Howard Dean and Rahm Emanual are not even talking to each other. I don’t blame Howard. I wouldn’t want to talk to Rahm either. But I’m not sure they have a healthy relationship. I’m also not sure that Howard is coughing up enough GOTV bread.
Ending a long and cantankerous standoff with House Democratic leaders, Howard Dean, the chairman of the Democratic National Committee, has agreed to a limited program to finance get-out-the-vote operations this November, party officials said Tuesday.
But Mr. Dean remained at loggerheads with Senate Democrats, who continued to insist he provide more money.
The committee said it would provide $12 million to finance turnout operations for candidates running for the House and the Senate, and for state races. Just $2.6 million would go to finance turnout operations in 40 House races, far less than House Democratic leaders had asked for.
By contrast, the Republican National Committee has said it will spend more than $30 million of the $176 million raised this cycle to finance Republican turnout efforts, most of it going to House and Senate races.
Mr. Dean had staved off demands for more money from Democratic leaders in Congress, saying it was in the long-term interest of the Democrats to instead use the nearly $100 million he has raised this year to build strong Democratic organizations in all 50 states by giving them money to hire staff members.
The disagreement had sparked a lively feud between Mr. Dean and Representative Rahm Emanuel of Illinois, who is leading the Democratic effort to win back the House. Mr. Emanuel and Mr. Dean stopped speaking to each other several months ago.
Mr. Emanuel’s aides said he was satisfied with the deal. “Yeah, we’re happy,” said Bill Burton, a spokesman for the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee. “Between our effort, the D.N.C. effort, the labor effort and what other Democrats are doing, we’re going to have what we need for voter turnout.”
Mr. Emanuel’s counterpart in the Senate, Charles E. Schumer of New York, did not share his assessment. “We’re still in the process of negotiating,” Mr. Schumer said. “We’re hoping that we’ll have an amicable agreement that will make everyone happy.
Hat tip to HowieinSeattle.
Well, Dean’s been right on this one. Rahm Emmanuel can raise money, but the man’s been clueless otherwise.
Can we make up that 2.6-30 difference elsewhere?
I’m reminded of the old “joke” about fully funding the schools and using bake sales to raise funds for new bombers.
Is it worth sacrificing long-term growth for short-term gain? That’s what the 50-state strategy has always been about. We’re always going to be at a deficit until we properly fund the state parties.
Raising GOTV money in the NC state party is being pursued more strongly than in previous years and the key players are three field people that the DNC is supporting through the state party.
I don’t know if that is the pattern in other states.
I think that the disagreement might boil down to the DCCC wanting to use national, hired canvassing firms more.
What I see on the ground is that the DNC activities seem to be helping more than the DCCC activities.
HOward is looking at the big picture. Rahm is looking out for the incumbent protection/self-preserveration cadre in my opinion.
A general requires both strategy and tactics to win. The general who knows how to combine them in the proper amount is assured the victory.
I don’t know if Sun Tzu said that, but he probably should have.
I don’t know what Doctor Dean is doing, but here’s what I would do. In the states where the 50 state strategy is working and ready to do so, I would allow the local operations to handle the GOTV operations and fund them accordingly. That is after all what they are there for. In states where they aren’t ready I would break loose a little extra cash to help out GOTV, but I wouldn’t break the bank over it. The prize is a 50 state strategy. We need to keep our eyes on that.