Fundraisers jilt Dean

[seriousstan]

Three top fundraisers at the Democratic National Committee have resigned at a time when its chairman, former Vermont Gov. Howard Dean, has come under fire from fellow Democrats for controversial comments and his Republican counterpart has raised more than twice as much money.

Democratic sources link the resignations to Dean’s decision to focus on raising money in small increments through the Internet, as he did during his 2004 presidential bid, and building up the party’s grassroots infrastructure while paying little attention to major Democratic donors.

But other Democrats say the first several months after a party’s losing presidential campaign are naturally a time of transition and it will take time for committee officials to get their “sea legs.”
Dean’s defenders also note that DNC fundraising is ahead of where it was at this point after the last presidential election, when Democrats could still raise unlimited amounts of soft money.

The committee’s finance directors for the two biggest hubs of Democratic fundraising have quit. Bridget Siegel, finance director for New York and the surrounding area, resigned last week, and Lori Kreloff, finance director for California, left the committee last month.

http://www.hillnews.com/thehill/export/TheHill/News/Frontpage/060705/fundraisers.html

[Double T]

1. Time to get the republican large donor and corporation...

mentality out of the system. Way you go Howard Dean!!!!

[Warpy]

2. Selling the party out to the highest corporate bidder

has not been a howling success. The resignation of the guys who were doing just that may not be such bad news.

Being beholden to the grassroots for funding also means the party is going to have to pay a little more attention to the concerns of the grassroots, meaning you and me and not a relative handful of corporate yuppies in the big cities.

Change can be good. Let's hope this one is.

[sendero]

3. Better that the dinosaurs resign...

... than wait to get fired.

Dean has proven what everyone knew about campaign financing to be "wrong". The dinosaurs only know how to peddle influence for $$, they can't get their heads around getting actual constituents to fund a campaign :)

[Rose Siding]

4. "Dean has raised more...by this point...than any other DNC chairman"

Finney also said Dean has raised more money by this point in the presidential election cycle than any other DNC chairman had.

[9119495]

5. The big doners will always be there for fleecing at election

season. Thanks Howard for bringing it back to the people.

[wicket]

6. don't let the door hit you in the ass!

I'm glad Dean is focusing on small donors, for too long the DNC has been beholden to corporate influences just like the the RNC.

[grilled onions]

7. Dean unlike others

is for the people and BY the people..others seem to think the mantra should be "...and BUY the people" and so far the majority of the free thinking people have not gotten their moneys worth!

[gratuitous]

8. Waaaahhh! Howard Dean's changing a losing strategy!

And it's pissing off the folks who've lost the last two elections that they're losing their stranglehold on the party apparatus.

This is a good thing, and Dean raised more to this point in 2005 than Terry McAuliffe did to this point in 2003.

[cap]

9. Give some credit to Terry...

he had to do it... this was the quickest way to get the party's debt down. When he took over, the party was deep in debt. No Internet technology at the time.

We are out of debt now and maybe, with Internet technology, and a kick ass direct mailing/telemarketing plan for the non-Internet folks, we can get back to being the party of the people.

[gratuitous]

13. I didn't say anything bad about McAuliffe

Just that Howard Dean, to this point in 2005, has raised more money for the Democratic party than McAuliffe did in 2003. So, for the folks who are haring off to their favorite dirt merchants to sell the line that Howard Dean is somehow hurting the Democrats, the bottom line is . . . well, the bottom line.

[cap]

16. I am really hoping Dean's retail fundraising takes off

and is the way to beat the big money machine.

[Dora]

10. Buh-bye

Ain't nobody irreplacable, honey-pies. I'm sure you'll be able to find other jobs where you can continue to kiss corporate ass and get paid for it.

The party is changing, and if the music's too loud, then you're too old.

[JNelson6563]

11. Gee, this makes me want to donate

:toast:

[quiet.american]

12. Tough week for Dean. n/t

[Califooyah Operative]

14. atleast the article covers both sides

the dlc/corporate dems, some media, and the right are engaged in on of the most anti-dean campaign i've seen yet.

the fundraising facts don't matter to them, their working hard to spin and take things out of context, if it wasn't for media matters, mydd, and now the hill -in showing both sides somewhat, and bringing in some dncers to back him up on the article, bob novak, newsmax, fox news would be doing even better with this.

[go west young man]

15. Maybe things really are changing for the better....

after the election and the poor fight our corporate DNC put up for us I said I would never donate or vote again (not that the vote would count anyway). But I am seeing things from Dean and Reid that I like. We need to get rid of the entrenched Dems who are Republican light. Biden was banging on Dean yesterday when he should have redirected the conversation and attacked Republicans. And when George Galloway tore Norm Coleman a new ass our guy didn't need to be defending Coleman and calling Galloway non credible. We need guts like Dean, Reid, Boxer, Conyers and Waxman are showing.

[Norquist Nemesis]

17. Good! Get rid of the moles!

He's shaking things up! Good for him!!!

[Zorra]

18. Housecleaning? n/t

[bemildred]

19. Don't let the door hit your butt. nt

[xchrom]

20. good.

this isn't the end of the corporatists.

they are still there looking for another entrance.

this is very important -- liberals if you want the democratic party to be liberal -- get $5.00 into the dnc.
or whatever amount you're comfortable with and TELL them corporations CAN'T run the party.

[Rainscents]

21. Good for Dean!

I've never donated money before Dean came alone... I since have been none stop small donor! I now donate weekly base whatever I can.

[no_to_war_economy]

22. I am worried that Dean is and will be pushed out

Senate Democrats want baby steps and Dean wants to kill babies (metaphorically of course)

[sui generis]

23. senate democrats have got to realize something

if they just keep doing more of what they've been doing the results will only be the same. Whatever we've done so far is only just enough to give us what we have. If we want something different or better we have to do something different or better.

D'oh!

[Davis_X_Machina]

24. Sorry. It's not their f*cking party! n/t

[realFedUp]

25. Sources say....

I'll wait til I hear the Doc say it.

There's bound to be some revamping with
a new chairman.
Batter up!