Is the DLC really an arm of the Republican Party?

[dissent1977]

The DLC seems to back the Republicans on most of their key issues, and have therefore been an enormous asset to the Republican Party. It makes me wonder whether the DLC is really made up of Democrats at all, but rather it may be made up of Republicans who have infiltrated the party in order to destroy the Democrats.

The DLC wants Democrats to speak out more firmly against gay marriage, and to be stronger supporters of corporate "free trade" deals and the war in Iraq. They know full well that these issues will divide the party, and they should know that if anyone were voting purely on these issues they would rather have a Republican majority than a Democratic majority. After all the Republicans are united on these issues, while the Democrats are never going to be united in support of these right-wing policies.

Now some people will try and dismiss this as a "conspiracy theory", but does it not make sense that the Republicans would want people in the Democratic Party to help destroy the party? Look at the DLC's record of "success", aside from Bill Clinton they have no big victories to show. They are very good at handing victory to the Republicans, but they have completely failed at handing victories to the Democrats. Despite their abysmal record however, they still retain massive influence within the Democratic Party. It is time to throw them out.

[formercia]

1. I agree 100%

Throw the bums out. I've felt this is true for a long time. They have been trying to destroy us from the inside out. If a Republican candidate can't win in a particular district, they put in a stealth Democrat.
It's time to unmask these people for who they are.

Purge time!

[stray cat]

2. How many DLC members are in conservative states?

My impression is that many DLC are in republican strong holds. Easy wins for a republican a hard sell for even a moderate democrat. If your theory is right most DLC members will be in very blue states........

[dissent1977]

4. Lieberman, Biden, Hillary Clinton

They are from very blue states, and they are the voices of the DLC.

[wuushew]

5. Biden, Clinton, Lieberman?

Those are not red state strongholds.

[BillZBubb]

3. The DLC is an example of "Big Tentism" run amok.

Essentially every DLC'er is a Republican who believes in a social safety net. In other words, they really are somewhat compassionate Repugs. But, in their heart of hearts they are corporatists and agree with most of the Repug business, military, and financial agenda.

The Democratic party cannot survive or thrive while trying to maintain such a gross duality. The DLC and progressives are at the core incompatible. There are too many core issues on which we totally disagree.

The party is going to have to make a decision somehow to embrace one path or the other. If they go the DLC path, we will see the rise of a new progressive party. The Democratic party will be finished. If they go the progressive path, the DLC'ers will sometimes vote Repug, sometimes Democratic. The DLC cannot survive on its own as an independent entity. It just isn't differentiated enough from the Repugs to last.

To me, the best option is for the Democratic party to recommit itself to a progressive path. Force all the DLC'ers and other DINO's out the door. Short term it will hurt us. We'll lose votes. But longer term we can come back very strong with a unified, coherent, and popular message for successful governance. That's a winning strategy.

[MGKrebs]

6. Will Marshall runs the policy group at the DLC.

It's called the Progressive Policy Institute (PPI).
http://www.ppionline.org/index.cfm

Will Marshall is a neocon, who signed on to PNAC documents.

PPI accepts major funding from hard core conservative foundations such as the Bradley Foundation.

More here:
http://rightweb.irc-online.org/org/demleadcoun.php

In the 80's, the DLC feared that the Dem party was losing too much ground and had to be more centrist. The Dem party has primarily been following their model for 15 to 20 years now. Can we finally say that their model, their revolution, has failed?

[annabanana]

7. Holy Smokes... I did not know this...

This goes a Lo-o-o-ong way in explaining a whole bunch of stuff...

DLC is PNAC!

..........."the DLC leadership can rightly claim at least partial credit in moving the core Democratic Party platform closer to the DLC’s modernizing agenda, which stresses market-based solutions, an alignment with the military-industrial complex, and a distancing from the identity politics and bothersome demands the “New Politics” constituencies that emerged in the late 1960s.

(underlining mine)

[Swamp Rat]

9. Check out THIS:

DLC | Blueprint Magazine | July 23, 2005

Valuing Patriotism

American voters know that 9/11 put national security back at the center of politics. Democrats should unify behind a new progressive patriotism.
By Will Marshall

Since 9/11, patriotism has become the most potent "values issue" in U.S. politics. To compete in America's heartland, Democrats must challenge Republicans' claim to be the authentic voice of American patriotism.

(snip)

http://www.ppionline.org/ppi_ci.cfm?knlgAreaID=124&subsecid=307&contentid=253472

The DLC = PNAC!!! They've been given pods!!! :yoiks: :scared:

[Swamp Rat]

10. PNAC

http://rightweb.irc-online.org/org/demleadcoun.php

"In the late 1980s, DLC Democrats supported aid to the contras, applauded President Reagan’s “Evil Empire” rhetoric, and offered their support to those militarists calling for missile defense and rejecting arms control negotiations."

(snip)

The DLC and its close associate, the Progressive Policy Institute, are the recipients of grants from many Fortune 500 companies and such right-wing foundations as the Bradley Foundation. Corporate contributors to the Progressive Policy Institute include AT&T Foundation, Eastman Kodak Charitable Trust, Prudential Foundation, Georgia-Pacific Foundation, Chevron, and Amoco Foundation. (17) The Third Way Foundation, an umbrella group of the New Democrats in the DLC, receives funding from the Lynde & Harry Bradley Foundation, Howard Gilman Foundation, Ameritech Foundation, and General Mills Foundation. According to one magazine report, the DLC enjoys funding from Bank One, Citigroup, Dow Chemical, DuPont, General Electric, Health Insurance Corporation, Merrill Lynch, Microsoft, Morgan Stanley, Occidental Petroleum, and Raytheon. (9)

http://rightweb.irc-online.org/org/demleadcoun.php

[whitehousemoron]

8. God, how wrong can you be

I wonder how is it that the Democratic party is supposed to be the big tent party, doesn't have room for the DLC? I guess all that talk about how Democrats accept differing points of view is just a smokescreen. You guys are just as bad as the Republicans, who also don't accept anyone who isn't white, rich, christian and stupid. UTTERLY PATHETIC!!!

[annabanana]

11. If the DLC is PNAC, like this shows it apparently IS.. then they

ARE NOT DEMOCRATS and are, in fact working directly against the traditions and beliefs of the Democratic Party, and, (not coincidentally) against the concept of democracy itself.

[Swamp Rat]

14. Someone needs to catch up

Anyway, We were duscussing how PNAC=DLC=PNAC.

[Swamp Rat]

12. Welcome to DU!

Good luck!

[annabanana]

15. do some reading and get back to us....n/t

[stepnw1f]

16. Bull... This is How The Majority of Dems Feel

Those of us who are informed come here... those who are uninformed do not know the truth about the DLC. As far as I am concerned, the DLC has been an embarrassment to the Democratic Party. Even Republicans show a deep lack of respect for those that play along with them.

Funny how the DLC (a minority) just assumes it's leadership role for the whole party. It is a big tent... it's just that the DLC doesn't treat it that way. A strong party has distinctly different values from it's opposition. The DLC honestly looks like a Republican mole outfit.

Quit fooling yourself and act like a Democrat.

[Stirk]

19. Big tent, yes. But the DLC expects to lead from outside the tent.

And that makes no goddamn sense. They should have a voice in the party, sure. But they shouldn't be leading it.

[Hell Hath No Fury]

13. After much time and research...

I have come to the conclusion that you are correct about the DLC. I feel they are a planted cancer on the Democratic Party.

Now, I am not saying that true moderates in the Party are a problem, I am saying the DLC organization and its aims are the problem.

[stepnw1f]

17. Bingo!

Moderates are fine with me... The DLC however pretends it is the party and not part of the party. Just look how they vote on the issues... forget what they say.

[Stirk]

18. I don't think they're an actual *arm* of the Republican Party, but

I do think the Republicans recognize that DLC Democrats are very useful to the Republican cause. By engaging DLC Democrats in debate, they move the line of scrimmage to the right. The debate becomes one between moderate Republicanism and outright fascism, so progressive ideas aren't even considered.

Furthermore, by painting moderates as extremists (Hillary Clinton, Kerry, etc.), they make all the real progressives seem like maniacs.

I expect Republicans would always prefer to debate a DLC Democrat to a populist.

[The Magistrate]

20. Locking

Flame-bait.