Reuters: Democratic leaders back Dean, don't want 'wimp'

[ruggerson]

So, finally one news story gets it right. Are you reading this, network and cable news anchors?

http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20050611/pl_nm/dean_dc

<snip>

By John Whitesides, Political Correspondent
Sat Jun 11, 2:56 PM ET

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Democratic National Committee leaders embraced feisty party boss Howard Dean on Saturday and urged him to keep fighting despite a flap over his blunt comments on Republicans.

After a meeting of the DNC's 40-member executive committee at a downtown hotel, members said Dean was doing exactly what they elected him to do -- build the party in all states and aggressively challenge Republicans.

"I hope Governor Dean will remember that he didn't get elected to be a wimp," said DNC member Gilda Cobb-Hunter, a South Carolina state representative. "We have been waiting a long time for someone to stand up for Democrats."

Dean took fire from Republicans and some Democrats earlier this week for a series of recent comments, including calling Republicans "pretty much a white, Christian party" and saying they "never made an honest living in their lives."

<snip>

[GetTheRightVote]

1. Good News indeed for us

:kick:

[merwin]

15. Yes, veyr good news. There is a reason he was elected.

And this is it.

[knowbody0]

2. now more than ever we need a pit bull

who feeds on truth

[sasquatch]

3. Damn straite we did, we don't want no spineless DLCer

[nadinbrzezinski]

4. What is it the media finally figured this out?

now when will the DLCers here figure this out

[Mountainman]

5. But wait! The repukes will use his words against us!!!!

Oh no! Repubs are criticizing Dean! We can't let him speak the truth about them!

I guess those who want Dean to tone it down run in small circles.

[anotherdrew]

19. why is it even news that repugs don't like deans coments, why would they?

seriously?!? And hey, now the repugs are "playing the race card", those poor poor persecuted white (so-called)christians. poor dears.

Maybe Dean should have just "played down" 'republican concerns'. To the media that's a rational and complete response. Just say, "yeah, I'm gonna have to just play that down, ok?" 'nuff said, thats good enough for our oh so free and objective press.

the only thing objective about the media is it's double standard for Rs and Ds.

[Fridays Child]

6. A five and a kick

:kick:

[IChing]

7. "aggressively challenge Republicans"

I want more of this, give em hell Howard

bullies will walkover you if you don't aggressively challenge them.

[Rainscents]

8. Thats right... Howard Dean, speak for me!!!

I will EMBRACE him always!

[maseman]

11. Dean is no pussy...

...cat.

KKKarl Rove must be absolutely fuming in his fat pumpkin shaped head. The man who truly believed on Nov. 2 that the Rethugs would capture the House, Senate, White House and Judiciary for good has got to be very pissed off. I hope Dr. Dean has some decent body guards. I can see a freaked out lunitic Hannity or Rush listener going after him.

Message to Bush/Rove: Please keep excercising that political capital. You have been doing a bang-up job since Nov. 2.

[Todd B]

9. Has anyone else noticed?

Has anyone noticed that the Republicans have not actually _disputed_ Dean's comments but, rather, they've just condemned Dean himself for them.

Kind of says something, don't you think? (Like, oh, perhaps that Dean has been RIGHT?)

[Fridays Child]

10. Wouldn't wanna draw attention to the truth, now, would they?

[mitchtv]

12. Funny they all missed that on MTP this am

round robin Dean bash Hillary got trashed too. Gwen Iful/judy woofwoof, david broder, of course Mr Potatohead and some other dork

[AX10]

14. Dean speaks for this Clark-man! Also, why bother with...

anything NBC (GE defense contractor)? This Week on ABC actually has REAL DEMOCRATS on!

[anotherdrew]

18. do those dumb shows really influance opion?

Who even watches that crap? Anyone seen ratings for MTP and the rest of the sunday morning shout and scream fests?

These damn shows are what makes it so hard to discuss politics or better: actually compare ideas and methods to actually get things done. From the time we're kids THAT sick sunday morning display becomes the 'model' for "politics."

[jayctravis]

13. This is good.

The Right Wing has umpteen radio personalities to say these offensive things for them. Didn't Limbaugh quip that Democrats don't need a voting holiday because none of them have jobs?

[wellst0nev0ter]

16. I'll Apologize For Deans Words

As soon as everyone else apologizes for Cheney's "Go fuck yourself" remark.

I think this time, Cheney's got the right idea, when it come to the puke spinsters.

[anotherdrew]

17. excellent!

This is a good sign

[NVMojo]

20. I hate the conservative press!!! liars, liars,liars!

[CoffeeCat]

21. We're fighting thugs and evil fascists....

...and that kind of fighting calls for fighting words!!

What are we supposed to do...be polite to the warmongering, lying, sociopaths? Are we supposed to have civil discourse with an administration who would illegally begin a war based on lies?

We're fighting for democracy here! We're fighting to keep America intact for our children!!

The Republicans didn't expect Dean to come out swinging. When he did, their reaction is to act outraged and to position Dean as a mad man--JUST BECAUSE HE SPOKE THE TRUTH!!

The Repugs are BULLIES! They think we will back down and that Dean will tone down his rhetoric--just because they puff up their chests and act indignant.

Sorry suckers! We're through tiptoeing through the tulips! We're calling it like it is and you'll get NO APOLOGIES!!

In fact...you'll be getting more TRUTH from Dean and FROM ALL OF US!

[Eloriel]

22. This is terrific -- it shows several things

First, Dean STILL has the support of the state party organizations. This is absolute music to my ears.

Second, as a corollary how increasingly OUT OF TOUCH our elected so-called leaders in Washington are.


The grassroots, rank and file support is precisely what he needs, and in fact must have. His election itself was a coup, make no mistake about it. The party faithful rose up and told the bigwigs (including the Big Dog himself), "NO!! WE are going to elect our leader this time, and YOU are not going to tell us what to do. You and your damn insiders have had your chance, and now are going to TAKE OUR POWER BACK and get real about this. So it's imperative that he have their continued support.

And think about it -- he is singlehandedly (though with a lot of help from all those of us making contributions to the DNC, some for the first time ever) rebuilding this party from the ground up. He's holding fundraisers (some of them SRO) for the state party organizations, getting additional funding to them for organizers in every state, every county and eventually every precinct! It won't happen overnight, but a number of states are already seeing a difference.

THINK OF THE LOYALTY and respect and gratitude and probably even political favors he's accumulating.

Hah! No wonder the Washingtonians hate him.

Edited: One error in the article, depending on what one means by "directly" --

The flap over Dean's comments was not mentioned directly during a two-hour executive committee working session, which included polling reports and Dean's report on his effort to move resources and organizers into all 50 states.

Dean DID mention that the DNC had taken in $100,000 in UNSOLICITED contributions since this flap had erupted, and went on to say (which some of you may have seen as a clip) that the people WANT us to fight, etc. Here's my thread about it:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=132&topic_id=1851021&mesg_id=1851021