pointed out on MTP

The Dean's a liberal meme was an election tag that distorts his real record. Dean himself commented that if he's considered a liberal, it just goes to show how far to the right the Dem Party has swung.

He was quite concervative in his tenure as VT Governor.

They should try him, they might like him.

And we're not changing Repub states to Dem states by becoming Republicans. No to Roemer. And Fowler by all accounts is either too inexperienced and young, or is an out and out tweeb who only shows up when it's time to take credit. I didn't like the weasel way he talked about "no more of same old establisment" then talked as this person is about Red to Blue.

What we need is to modernize our organization. Dean and Rosenberg, not Fowler and Roemer!

[Selatius]

4. The Electoral College needs to be abolished

Then perhaps we wouldn't have to look at states as either red or blue but in shades of purple (as it is in the real world).

[aquart]

5. Disingenuous.

And NOT gonna happen.

[Selatius]

31. How is it that me pointing out the obvious is disingenuous?

If the College was abolished, we would be campaigning for individual votes in all 50 states, not winner-take-all electoral votes that are winnable or borderline. It's not going to happen if people won't make an issue out of it.

[Flammable Materials]

6. The problem is not that he's liberal ...

... the problem is that we have allowed the right-wing to define what "liberal" means in the marketplace of ideas. There is nothing wrong (and everything right) with being a liberal, but until we get the definition of "what a liberal is" back on track, we're doomed.

[Skittles]

9. YUP

F*** EM, I am SICK of it; WE NEED TO TAKE THE WORD LIBERAL BACK FROM FASCIST THUGS AND WEAK-KNEED DEMOCRATS.

[sendero]

20. Good point..

... "liberal" has become the Republican/mediaWhore speak for "doesn't agree with us".

While "sane" would be a better choice of words, it amazes me that these folks actually accept the idea that Dean is "liberal" and go around saying it.

It doesn't speak too highly of their intelligence or possibly their integrity, because in any real meaning of the word, Dean is hardly a "liberal".

[ClassWarrior]

22. Lakoff says it could take 30 years to reclaim "liberal."

I say we nod to the great liberals in our past - FDR, Adlai Stevenson, etc. - and proclaim ourselves Progressives. Because Progressive times call for Progressive values.

NGU.

[Eloriel]

53. I don't agree, but it might take a concerted effort

I think it can be done in a decade or less. And here's one place to start rehabilitating the Left in general and Liberals in particular:

A Day In The Life of Joe Republican

Joe gets up at 6:00am to prepare his morning coffee. He fills his pot full of good clean drinking water because some liberal fought for minimum water quality standards.

He takes his daily medication with his first swallow of coffee. His medications are safe to take because some liberal fought to insure their safety and work as advertised.

All but $10.00 of his medications are paid for by his employers medical plan because some liberal union workers fought their employers for paid medical insurance, now Joe gets it too because his employer needs to offer competitive benefits to hire the best people.

Joe prepares his morning breakfast, bacon and eggs this day. Joe's bacon is safe to eat because some liberal fought for laws to regulate the meat packing industry.

Joe takes his morning shower reaching for his shampoo. His bottle is properly labeled with every ingredient and the amount of its contents because some liberal fought for his right to know what he was putting on his body and how much it contained.

Joe dresses, walks outside and takes a deep breath. The air he breathes is clean because some tree hugging liberal fought for laws to stop industries from polluting our air.

Joe drives to work in one of the safest cars in the world because some liberal fought to raise safety standards and emission controls.

Joe begins his work day; he has a good job with good pay, medical benefits, retirement, paid holidays and vacation because some liberal union members fought and died for these working standards. Joe's employer pays these standards because Joe's employer doesn't want his employees to call the union. If Joe is hurt on the job or becomes unemployed he'll get a worker compensation or unemployment check because some Liberal didn't think he should lose his home because of his temporary misfortune.

Its noon time, Joe needs to make a Bank Deposit so he can pay some bills. Joe's deposit is federally insured by the FSLIC up to $100,000 because some liberal wanted to protect Joe's money from greedy, unscrupulous bankers like the ones who ruined the banking system before the depression.

Joe needs to pay his Fannie Mae underwritten Mortgage and his below market federal student loan because some liberal decided that Joe and the government would be better off if he was educated and earned more money over his life-time.

Joe is home from work. He plans to visit his father this evening at his farm home in the country. He arrives at his boyhood home. He was the third generation to live in the house financed by Farmers Home Administration because bankers didn't want to make rural loans. The house didn't have electric until some big government liberal stuck his nose where it didn't belong and demanded rural electrification. (Those rural Republican's might still be sitting in the dark!)

He is happy to see his dad who is now retired. His dad lives on Social Security and his union pension because some liberal made sure he could take care of himself so Joe wouldn't have to. After his visit with dad he gets back in his car for the ride home.

He turns on a radio talk show, the host keeps saying that liberals are bad and conservatives are good. (He doesn't tell Joe that his beloved Republicans have fought against every protection and benefit Joe enjoys throughout his day)

Joe agrees, "We don't need those big government liberals ruining our lives; after all, I'm a self made man who believes everyone should take care of themselves, just like I have".

============

Posted In this thread:
Well my freeper father's at it again emailed me more crap (my response)
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=104&topic_id=2170559#2171584

[Al-CIAda]

28. That is IT...and the Dems keep buying into it.

Instead of trying to straighten out the smear, they promote the RW agenda of sabotage.


...and f'n Roemer???
He's a PNAC sympathizer. You have to wonder just how out to lunch the politicians are...or can they be this blind intentionally.

[d_b]

37. Preach on, Brotha!

[flordehinojos]

10. is mary landrieu some sort of republican in disguise?

DEAN, DEAN, DEAN! ... let's get back some LIBERAL POLICIES which advance the cause of humanity into politics. DEAN! DEAN! DEAN!

[lojasmo]

34. Yes she is. She is a DINO. N/T

[flordehinojos]

39. what is a DINO?

:)

[lojasmo]

42. Democrat In Name Only. EOM (end of message)

:)

[muse]

56. Have you ever lived in LA? I have

and we are all damned fortunate that LA gives us a democratic senator and that it is someone as sharp as Mary Landrieu. She may not be the liberal democratic senator that you want, but LA is an extremely conservative state and why they have any democrats in elected office, I don't know. I personally did not know anyone in LA who had a liberal state of mind. I heard the most reactionary ideas about government and social systems flying out of people's mouth constantly, that you would think you had stepped back into 1950. She's representing her constituents by saying that she thinks Dean is too liberal. She is a rare bird - a southern democratic senator - and I'm telling you, I think we should at least listen to her respectfully, because she has a unique perspective.

[TheWebHead]

11. well I won't give this another new thread

but an editorial in The New York Daily News along the same lines:

Teddy Kennedy, blathering away there, we sort of don't mind anymore: The old duck cries out for forbearance, as with a doddering uncle. Howard Dean is another story.

Howard Dean imagines himself to embody the ideals of a Democratic Party many of whose more thoughtful leaders want to tack hard back toward more centrist views. It's difficult to believe the Democrats could possibly be serious about electing Dean the party's national chairman. Yet it now seems there is good reason to expect that on Feb. 12 they will do exactly that, firmly positioning him as the party's public face, public voice, public bearer of its standard.

Granted, the man proved himself a spectacular fund-raiser, give him that. He has also proved himself to be so to the left of the American mainstream that saner Democrats - grasping that nothing would make Republicans much happier than a Chairman Howard - are mounting every last-ditch Stop Dean effort they can think of. For now, though, Dean appears to hold a commanding lead. And the Democratic Party appears to be determined to snuff itself out.

http://www.nydailynews.com/news/ideas_opinions/story/276795p-237103c.html

[jdots]

12. great paper but the woids is two big fur me

nydaileynews is an exellent puppy training device.Fuck the republicans and the turd they rode in on.Stand up and fight these bastard neocon facists or step into the large shower room.

[King Coal]

14. Saner Democrats?

Are they kiddin'? LOL!

[lojasmo]

33. Thanks for sparing us a new thread based on a shit article.

"Saner democrats"? WTF? I think they're talking about republicans like Landrieu.

[Crunchy Frog]

13. I think these concerns are bogus.

How much "feel for the South" did Mcauliffe have? There's a such thing as delegating. Dean's job wouldn't be to do all the outreach to all the states. Probably more of organizing the outreach that's appropriate for each state.

At any rate, I think the first thing we need to do about dealing with the South is to stop being so afraid of it.

Just my two cents. It's late and I'm babbling.

[last1standing]

15. Once again you seem to think repubs have the right answers for our party.

Why do you keep posting these conservative opinion pieces? Isn't there a rule here about announcing articles from right wing sources?

[MalachiConstant]

16. i drafted a quick email:

Dear Senator Landrieu,

I recently had your statements of opposition to Howard Dean for the DNC seat, and thought I would voice an opinion of my own. I think Dean is just what this party needs. Perhaps it is not seen differently from Washington, but the general opinion of most Democrat politicians is that they are merely the lesser of two evils, or for a harsher criticism, "Spineless Junior Republicans." This is fairly obvious when one considers Representative William Jefferson's statement that Dean would not help us win the red states. Would adopting a "redder" candidate and forgetting what it means to be a Democrat help us? The answer is simple: no, we wouldn't be changing red states to blue, we would just be creating a different shade of red.

Where Dean does shine is with the spine and strong will that he would bring back to the party. During recent events (the Ohio election scandal, Secretary of State hearings, etc.,) a few of the outspoken individuals in Washington were brave enough to speak up and remind us what it means to be a Democrat, and be proud of it. Thanks to Senator Boxer and a "Massachusetts Liberal" named Kennedy it seems some have remembered that we do not have to be spineless "Yes-Men" for the Republicans.

The term "liberal" is only as negative as you allow it to be. How many of the great public institutions have been thought to be liberal or inspired by a liberal. The lines have been drawn for a while now and a "liberal" candidate with a bit of backbone is just what the party needs to stand up to the opposing party.

Sincerely,
xxx

[last1standing]

17. Good letter!

And welcome to DU!

:hi:

[dave29]

18. very nice!

great letter.

[ClassWarrior]

19. Then the ranking Louisiana Dems aren't paying attention.

Because Dr. Dean's a moderate.

NGU.

[leesa]

21. Right. Wouldn't want anyone capable of thinking in there, otherwise their

preferred choice, the GOP, would not win.

[mattclearing]

23. LA Dems may be too conservative, tasteblind says.

Us progressives, we're going to manufacture the message from now on.

How bout, instead of bitching about the message, finding a way to sell it to southern voters?

Common sense is not a regional trait.

[AntiCoup2K4]

24. Are there any ACTUAL Democrats in Louisiana?

Granted, I don't know a lot about their politics, but if Landrieu and Breaux are the examples, then it seems like DLC appeasement neocon whores are the best they can do.

[Al-CIAda]

30. 'blue dog' dems...captive to oil interests in La.

[Rose Siding]

32. The LA State DNC chair's company donated 100K to Bush's inauguration

His company's PAC, rather which also funds repub 60%, dem 40%

[Seabiscuit]

54. That pretty much says it all: consider the source.

[dave29]

25. Dean too Liberal?

Worried about labels?

Try pro-gun fiscal conservative. The country agrees with Dean on Iraq now. He is for equal protection under the law.

These are some of Dean's labels. Is he "liberal" because he supports civil unions, and not marriage for homosexuals? Is he "liberal" because he thought the war in Iraq was a diversion from the War on Terror?

What does liberal mean any more, anyway?

These are Howard Dean's views, label them as you like, but they they don't fall comfortably in any easily definable label.

I'll gladly label him head of the DNC.

[John_H]

26. Now that it's in the bag, Dean has to do a media blitz to make

sure that his actual recordis out there. And these "moderate dems" should quit doing the msm and rethug's work for them. They ought to be out there saying, " We love howard--he's a moderate, he's anti gun control, he'sfrom a rural state like us, he's our guy.

[DFLforever]

35. If Dean's elected, give him a little time

He'll have the Dems on cabal talking ...in unison.

At this point I think this LA chair is hoping against hope Fowler's kid can still pull it through.

[mdmc]

27. Councilmen Les Wynin

should do more thinking, and less whining!

[Willy Lee]

29. Yeah, and Bush may be too Republican.

And cheney, rove, wolfie, etc etc etc

Fight fire with fire, I say!

[GRLMGC]

36. Nevermind that he's a centrist

I've asked this before and I'll ask it again, what the fuck are these people smoking?

[TexasSissy]

38. They are correct in thinking that Dean would have a lesser feel

for the southern states.

The question is...should the southern states be the focus? Maybe not. Maybe so. They should certainly be included. But to what degree?

But there is no doubt that Dean would not be the right person to increase votership in the southern states. He has no feel for that area of the country. (A former deep southerner who now resides in the southwest - which is how I classify Texas.)

[Debi]

40. Oh shut up

I'm sick of people judging Dean on what right wing publications say about him instead of looking at his record....

[iwantmycountryback]

41. Forget it Webhead, it's over, finished

You can stop bashing Dean now. Landrieu may also support Bush's privatization plan, so what she thinks is pretty irrelevant.

[Jacobin]

43. That's a complete crock

"Liberal Dean" now is the code word for someone who supports civil unions for gays.

Mary needs to get a grip, and Jefferson needs to stop pandering to homophobic/ faux macho African Americans.

[musette_sf]

45. Great, the state with drive-through daiquiri stands

and bars that don't close, think Howie's too liberal.

[Seabiscuit]

46. "Too liberal"??? WTF? You mean "too much of a Democrat" for such

Dixiecrat tastes?

Dean will make such Louisana dino's look truly Jurassic.

[mvd]

47. By doing this, they are just keeping the "liberal" label alive

Democrats have to learn to not be their own worst enemy. Dean is more of a true fiscal conservative than Bush is. Bush wastes taxpayer money when it would be good for him or his big contributers.

[Carolab]

48. Absolutely, he's only robbing Peter to pay Paul.

He isn't cutting anything except rich folks' taxes. Otherwise, he just pilfers taxpayer dollars from the public fund and hands it over to his cronies instead.

[AlCzervik]

49. Is that what they think or did they actually ask

some of their democratic supporters? I only ask because no one here in california ever asks me what i think of any of it and it pisses me off.

[WI_DEM]

50. Dean--a flaming liberal? No, A fighting Democrat--Yes.

[dolstein]

52. Let's compromise -- he's a flaming Democrat

NT

[rman]

51. too liberal - for their taste

well, everyone may have an opinion.

[fujiyama]

55. I didn't support Dean in the primaries

but he's our best shot. He'll bring some enthusiasm and excitement....aleast to the party itself after a devastating election.

The other choices are terrible. Either they sound like republicans, are boring as hell, or well they sound like they're retarded.


I suppose I could live with Rosenburg, but Roemer is out of the question. The guy is republican in Dem clothing.

I understand why Landriu and others are protesting and bitching, but they really have to reevaluate why they are in politics. It's not just for the point of being there. It's of getting something done. What's the point of being a Democrat if you agree with Repugs on most issues? They should also reevaluate Dean's own record, which isn't as far to the left as they claim it is.