McCain Comm. Director Hired by DLC.

[mattclearing]

This in a blurb in todays Washington Post:

McMenamin to McCain?

Speaking of McCain, Eileen McMenamin, longtime and highly regarded political producer for CNN -- including "Inside Politics Sunday" and "Crossfire" -- and before that ABC News, is said to be heading up to Capitol Hill to become communications director for the Arizona Republican, replacing Marshall Wittmann, gone to the Democratic Leadership Council.


Flame away!

Edit to add link: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A55439-2005Feb1.html

[blm]

1. More proof CNN has been in the can with GOP for years.

They have been increasing in their hostility towards Democrats while spouting GOP talking points for the past 10 years.

[leveymg]

2. Is a Demoblican or a Republicrat doing the hiring at DLC?

It's official: We are One Mind, One Party, One Nation.

[KissMeKate]

3. We must counter the DLC- their agenda is dangerous for the party.

eom.

[loudsue]

6. You've got that right! The DLC is NOT primarily made up of ELECTED Dems,

as some people mistakenly believe! They are mostly a bunch of corporatists whose memebership includes members of the Dem party who sign on to get the corporatist funding offered to their campaigns.

The DLC's workforce is made up of right wing activists. ELECTED Democratic members are just that...."members" of this right wing club with money.

In other words, the Democratic Leadership Council (DLC) is a council who is "leading" Democrats around by the gold rings in their noses.

:kick::kick::kick:

[mattclearing]

9. It just amazes me that this kind of thing goes on and we just let it go.

How obvious does it have to be?

The DLC is not a Democratic organization.

It exists to corporatize and destroy the Democratic Party.

In short, to wrest it from the people it is meant to represent: The American Worker.

[Tinoire]

25. I never gave that much thought. Any information on the ratio?

Please expand!

Forever grateful :)

[moggie12]

4. Doubly whammy

CNN producer goes to GOP, GOP staffer goes to DLC. Hmmmmmmmmm

(BTW, try saying, "McMenamin" four times fast. Can't be done.)

[NickofTime]

5. Only Howard Dean can Save Us from the DLC!

[Tierra_y_Libertad]

7. The DLC "Big tent" sure has a lot of Republicans in it.

And, some of them have (D) after their name..until the DLC finally joins up with it's bosses.

[mattclearing]

8. You'd think they'd show Democratic Leadership by hiring Democrats.

:eyes:

[AntiCoup2K4]

10. Marshall Wittman goes much deeper into the right than McCain....

Here's his abbreviated bio - from DLC/PPI's own fucking website, no less - they BRAG about this guy's right wing connections.

PPI | Bio | September 22, 2004
Marshall Wittmann
Senior Fellow

Marshall Wittmann is a senior fellow at the Progressive Policy Institute. Previously, he was Director of Communications for Senator John McCain (R-AZ). Mr. Wittmann has served in various positions with the Hudson Institute, Heritage Foundation, Christian Coalition, and in the administration of President George H. W. Bush.

For those of you who don't know, the "Hudson Institute" is another Likud /PNAC front group. Richard Perle is heavily involved with them. And I shouldn't have to explain the other associations (and what's wrong with them) to anyone here.

[mattclearing]

11. WTF?????

I'm changing the title of this post.

Edit: Dammit, past the editing period.

Perhaps you should put it in a new post. That's fucking outrageous.

Edit again: Care to post the link to that?

[mattclearing]

12. Nevermind, I found it (replying to myself to stop self-editing)

http://pewforum.org/events/0410/wittmanbio.htm

Unbelievable.

Googling this guy gives you columns too where he bashes Dean as the Republicans' wet dream.

[pmbryant]

17. Marshall Wittman got disgusted with GWBush and left the GOP in 2001

His history is on the right. He used to be a Republican, after all. But he became so disgusted with the Bushies that he left the party (back in 2001 or so). Eventually, he signed on with the DLC.

He writes a very interesting blog called "Bull Moose" at http://www.bullmooseblog.com/

Here is a sample from last week: http://www.bullmooseblog.com/2005/01/race-baiters.html

The Moose notes the pathetic attempts of the elephant to play the race card.

For years, the right decried the use of the race card by liberals in political debates. Lately, conservatives are trying their hand at racial demagoguery. During the debate on both the Rice and Gonzales nominations, Republicans have not restrained themselves in suggesting that their opponents either have racial motives or will pay a price with minorities.

The way these Republicans talk you would have thought the denizens of the right were there with John Lewis back in 1965 on the Edmund Pettus Bridge when civil rights marchers were brutally beaten. Perhaps, if you closely look at the photos you will see Strom and Trent. Many Republicans argue these days that the majority of the GOP supported the civil rights legislation in the '60's. Of course, since that time, the southern Democrats who opposed civil rights legislation migrated to the Republican Party and the moderate civil rights Republicans faded away.

There are two "Republican" issues that seem to have genuine appeal in minority communities - family values and school choice. Democrats should be concerned about Republican inroads into the African-American and Latino communities where these issues resonate.

However, the Republican exploitation of the race card to obscure their economic agenda is pathetic. It is almost amusing when the big business groups attempt to find an African-American farmer whose family will lose the farm if the estate tax is not eliminated. Lately, the right has suggested that the Social Security System is anti-black and privatization will provide the community with a bonanza of riches.

In today's New York Times, Paul Krugman eviscerates this argument. At the heart of the right's contention is that high mortality rates prevent many African Americans from receiving benefits. Krugman writes,

"It's true that the current life expectancy for black males at birth is only 68.8 years - but that doesn't mean that a black man who has worked all his life can expect to die after collecting only a few years' worth of Social Security benefits. Blacks' low life expectancy is largely due to high death rates in childhood and young adulthood. African-American men who make it to age 65 can expect to live, and collect benefits, for an additional 14.6 years - not that far short of the 16.6-year figure for white men...

"The persistent gap in life expectancy between African-Americans and whites is one measure of the deep inequalities that remain in our society - including highly unequal access to good-quality health care. We ought to be trying to diminish that gap, especially given the fact that black infants are two and half times as likely as white babies to die in their first year."

So, if the Moose's dear former colleagues on the right and the Bushies are so very concerned about African-American mortality rates perhaps they would address the genuine child health care coverage crisis. John Kerry did just that with a bold proposal that he offered yesterday in an important address.

He made this insightful observation,

"That's how the president who promised to usher in a 'responsibility era' proposes to deal with a real and present health care crisis, even as he seeks to hype a phony crisis in Social Security," Mr. Kerry said, after telling his audience that Mr. Bush's plan would raise insurance premiums and leave families and children without care. "You know what that sounds like to me? Sounds like a cradle-to-grave irresponsibility plan."

Now that's the Real Deal!

Give him a chance. You probably won't agree with everything he says, but he is far more with us than against us.

--Peter

[w4rma]

37. That's pretty articulate. (nt)

[leveymg]

38. Anyone Have a Good Article About the Corp. Funding of Dem Right?

Is there a good article about the colonization of the "Democratic Party" apparatus?

The PPI Isn't That Progressive Either - Seems to be a DLC Companion Group

[Tinoire]

39. It's officially the DLC's think tank. They even share office space

The DLC and PPI share office space and telephone numbers.

Contact the DLC or PPI

Democratic Leadership Council
& Progressive Policy Institute
600 Pennsylvania Ave., SE
Suite 400
Washington, DC 20003
DLC Phone: [phone]
PPI Phone: [phone]
DLC Fax: [phone]
PPI Fax: [phone]

Members of the media may call the main numbers and ask for the DLC/PPI press department during regular business hours (9am to 6pm, ET). (See our list of spokespersons.) Members of the media may also send an inquiry to the press department by email or sign up for media alerts. If you have a question or comments about this Web site or any of its contents, please feel free to send us an email using the form below.

Individuals wishing to support the Democratic Leadership Council or the Progressive Policy Institute may do so online through our fundraising campaigns on GetActive. Click here to support the DLC, or click here to support PPI. Corporate donors may contact the development department by calling [phone].


http://www.ndol.org/cobrand/contact_us.cfm

Democratic Leadership Council
& Progressive Policy Institute
600 Pennsylvania Ave., SE
Suite 400
Washington, DC 20003
DLC Phone: [phone]
PPI Phone: [phone]
DLC Fax: [phone]
PPI Fax: [phone]

http://www.ppionline.org/cobrand/contact_us.cfm

[Roland99]

13. Like we need to be shown the moving shift to supporting the right...

Here are a few examples:
http://mediamatters.org/items/200409230001 (FOX, CNN bolster SBVT claim of Kerry's "secret" Paris meeting)
http://mediamatters.org/items/200409230006 (Why are the cables still giving airtime to Swift Boat Vets attacks?)
http://mediamatters.org/items/200409220006 (The new Swift Boat Vets ad is wrong -- but you wouldn't know it from watching FOX)
http://mediamatters.org/items/200408310014 (CNN's Blitzer let Brownback get away with 527 disclosure lie)
http://mediamatters.org/items/200408270010 (Blaming the victim: CNN's Woodruff said Kerry "could have avoided" Swift Boat Vets attacks)
http://mediamatters.org/items/search/200408300005 (B.G. Burkett kept Kerry-bashing stayin' alive on Hannity & Colmes)
http://mediamatters.org/items/200408300002 (Unreliable sources: CNN panelists repeated distortions about attacks on Kerry)
http://mediamatters.org/items/200408260008 (As evidence mounts of GOP connection to anti-Kerry Swift Boat Vets, Hume and Dole deny the obvious)
http://mediamatters.org/items/200408250007 (O'Reilly: Swift Boat Veterans never said Kerry "lied")
http://mediamatters.org/items/200408260005 (Two candidates, two military records, two standards)
http://mediamatters.org/items/200408190012 (Ignoring evidence of coverage, Brent Bozell and John Gibson claimed media ignored Swift Boat Vets)
http://mediamatters.org/items/200408120007 (O'Neill did the cable news circuit, spreading discredited attacks on Kerry)
http://mediamatters.org/items/200405040004 (CNN's Blitzer failed to probe partisan ties of Kerry critic)

[mattclearing]

14. I'm not concerned about the CNN thing so much as the

Total RW operative being hired by the DLC!!!

This guy worked for the Christian Coalition, Heritage, and George Fucking Herbert Walker Bush!!!

[Tinoire]

16. And William Kristol

Marhsall Wittman was co-director of the "Conservative Reform Project" along with Bill Kristol

Are people beginning tu inderstand all this recent talk of "faith-based initiatives" now and why every other sentence is suddenly God, God, God?

I'm a practicing Christian but it's really making me blush. Especially to hear it from people who supported this war and never once mentioned God before.

[w4rma]

15. Didnt some guy from the Southern Christian Coilition join the DLC recently

??

[Tinoire]

18. Same guy - Marshall Wittmann

He was a very busy, busy little beaver. ANd have no fears, he's going to be very busy with the Democratic Party now. He's BOTH PPI and DLC/NDOL. And not just some penitent peon either but a full fledged spokesman and Sr. Advisor/Fellow.

The panache with which they're coming into our party and being thrust on us is unbelievable, make that breath-taking. What's unbelievable is the red carpet being rolled out for them.

Christian Coalition. Heritage Foundation. Campaign advisor for Alan Keyes/John McCain. Right Wing Pew Foundation. George W. Bush administration. Bill Kristol. Oh boy has this man been busy. There was one other thing I saw but can't remember what it was now.

[Freddie Stubbs]

19. If Kerry had had his way, McCain would be VP right now

[mattclearing]

21. McCain would have had to have had balls the size of Arizona to do it.

If McCain had actually split the Republican Party to do it, I would have respected him.

But the way he bent over for Bush again last year after taking that phenomenal ass-reaming in 2000 was just unforgettable.

John McCain has no dignity.

[blm]

26. Because he believed in putting this country back together to some unifying

degree would mean better governance?

He gave more credit to McCain as a person than he probably deserved, but that doesn't make Kerry wrong for contemplating that idea. Most people in this country would have responded gratefully.

[Edgewater_Joe]

20. Now THAT'S A List Of Accomplishment, Isn't It?

"Hi! I helped drive John McCain's campaign into the ground, ruined CNN's best show, made sure you didn't know who the Hell Peter Jennings actually is -- and now I'm going to do the same to the Democratic Losers' Council!"

I can't see how Dean will have much trouble squashing the DLC like the slugs they are with people like that helping the DLC.

I'm feeling better and better that the Dems are steering in the right direction with each day.

[wyldwolf]

22. so let me get this straight...

If any former republican works for ANY democrat or democratic organization, that is a bad thing.

Right?

Because if that is so, some people might soon be doing some spinning and justifying.

But then again - they may pretend not to see their hpocrisy.

[mattclearing]

23. This guy worked for damn near every right wing organization on the map.

I'm sorry, he worked for GHWB, Heritage, AND the Christian Coalition.

Honestly, it should come as no surprise that the DLC is among those organizations on his resume.

I let go of my problems with Wesley Clark voting for Republicans. It's not totally wrong.

However, this reminds me of Kathleen Kennedy Townsend picking that retired Republican Colonel to be her running mate in Maryland...if she would rather hire a Republican than EVERY SINGLE DEMOCRAT IN MARYLAND, then chances are she has a problem. And she did, because the grass roots went cold and she lost the Governorship of Maryland for the first time in 30 years.

So yeah, hiring Republicans to work in Democratic organizations is a problem. It means that you have decided that this person is more qualified than every other Democrat, so much so that you would risk having a Republican in their position.

Like I said, you'd think they would demonstrate some Democratic Leadership by hiring Democrats.

[wyldwolf]

24. Dean is guilty as well, then...

back in 2003, Howard Dean hired former GOP operative Michael Cudahy. Michael Cudahy's Republican political management and press relations responsibilities have ranged from the 1980 Reagan/Bush mid-western presidential effort, to the 1980 George Bush for President campaign, as well as the Andrew H. Card, Jr. gubernatorial campaign in Massachusetts.

[TexasSissy]

27. The heck you say. Now THAT'S interesting.

[wyldwolf]

28. See, what's interesting is...

in post #17, we see that Marshall Wittmann left the GOP after getting pretty much disgusted with them. And that post has been ignored.

Now, we see a former GOP operative worked for Dean. Now I can only imagine how this will be spun by those piling on the DLC here - many who are big Dean supporters.

Maybe the DLC's former GOP guy is MORE evil than Dean's...? :)

[mattclearing]

29. I read one of his blog entries after googling a bit.

I get that he is supposedly reformed.

Do I believe it? Sure, for the sake of argument, let's say that he has bolted the Republican Party because of George W. Bush.

But do you really want to put someone who likely voted against Bill Clinton in the Democratic Leadership Council? Even if you accept that the DLC is what it says it is (I don't)?

I think we have a right to be skeptical. I don't like it. I think it merits pointing out and screaming bloody murder about.

[pmbryant]

30. Take a look at this

From the article Wittman wrote last October endorsing Kerry for President:

When I was at the Christian Coalition, I witnessed first-hand the alliance of the deregulation, no-tax crowd with the religious conservatives. Ironically, the rank and file of the religious right are hardly the country club set. They are largely middle-class Americans who don't rely on trust funds or dividend checks for their livelihoods. But the leaders of the religious right have betrayed their constituents by failing to champion such economic issues as family leave or access to health insurance, which would relieve the stresses on many working families. The only things the religious conservatives get are largely symbolic votes on proposals guaranteed to fail, such as the gay marriage constitutional amendment. The religious right has consistently provided the ground troops, while the big-money men have gotten the goodies.

The realization that the religious right had essentially become a front for the money men of the Republican Party was a primary source of my disenchantment with that movement. And without a doubt, the GOP has merely become a vehicle for unbridled corporate power. Such a party cannot provide a home for a movement that strives for national greatness.

In 2000, the Republican Party clearly had the opportunity to recapture the legacy of Theodore Roosevelt, by advocating government as an agent of national greatness and insisting on reforming government and corporate influence on it. However, that path was far too threatening to the Republican elites. Then, and now, they have chosen the dollar over the flag by favoring corporate cronies over a politics of national unity.

and later...

As the 2002 election approached, Bush had a choice. He could have valued national unity over partisan gain. He could have opted for national greatness over political cravenness. Instead, he chose to conduct a cynical and unprincipled campaign that harkened back to the 2000 South Carolina primary and consequently divided the country. After first opposing the Department of Homeland Security, he reversed course by supporting it and brandishing the proposal as a weapon against Democrats who opposed a minor labor provision. Then there is the story of triple-amputee Vietnam veteran Max Cleland, the U.S. senator from Georgia who was portrayed by the Georgia Republicans as soft on terrorism and a veritable Osama lover for his position on this labor provision. Once again, Ralph Reed -- now chairman of the Georgia Republican Party -- was at the scene of a political crime, taking out a war hero so Republican money power could be safe and secure. Praise the Lord, indeed!

[wyldwolf]

31. I never said you had no right to be skeptical...

..just recognize that Howard Dean also benefited from a former GOP operative, as has the entire left (David Brock ring a bell?)

And I'd be willing to bet if you dug down real deep, many Dems you hold dear are "guilty" of the same "offense."

One lesson that should have been learned from the primaries: If you think you've found some dirt on the other guy or guys, chances are your guy or guys have done the same thing.

Then, it becomes amusing to watch people try to spin out of it.

[mattclearing]

32. A response to you and PMBryant...Fair enough.

I recognize that Dean did it as well. And I'm sure Dean has done dozens of things that I would gripe about.

He is more conservative than I, but I think he is a better fighter than most of our leadership, the DLC included.

I like the things that PMBryant posted, and obviously David Brock does prove that some conversions are possible (and he did occur to me a few responses ago, believe it or not).

I knew nothing about Marshall Wittman when I posted this, other than that he was a Republican employee hired by the DLC.

Now I feel like I have a good feel for what to expect from him, I know about his blog, his entire resume, and the fact that he has some interesting things to say.

Such is the beauty of the internets.

[pmbryant]

33. Thanks for giving him a chance

:thumbsup:

We're not going to agree with him all the time, but we're all on the same side.

--Peter

[mattclearing]

34. I still hate his choice of organization, though.

The DLC is the last place I'd be if I were a convert.

[ClarkUSA]

35. The guy hates the Bushies for what they pulled on McCain in 2000

and he dislikes the neocons and wants to get rid of them, too. And Dean belonged to the DLC, too. We're a big tent. I think it's funny how people here want to throw people out of the Democratic Party while the GOP does everything it can to get people into their Party.

[mattclearing]

36. Ouch. I must have outed myself as a Dean-backer pretty badly.

Because EVERYONE is hammering me with "Dean did it"'s.

:D