Beware the media: Newsweek praises Rahm, disses Dean on same page.

[madfloridian]

This is amazing and a little scary just how they are doing this. They are glorifying Rahm and Ari, and ripping Howard Dean in such an obvious way.

They fail to mention in the audio that Dean has set fundraising records in an off year for the DNC. They also fail to mention that building the party in 50 states is a great GOTV effort in itself.

I see more of this coming, and it is tiring me already.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/14871152/site/newsweek/

This article glorifies Rahm and his brother, Ari. Then off to the side there is something called Newsweek on the Air right there with the article pumping up Rahm. It has a picture of Howard Dean, and it is an audio doing the "some say" he is not competent.

But the worst part of the article is Rahm's bragging about his skills at digging into the depths of the big money world. I read that part at Sirota's blog, and I agree with him. I am beginning to wonder what happens if we win in 06 and 08. Will it just be more of same old corporations running our party even more?

It was a discouraging article to read.

This statement got to me:

As a member of the Ways and Means Committee, Emanuel teamed with Senate campaign chair Chuck Schumer to tap uncharted donor fields in the financial industry. "We're working outside of traditional banks," he says proudly, "into the private-equity world, the hedge-fund world, the distressed-debt world." These "worlds" know they are talking to a guy who not only runs the campaign committee, but who could be in the majority of the key financial committee—and maybe even majority leader.

And be sure to listen to the cute little audio clip. It is very short and sweet. You can't miss it. Newsweek glorifies Rahm and his brother and on the same page puts down Howard Dean. It is so obvious.

Here is a little more about Rahm. The move to declare the 50 State Strategy dead or unfocused or other names....is beginning. It will be perpetuated by the media and by the Democrats who need corporate donations to survive.

Among Democrats, by contrast, national, Senate and House campaign units maintain their independence—and often behave like rival homies in an "Entourage" bar scene. Emanuel has clashed repeatedly with Democratic National Committee Chairman Howard Dean, whose "50-state" approach to organizing strikes Emanuel as disastrously unfocused. Only in the Democratic Party would campaign officials need to sign a written peace treaty, which Dean and Emanuel did last week. The national committee agreed to funnel $12 million of its cash into congressional get-out-the-vote efforts; Emanuel basically agreed (though not in writing) to shut up. He did so in an interview. "They want me to take my beta blockers," he says with a somewhat defiant shrug. "So I'm going to take my beta blockers, OK?" The disputes, he says, "have not hampered us."

Meaning his own clubhouse. A native of Chicago, Emanuel learned his politics from the legendary Daley family, with whom he remains close. The family lesson: take care of your own.

I don't mind rivalry in the party, but when Newsweek is so blatant it is scary.

One thing, the audio does mention that Ari Gold? on HBO's Entourage is supposed to be based on Ari Emanuel.

[ShortnFiery]

1. The jig is up: Even Americans know our USA Press is Pravda

on The Potomac. The USA M$M is considered "A Joke" by The Entire World Community. Only a few Right Wingers watch it as they are tripping over each other to be more FOX-like. The USA M$M are traitors to Liberty and to The American People who are NOT within The Investor Classes ... they should serve us but they don't. They represent The Big Money of Wall Street and the corporations of The Military Industrial Complex.

The USA M$M treason is "An Open Secret" to the rest of The World's Media ... even the UK's BBC feel sorry for us poor peasants who are seemingly duped by The Fascist USA M$M.

Thank goodness for the tidbits we can Glean from the foreign press over what Dear Leader scowls as "The Internets." :hi:

The USA M$M, with VERY FEW execptions is traitorous VOMIT to all that this Country was originally founded upon.

Damn their deceit and assumption that NO ONE is noticing their Propaganda. :grr:

[madfloridian]

2. Ari on HBO's Entourage...

http://www.hbo.com/entourage/cast/character/ari.html

Maybe it is not a compliment after all. }(

[madfloridian]

3. DNC beat DSCC and DCCC in total fundraising. This is amazing...

how they spin it that Howard Dean is a poor fundraiser. This is a record for the DNC in a non-presidential year.

Democratic National Cmte $95,543,172
Republican National Cmte $176,283,310

House Party Committees

Democratic Congressional Campaign Cmte $80,806,205
National Republican Congressional Cmte $115,468,183

Senate Party Committees

Democratic Senatorial Campaign Cmte $77,193,131
National Republican Senatorial Cmte $65,934,939

Totals based on data released by the FEC on Friday, September 15, 2006.

True, the DNC does not have as much money banked. But it is most definitely not a fundraising problem. Don't let them say that.

http://www.opensecrets.org/parties/index.asp

[blm]

4. Remember what I told you last spring? The setup about Nov.

and that anything less than a Dem takeover and the Clintonites are set to run Dean out so they can take over for Hillary or Warner's run.

[madfloridian]

5. You may be right....OR another thought..

They already be setting up for that anyway. They have their database with Harold Ickes, a big 527 to run ads, a group called the DLC and its sister groups which can serve as a platform sort of. The DLC is supposedly not given tax exempt status anymore, which might free them to be more political than before.

And if anyone thinks Bill's meeting with the bloggers was just for fun...then I have some swamp land.

Kind of sad, either way, though.

It is going to be unpleasant, I fear.

[madfloridian]

6. Don't forget to listen to the audio about Dean not being competent..

or raising enough money. Listen to it in the light of the fundraising I posted above which showed the DNC collected 15 million more than either the DSCC or the DCCC.

[CarlVK]

7. Dean must be doing right. You can tell when....

the press goes into hyperdrive to try and slime him again. If it's not the "scream", they'll be working on something else.

[JNelson6563]

8. Good point Carl

Pravda is so transparent, aren't they? Sickening.

Julie

[Rose Siding]

9. "Dead Fish" Rahm sounds almost Republican-corrupt in this piece

...Under Emanuel, the program runs like a cross between a Chicago political clubhouse and a movie studio with too many way-over-budget projects.

...Donors know whom they should give to—and Emanuel easily can check later to see if they do.

...As a member of the Ways and Means Committee, Emanuel teamed with Senate campaign chair Chuck Schumer to tap uncharted donor fields in the financial industry. "We're working outside of traditional banks," he says proudly, "into the private-equity world, the hedge-fund world, the distressed-debt world." These "worlds" know they are talking to a guy who not only runs the campaign committee, but who could be in the majority of the key financial committee—and maybe even majority leader.
<end snips>

And his brother's spearheading dem fundraising in CA with threats!: "Why are you ruining your career?"

Rahm's path seems to be the one back to the bad old days -which may not be as hideous as the bad new days, but they don't offer much of a future either.

[blm]

10. Terry Mac shmoozed DNC to healthy $$ figures, but IGNORED the JOB

he was charged with doing - maintaining a healthy Dem party infrastructure that could assure Dem candidates and voters that they were dealing comprehensively with the mechanics of the elections at every level in every state.

Dean has to work overtime to play catch up just on infrastructure problems leftover from 8 years of neglect.

[madfloridian]

12. Power that came from "smoke-filled rooms".

Some prefer it. Old ways die hard.

Have you ever watched Entourage on HBO. If it is true that his brother is the inspiration for Ari on that show...then that says something right there.

[wyldwolf]

11. As usual, Sirota, Newsweek, and by extension the OP gets it wrong

David Sirota (is) exercised about a passage in Newsweek, which (he) says makes the Democrats look corrupt. The passage quotes Rahm Emmanual about his efforts to raise funds from financial professionals in heretofore untapped industries, such as hedge funds and private equity funds. The passage reads as follows:

As a member of the Ways and Means Committee, Emanuel teamed with Senate campaign chair Chuck Schumer to tap uncharted donor fields in the financial industry. "We're working outside of traditional banks,' he says proudly, 'into the private-equity world, the hedge-fund world, the distressed-debt world." These 'worlds' know they are talking to a guy who not only runs the campaign committee, but who could be in the majority of the key financial committee--and maybe even majority leader.

From this passage, Sirota draws the conclusion that Emmanual is:

gushing about how great he's been at leveraging the prospect of him as a chief lawmaker on a powerful committee to rake in cash from special interests.

And that Emmanual is:

bragging to reporters about Democratic Party corruption

unfortunately, (he) lacks basic reading comprehension skills. If you read the passage again, you'll see that all Emmanual actually says is the following:

"We're working outside of traditional banks,' he says proudly, 'into the private-equity world, the hedge-fund world, the distressed-debt world."

That's it. The additional language about Emanual being on key financial committess comes entirely from the Newsweek reporter, who, in typical MSM media fashion, is offering his negative take on Emmanual's comment, and is trying to imply, without any evidence whatsoever, that Emanuel is engaged in some kind of implicit shakedown.

Rahm is doing exactly what we want a Democratic House leader to do. He is reaching out to people of means in a relatively new industry -- hedge funds and private equity funds -- and soliciting donations. Many of these people are highly progressive and hostile to the Iraq war and the Bush administration's incompetant reign of error. To bash Rahm because a MSM media twerp wants to put a negative spin on Emanual's comment, and to accuse him of bragging about bribing these people -- when such an accusation is patently false -- is not only morally wrong but also extremely counterproductive, considering we're within 60 days of the election.

Sirota, who failed to even link to the correct Newsweek article, should be a little more careful next time before shooting from the hip at elected Democrats.

http://www.politicalcortex.com/story/2006/9/17/173620/020


And the OP seems to be petrified Emanuel, and not Dean, is going to get the credit for winning this fall.

[madfloridian]

13. That is so pathetic an effort at spinning things.

We can read the article above, and it says they are going even further into the corporate world.

Nowhere in the article is there anything about the people of the party.

Just Power Power Power.

Yes, Rahm has the power....for now.

[wyldwolf]

14. the pathetic effort is yours

Sirota and his adoring masses embellished the Newsweek article. Par for the course for Sirota.

[madfloridian]

15. In all the years I have been at DU

I have never insulted people like some here are doing. It is unbelievable.

[paulk]

16. if you think you're being insulted

then alert the mods.

[madfloridian]

17. I don't do that.

.

[wyldwolf]

18. because what you call "insults," others call "disagreeing"

[dionysus]

21. no, actually, you insult everyone you disagree with

then you cry and insult some more.

at least you get to be a hero to all 5 of the other DLC fans on DU

[paulk]

22. tell you what

you don't like it - then YOU hit alert

that works a lot better than going around making shit little comments like this.

[wyldwolf]

23. then you're easily insulted. Tell me...

... were you insulted by me saying you were easily insulted? And did I insult you by asking you that? LOL!

[madfloridian]

19. Tag team?

I better check out the Digest and see if I am being talked about again?

[wyldwolf]

20. Tag Team? LOL!

I think it is so funny everytime an anti-DLCer says this when a thread is FULL of them but only two pro-DLCers.

Here - got a quote for you from the DU rules:

People who are easily offended, or who are not accustomed to having their opinions (including deeply personal convictions) challenged may not feel entirely comfortable here. A thick skin is necessary to participate on this or any other discussion forum.

..and when you give me good material, I use it.

[ieoeja]

24. Interesting quote:

"A native of Chicago, Emanuel learned his politics from the legendary Daley family".


While today, Robert Novak, a Republican, not some far Left radical, writes, "Richard M., only vaguely a Democrat, is much admired by Republicans".

And at the end of the same article, "The mayor, elected on a nonpartisan basis, will receive massive GOP support in February against a possible challenge".


http://www.suntimes.com/index/novak.html

I've said for years that Daley was a Republican only pretending to be a Democrat. And now we have Republicans admitting it.

Yet, people will sit there and pretend it was never said....