Are you an asshole from Vermont? Am I? Apparently, Howard Dean is. At least that is what Paul Begala told Kossack scottforamerica today.
Today as I was making the rounds meeting the new Senators at their respective open house swearing-in ceremonies, I ran into Paul Begala. I was making my way into the new Pennsylvania Senator Bob Casey’s celebration at the Hyatt in downtown D.C. when I spotted Begala, the former Clinton aide. I was going to just politely greet him and shake his hand, but I had an attack of conscience. After all that Begala and Carville have done to undermine Gov. Dean’s efforts at the DNC, I couldn’t pass up the opportunity. “I hope you will support the 50-state strategy,” I told him, expecting the shrug off or a “nice to meet you too,” but that isn’t what Begala had in mind.
“That depends what you mean by 50 state strategy he said.” I responded by telling him that I meant the plan for Democrats to compete everywhere and for every office in the country. That I don’t support he said, “we should start with principles and values.” “Sure, we should compete everywhere” he muttered, “but that’s not the right strategy.” He continued that after working for over 30 campaigns this cycle, not a single one of those campaigns was helped by the 50-state strategy. He challenged me to name examples where the 50-state strategy helped us win in 2006. I proceeded to cite wins in Kentucky and Indiana, along with progress in Nebraska and Kansas as evidence of the plan’s short term success.
“Look,” he said, “When we started there were only about 15 competitive races, but Rahm made the field over 35 by the end and that had nothing to do with the 50-state strategy.” I told him we never would have had so many competitive districts if not for the DNC investing staffers and resources into those states early on and expanding the playing field. “So you have people out there, what are they doing there though?” he questioned. ” I told him they were building a long term infrastructure for the Democratic Party, and we had people all over America knocking on doors and spreading the Democratic message. “So what do they say when they knock on the doors then?” he asked me. I told him they had a succinct 6 point plan for a “new direction” that they were discussing, a cohesive message that we haven’t had in the past. “Anyway,” Begala continued… “I don’t need some a**hole from Vermont telling me what to do.”
After that our conversation was interrupted and I walked away, but I couldn’t leave before stopping by one more time. “He brought a lot of new people into this Party, ” I told Begala as I passed by. He didn’t reply, so I said it again, “Paul I know your view on him, but he brought a lot of new people into this Party.” “Excellent, excellent,” he said. Shortly after that I left the ballroom.
Even though I am from New Jersey and live in Pennsylvania, I am now convinced that I am just an asshole from Vermont. And I never even supported Howard Dean.
I think most of you are assholes from Vermont too. And I think Paul Begala is an asshole from Texas.
