I say good for him. We need to build the party throughout the country. Sounds like he took a stand.
Democratic Leaders Question Whether Dean’s Right on the Money
Democratic congressional leaders aren’t happy with the way Democratic National Committee Chairman Howard Dean is spending money. At a private meeting last month, they let him know.
Senate Minority Leader Harry M. Reid (Nev.) and House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (Calif.) challenged the former Vermont governor during a session in Pelosi’s office, according to Democratic sources. The leaders complained about Dean’s priorities — funding organizers for state parties in strongly Republican states such as Mississippi — rather than targeting states with crucial races this fall.
Neither side was willing to give ground, according to several accounts of the meeting. Dean argued that his strategy is designed to rebuild the party across the country, and that he had pledged to do so when he ran for party chairman. Reid and Pelosi countered that if Democrats squander their opportunities this year, longer-term organizing efforts will not matter much.
Dean has won friends among state party leaders for his efforts to underwrite the hiring of organizers in states where Republicans have been winning in presidential races. Dean campaigned for the DNC chairmanship by pledging to make Democrats competitive in all 50 states, not just in the 16 to 18 presidential battlegrounds. One congressional Democrat responded: “Nobody’s suggesting they do 16 states, but not all states are equal.”
Pelosi was particularly insistent in pressing Dean to keep focused on 2006, but Dean is reluctant to give congressional colleagues anything approaching a blank check, preferring to stay on the course he began a year ago.
I had some figures, can’t find them now, that the DNC outraised the DSCC and DCCC in January of this year. Pretty impressive. Dean said he put the money back into the states as he promised.
I hope he stands his ground.
I believe he will.
If we Dem’s have to choose between Howard Dean, and two of the chickenshit Democratic Leaders in Congress who either don’t know who to act as an opposition party or are not competent to act as an opposition party, …….well, I guess I’ve made my choice clear already.
“well, I guess I’ve made my choice clear already. “
me too.
Hooray for Howard! I do a monthly donation to the DNC just because of Howard and his plan to build a presence in all 50 states.
Reid and Pelosi, who haven’t done much to our benefit, are big crybabies. I’m glad Dean isn’t piggybanking our donations for candidates in the ’06 cycle. If I thought any of my money was going to candidates like Casey or Duckworth I’d have to stop sending it to the DNC.
Howard told everybody his plan up front. If they didn’t like it that was the time to complain about it. I don’t think he would have been moved even then, but they must be in trouble or they wouldn’t be crying about it now.
They’re just making it known that he’s going to be the fall guy to take the bullet if they don’t win back one or both houses of congress. Their attiude from here on out will ikely be: “OK, Howard, we’ve given you enough rope to hang yourself. Don’t come crying to us if the noose gets tight. We warned you.”
There’s always Bob Shrum waiting on the bench. (Pleasant dreams ;^)
My purchase of a Democracy Bond was based on his 50 state plan.
If Pelosi and Reed can’t figure out how to win critical elections in Democratic states this year (of all years) God help them.
They’ve been given the issues of a life-time. They don’t need money this year. They need common sense.
If Pelosi and Reed can’t figure out how to win critical elections in Democratic states this year (of all years) God help them.
No kidding,kb.
This sets him up as the fallguy if Pelosi, Reed, et al fail to capitalize on those issues of a lifetime. “If Howard had only done as we asked, and sent more money to the races we wanted him to bankroll. . .”
I trust him to stand his ground.
But, it’s important to remember that articles like this could be a part of a disinformation campaign. We don’t know what Pelosi & Reed are really thinking. What they actually said, in response to what.
This article wasn’t written out of alturism, it was (probably) written to spread discontent between Democrats.
I’m so confused right now. I have to read the news. But, I can’t believe everything I read. How do I know what articles (or what bit of an article) to trust?
As a former journalist, do you have any advice?
Good point!
I hadn’t read the column, just this diary, so I went over and read it and noted there are no direct quotes from any of the participants in that meeting. It’s all unnamed sources. So, yeah, your advice to take it with a grain of salt is right on. We have no idea where this info really came from,or why.
This week. He was asked the other day by Blitzer about the money. He said he was keeping his promise to fund and rebuild the state parties. He sounded very ….should I say..definite. Like there was no question. I picked up on it because it stood out.
Most likely this is pretty accurate. Besides, getting the directors in the states so soon may free him to bank more money.
Considering that the DCCC is using Kerry, Durbin, Obama, and Clark to fund their candidates…they can bank their own money.
Thanks, Floridagal.
Oh, I know Dean is going to do as the paper reported (I’ve heard him speak on this just in the last month or so). My question is whether Pelosi and Reed are as against it as the report sounds.
I’m not saying they aren’t. I’m just saying we don’t know what they actually think.
I agree. However, they are probably not for it, either. I don’t think the Democrats on the whole understand that there is a sea change going on. They do not seem to be aware of things outside of DC.
So while not against it, they are most likely not for it. They are mostly more comfortable with targeted races, using the congressional folks to have fundraisers for their targeted ones, and not worrying too damn much about what we think.
Easier that way. After all the DLC did high fives and chest bumps (awkwardly I imagine) when Dean was out in Iowa. I guess they figured the status quo was still on.
But it isn’t.
Just like the neocons in the Bush regime are starting to shift the blame for their own delusional ideology’s catastrophic failure onto the “incompetence of othersin BushCo, so too it wouldn’t surprise me in the slightest if Reid and Pelosi, (perhaps soon to be joined by other, so-called “centrist” voices), are simply settingthe stage for blaming Dean for any electoral failures that do occur in ’06.
I so agree with what you said! I am beginning to think reid and pelosi need to stop and just think of what they are doing to us out here for goodness sake. I am afraid they are only thinking of themselves and the few of which they want to represent.
Dean sees the need to work for a long term solution for the party while Reid and Pelosi are probably focused only on the success of the ’06 election. If they can pull off a majority – they are in positions of leadership. So there is some self-interest for them in their position.
My question is how can we believe in reid and pelosi if they do not follow through with their promise to us out here. The seem to be acting untoward to what they say to us. To me they seem not to be listening to US out here, dean does. He is our advocate it seems.
I was not a big fan of Howard Dean during the primaries. I’m still not a big fan of Howard Dean. That said, as time goes by, I tend to like the guy more and more as he appears to do the unthinkable for a politican — to do what he said he would do.
Holy shit, no wonder establishment Dems like Reid and Pelosi are freaking out: Dean is raising the bar. In fairness, that’s not really much yet, considering the bar was on the ground to begin with, but it’s a promising start.
One thing is for sure, and that’s that this will be the first year I have bothered with voting in party primaries at the Congressional level. (I’ve never bothered with presidential primaries since I’ve always lived in states where it’s over before it gets around to me.) You know why?
Alito.
Reid and Pelosi and the rest of the party hacks went on and on about “keeping our powder dry” in the long lead-up to Alito. What bullshit. When Alito came along, they didn’t even have any powder. They just rubberstamped the motherfucker. I can’t imagine what the hell their reasoning was.
Oh wait, yes I can. It runs like this: If the proles get worried about abortion rights, they’ll vote for Democrats, so let’s put up a token fight on Alito and then try to act sly with the cloture vote.
I want Dems who fight every fight like it matters, ’cause it does. My opinion of Dean is slowly improving because he is doing just that.
Sounds like they all got together and had a “Big Orange Moment(tm).”
BWAHAHA! Have I mentioned lately that I love you, KP?
who has impoverished the whole Democratic party. In the Seattle Times on February 21 (less than two weeks earlier) Dean gives a speech for a fundraiser in Washington that in the past raised $43,000 at most but raised $70,000 this year.
How long do you think the party establishment is going to let Dean hang around? Whether you like them or not, Pelosi and Reid got elected, while Dean didn’t. That gives them tremendous power in the party, and Dean will hold his chair only as long as he keeps them happy.
I predict a party squabble that will make the crying on DFA a couple of years ago look like a big hugfest. The only question is whether he will be eased out before the 2006 election or tossed out right afterwards.
Perhaps you are unfamiliar with the workings of the party apparatus. Howard Dean got elected to be party chair, against the wishes of the “party establishment”. His job is to build the Dem party. It is the job of the DSCC and DCCC to work the races this year, with help from the DNC.
Even if the Dems lose badly in November and Dean is forced out, that still wouldn’t make him wrong.
And as for the “crying on DFA” remark? Pretend we’re at Daily Kos and imagine how I might respond there. Since I’m here, I’ll just say you still have a mighty big chip on your shoulder. Might be time to get over it.
Thanks for clarifying this Mary. I read the comment and closed the window in shock rather than reply.
Your explanation is perfect.
We’ll see…