“Buck up, Democratic National Committee Chairman Howard Dean. You’re on the right track. Noisy is good. Mean is even better,” writes Marianne Means today in her column:
The Republicans can ridicule you all they want. It only means you have their attention and they are worried. The lame duck blues are upon them. And they need a taste of their own medicine.
The Democratic congressional leadership, as usual nervous about Dean’s outspoken habit, cravenly criticized Dean for recent incendiary anti-GOP comments and urged him to tone it down.
But there’s a reason the Democrats are in the minority everywhere in the federal government — too much timidity in the face of controversy. Grow a spine, fellows. When the Republicans push, promptly push back.
Good manners never won an election.
Dean knows this and understands that it is his role as party chairman to energize the troops. This is not a game for wimps. We can’t be Bush Lite, he warns. … More excerpts below:
{D]espite Republican claims to the contrary, most Democratic activists think Dean is an effective chairman. Among liberals, who are the party’s base, his favorable rating stands at 60 percent.
He works at it. He’s been to 22 states since becoming chair in February. His speeches are, by all accounts, barn-burners. He’s raised $14 million, about one-half of that raised by the powerful incumbent Republicans.
But that’s much better than the last off-year cycle, in 2001, when the Democrats were out-raised by 3 to 1.
Dean’s problem reflects Democratic confusion over whether to mollify the red states by cloaking themselves in religious themes or solidify their secular base. Does the party concentrate on moving to the center or building a case for progressive policies that compete head-on with President Bush’s conservative concepts?
Dean favors the latter course, but his is not the only voice weighing in here.
Republicans are keen to say the Democrats have no ideas and that’s why Dean gets so worked up.
In truth, the Democrats do have alternative policies on health care, education, jobs and other substantive issues. Dean is talking about them but he drowns himself out when he veers into personal attacks.
Yet Dean is merely doing what comes naturally.
“The Republican attack machine goes after anybody, and they’ve said far worse things about many of our people,” Sen. Charles Schumer, D-N.Y., observed. Words to which Dean can subscribe.
No exaggeration there.
Full column in the Charlotte Observer. Via Howie in Seattle’s blog.
As they say back in the day “Right on!”
Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid (1969)
In the past week or so we have seen our National Chair, Howard Dean, stand up for our party’s basic principles, some Democrats in Congress attacking him for doing so, and the entire Republican Party savaging Dean, quoting the Senator Joseph Biden and Representative Stenny Hoyer (remember their names) criticisms as they try to tear our party apart.
I know where I stand in this argument: I’m a Democrat and I support
Howard Dean as our Chair and spokesman for our party. One thing
I’ve learned about Republicans over the years, from Nixon on, is
that everything we think they are — they really are. To have a Chair who is willing to stand up to them is the best thing that could have happened to our party. To have some of our elected officials trying to tear him down is disgusting to me.
Last weekend I attended a meeting of the DNC Executive Committee in
Washington D.C. The Committee and its members, in both public and
private statements, showed clear and full support for the Chairman and the direction he is taking our party.
I have been asked for an address where people could show their support for Chairman Dean. I’m certain that he will keep on doing what he has been doing. But I also know that he would like to hear from you about how you feel his efforts on our behalf. I know that he reads his emails every week. Yes, he does have staff help sorting out the messages he gets, but at this time he says he is still able to read virtually all of the message that come in. If you want to contact him you can do so at howarddean@dnc.org
I’ve included in this message a note from Prue Hathaway in Kittitas
County to show you what at least one of our grassroots Democrats has
to say on this matter. I think her message is “right on” too.
My best wishes to you, to our party and to our country. If we all
pull together we can get our country back on track.
Sincerely yours,
Karen Marchioro, DNC member from Washington
{From Kittitas County — a tiny, rural area of WA state that’s painted red] What I really have had it with is mealy mouthed democrats who can’t
stand up for themselves or their friends (i.e., Dean) when they show
some backbone. You’ve got to be fighters, tough as well as smart
guys — not policy wonks! The party faithful know you’re
smart “guys”, so stop wallowing in it! It’s not what people want.
The Republicans are tougher than nails and nastier than what’s on
the bottom of your shoe. And it’s been working for them. So far,
the D’s in DC are low voltage and about to short out come the next
congressional election. Stand up, stand tall, and stop showing your
backs when they call you or your friends names — especially those
who are fighting the good fight. Dean has been “right on” with his
comments and he’s making people take notice. Ignore the press,
they’re all bought and paid for and have been in D.C. too long also.
If you think most Americans vote for people who run on issues, you
need to get out of D.C. Half of what the D’s say on TV goes right
over most people’s heads. Stop the complicated procedural or wonk
talk and talk from the heart, in simple easy to grasp concepts. And
talk tough when a D is attacked! The voters who swing the elections
vote with their gut, and what they feel good about is whoever seems
the strongest. Most people simply want to turn over the show to
someone and get on with their lives. Show the public they should put
their trust, lives, and dreams in your hands.
Talk to the good senator from Connecticut or the rising star senator
from New York who seem to have figured out how to take the nasty
stuff and slam it back. Until I see some strong Democratic talk, no
money from me.
Prue Hathaway
Kittitas County
I want to tell each of you how I stand on politics. I know you may think repeditive, you will never know just how important this is to me to say. I am Independent. Sooooooooo you say. Well, I am the one you should want on your side in politics. I am one the I’s that you do not have to go after when the time is for voting. Most usually my mind is alrady made up for whom I am going to vote for and do not need to be preped.
With that all being said and done, I can tell you there are times, I really do not know just who that one is or best for my world, as I see it, today.
Since the year of 1999, I took a very big notice in politics for the very first time in my life. Where I live I have to declare a party to vote in the primary on any level. This, I have never done, for I blieve it is no one’s business what party I belong to, that it should be who I vote [the person] for, is the primary reason one should vote for in the first place. I usually stuck, on a national level, with the democrats, for they were for the people. To me, that is what democracy is all about anyhow. There have been some democrats I felt worthy and some not. I still maintained my independent nature on this venue’.
In 1999, I took a very big stand and worked with the democrats more so than ever in my life to elect a democrat. Of course, Gore was from the state of which I reside, but he was someone I thought would make a damn good president, as well.
In 2004, I [had to] join[ed] the democratic party, so that I could vote in the primary here in this state. It took all I could do for that matter to do this thing. It broke all my rules for which I stood on for me. I voted and then when the man of everyones choise was determined, I really worked hard to get new voters registured and to educate many more about issues and to vote for that canidate.
So to get right into all of this, I was listening to Howard Dean in his first try for getting ppl to vote for him and I really loved what he had to say. He was an unknown factor for me. I do not keep up with governors of states except my own and neighboring states and of course my birth state., but I really liked this mans reteric and said he is to be our next president. I watched him grow into what was a big and important value to the democratic party, or so I thought, anyhow.
When Kerry got the nomonation, I really was not happy. I heard him speak at the Citadal right before this war and it being talked about by many. I did not like what he had to say, at all! When General Clark came around, I really liked what he had to offer and knew of his own qualifications, that if anyone could do some good in getting us out of Iraq, it would be him. If he didn’t win the nomination, then surely someone would have enough thought to place him in a very valuable position to help run the government.
I stood up for Kerry, even tho it took a lot out of me to do so. I just was not comfortable with him. I did, however, give him lots of credit about the Iran/Contra arms for sale thing he was so deliberate in. But that was not all I could stand by him on. I call it senate speek. I simply did nto like it one bit. But I did work very hard to get him elected around my parts.
When we lost, a good friend of mine was here to watch the elections with me. The morning after, so to speak, she was just livid about how things worked out. Me I was in a state of shock, and was this way for a week or so. I did not say a word about politics to anyone [which, BTW, was not like me in the least]…As my republican friends were gloating all over the place, I just said nothing and went on my merry way and then I got mad…That anger has made me tolerant of much in Democrats. I will allow them, on my behalf, to say and do what they want, even to get nasty and dirty…this was my way of getting back..so, when Dean got the chairmanship, I yell out with glee. He is not one to hold his self down when he knows he is right and will say so to the whole world. I do not like infighting and I can not stand someone like biden who is a cut-thoat in this way against his own…This kind of thing needs to stop and stop asap! I will not vote for biden if she should run. I do not want someone who is that caliber as my president. Not just for party politics anyhow. So then you see I will be one who you will loose votes over if you do not get the right man in this time. I will not vote for kerry ever again. Sorry…I know that hurts manys feelings but that is just how I see it. I do not like hillary’s stance on many things either, besides, we have to get away from the monarchy of presidents. Which she would be a part of. If they make her a seat someplace of cabinet worthiness, I do not care. I feel the Democratic party has to have a fresh new face and some one who can get the jobs of today done. I like Clark, but I am still open to any and all. I know Clark will get us out of Iraq and with honor. He has the right ideas and the know how to do it too. He has much respect of and for the world as a whole…and they know this too.
All I know is I am the “I” out here and you have my support as long as you do not run me away with a lot of bru ha ha in the process. I am still learning about politics and I want to continue to do so. It is to my benefit as well the PPL to have a WINNER this time around…so much depends on it [since we lost in 04] more so today than ever!
Each day that goes by, the deeper in this shit we all become..and that is for many things here…uninsured, the tax of the mid-class, hunger, poordom, war, social security, and the list just keeps getting longer and longer. We all have to just hang together for the betterment of our country and for ourselves in the long run, is how I am trying to see it.
I know I am a woman and I can talk for ever on things…that is just me. But for now, I as an independent, just how we/I think out here, anyhow.
Oh BTW, for the first time in my life, I gave to the democratic party and lots more than I could afford too. That alone should tell you just how strongly I feel about you all. Do not let me down, please….Thanks for listening today.
This is what this screaming’s all about. Biden and his friends and most of the “partisan Democrats” appear to be in favour of the former route, as it is the easier of the two. I’d hope that most people here would be in favour of the latter, which is the only one that can create effective change in the long-term.