They started the fringe activist stuff in 2003. DLC memos. Still doing it

[madfloridian]

Lots of discussion here today, quite painful, about just who the party leaders consider the far left...who are they including. Well, even the Pew study proved Dean supporters were not fringe folks, but that did not matter. Now the Dean is chairman, I wonder if the same theme may be continuing. They are going after all to the left of them, just as they did us in the primary.

Words are very powerful indeed. They just keep calling us the far left, and pretty soon people believe it. I don't know how to fight them. I trust Howard Dean to stand up for us, I think going after him too much in non-productive. The others don't seem to think we matter. I guess we just keep on trying. It is frustrating.

In 2003 Howard Dean stood for activists when the DLC called us "fringe".

Dean Statement in Response to DLC's Charge that Public Servants are
"Fringe Activists"

“Once again, the DLC has chosen to put their own political agenda
ahead of the progress needed to unite the Democratic Party. This election
has barely begun, and the DLC has repeatedly dismissed people who attend
caucuses, who get out the vote, and now the 1.3 million members of AFSCME as
‘fringe activists’ who do not reflect ‘the mainstream values, national pride
and the economic aspirations of middle-class and working people.’

“The DLC staff can say what they want about me, but they owe an
apology to the 1.3 million members of AFSCME. Our teachers, our health care
workers, and our state and local public servants don't need a lesson from
Washington insiders about the needs and concerns of middle- and
working-class families. What they need is a Democratic Party that will stand
up for them.”

Posted by Mathew Gross at 04:27 PM
http://blog.deanforamerica.com/archives/000206.html

Howard Fineman on the DLC Memo
http://blog.deanforamerica.com/archives/000213.html
Quoting because the archives are hard to read:
"FINEMAN ON THE DLC MEMO
I went and read the memo. It's hysterical. I don't mean funny. I mean, it's hysterical. He calls them everything but a plagiarist, an elitist, an activist. It's like, it's a compliment to Howard Dean. They're reacting like Howard Dean has already won the nomination. Howard Fineman, on the DLC memo attacking Howard Dean, on Hardball, 5/15/03
Posted by Mathew Gross at 10:25 AM

Former DNC-Chief Steve Grossman to DLC: "Creating Conflict is Not
Leadership."
http://blog.deanforamerica.com/archives/000225.html
SNIP.."FORMER DNC-CHIEF STEVE GROSSMAN TO DLC: "CREATING CONFLICT IS NOT LEADERSHIP."
On Wednesday, the Democratic Leadership Council (DLC) released a memo in which the DLC argued that traditional Democratic values are an aberration and that the thousands of grassroots Democrats inspired by Governor Howard Dean's message to take back our party are activist elites and not real Democrats. Former DNC chairman Steve Grossman wrote to members of the Democratic National Committee in an email sent yesterday, criticizing the DLC:

Having served proudly as National Chairman of the Democratic National Committee, I was disappointed by recent statements by the Democratic Leadership Council that disparaged Governor Howard Dean's record of fiscal discipline and social compassion. I was particularly distressed because DLC leaders chose to label tens of thousands of grassroots Democrats who are energized by Governor Dean's message as elitist. "

Liberal Oasis on Howard Dean and the DLC
http://blog.deanforamerica.com/archives/000226.html
SNIP.."May 16, 2003 PERMALINK
The "Smear Dean" Campaign Is On
(posted May 16 2:15 AM ET)
(minor edit May 16 12:45 PM ET)

The DLC memo is titled "The Real Soul of the Democratic Party."
But it should be "Kneecapping Howard Dean."

However, it is so ludicrously ham-handed, Dean trumpeted it himself on his campaign web site. (A smart rapid response that bodes well for the future.)

If the memo was a principled argument over what the party should stand for, that would be fine. You can have honorable disagreements within one's party.

But the memo is nothing but a string of half-truths and contradictions designed to ward off insiders from backing Dean, while at the same time undermine Dean's support from the Left....."

And the recriminations began against many who were in leadership positions and backed Dean. It was real and it happened. Long article here, very good.

Here are the DLC memos that started the trend. It was painful for all of us. Now they seem to be continuing it:

"Activists Are Out of Step" From and Reed 2003
http://www.ndol.org/ndol_ci.cfm?contentid=251866&kaid=8
SNIP..."These days, Democrats act as if they're so far gone they've forgotten where they're from.

Every weekend, yet another special-interest group hosts a candidate forum to pressure the presidential candidates into praising its agenda. Some of the candidates seem intent on running applause-meter campaigns, measuring success by how many times they tell the party faithful what they want to hear.

There's one big problem with this strategy: Most of those party activists the candidates are trying so hard to please are wildly out of touch not only with middle America but with the Democratic rank and file. The great myth of the campaign is the misguided notion that the hopes and dreams of party activists and single-issue groups represent the heart and soul of the Democratic Party. They don't.

The fact is, "the Democratic wing of the Democratic Party," as former Vermont Gov. Howard Dean likes to call it, is an aberration, a modern-day version of the old McGovern wing of the party, defined principally by weakness abroad and elitist interest-group liberalism at home. That wing lost the party 49 states in two elections and turned a powerful national organization into a much weaker, regional one. ....."END SNIP

"The Real Soul of the Party" DLC 2003
http://www.ndol.org/ndol_ci.cfm?contentid=251690&kaid=1

SNIP.."But the great myth of the current cycle is the misguided notion that the hopes and dreams of activists represent the heart and soul of the Democratic Party. Real Democrats are real people, not activist elites. The mission of the Democratic Party, as Bill Clinton pledged in 1992, is to provide "real answers to the real problems of real people." Real Democrats who champion the mainstream values, national pride, and economic aspirations of middle-class and working people are the real soul of the Democratic Party, not activists and interest groups with narrow agendas.

SNIP.."What activists like Dean call the Democratic wing of the Democratic Party is an aberration: the McGovern-Mondale wing, defined principally by weakness abroad and elitist, interest-group liberalism at home. That's the wing that lost 49 states in two elections, and transformed Democrats from a strong national party into a much weaker regional one..."

[mestup]

1. Lots of great info. Thank you!

[rawtribe]

2. The DLC are

slaves sitting at the masters table. They will sell out their own to keep that seat.

[incapsulated]

3. Except Schumer isn't DLC

I would expect this from them, but from him it's a surprise. A bad one.

[madfloridian]

4. Not sure about that. He has several articles there.

Dean used to be, but once he crossed them...well, you know.

[incapsulated]

5. I could be mistaken

Is there a current list anywhere?

[incapsulated]

6. Never mind, I checked their website

Schumer isn't on their list.

[madfloridian]

7. Maybe this article is what made me think so.

I am just not sure.

http://www.dlc.org/ndol_ci.cfm?contentid=250527&kaid=85&subid=108

"The Democratic Leadership Council today announced that the 2002 National Conversation will be held in New York, NY from Sunday, July 28th to Tuesday, July 30th. Hundreds of well-known and up-and-coming leaders from around the country will attend this premier gathering of New Democrat elected officials.

Harold Schaitberger, president of the International Association of Fire Fighters, will serve as the 2002 National Conversation event chairman, and Sens. Chuck Schumer and Hillary Rodham Clinton are honorary co-chairs. Sen. Blanche Lincoln is the event recruitment chair and Rep. Gregory Meeks is leading the DLCs outreach efforts in New York. These officials will join DLC Chair Sen. Evan Bayh, Vice Chair Rep. Ellen Tauscher, Chair for Best Practices Sen. Tom Carper, Founder and CEO Al From, and President Bruce Reed at the event. "

[incapsulated]

8. Interesting

Maybe he quit? I searched for all New York members and he wasn't on the list.

:shrug:

[nadinbrzezinski]

9. Some may not be in the lsit

but identify with them...

by the way, I am having a hell of a discussion with some my party right or wrong... kind of Democrats... that cannot see why neither DiFi or Shummer or some of teh others are making us any favors

[incapsulated]

12. Could be, playing both sides of the field

He could be a "sympathizer" that doesn't want to actually join and get blowback from some of the people who voted for him. Like me. The ones he dissed as extremists. :eyes:

[Carolab]

10. Well, there is this about Schumer

http://64.233.167.104/search?q=cache:Bq6O4Lk147cJ:rivercitymud.blogspot.com/2005/08/chuck-schumer-dlc-apparatchik.html+Schumer+and+DLC&hl=en

On edit: I think he and Hillary are just a little too close...and their twin endorsement of Ferrer makes me go "hmmm?" since Howard backs him too...

[incapsulated]

11. All the Dems are going to endorse Freddie

He's the only Dem running. But Chuck was obviously speaking at a DLC dinner last month, from your link.

[Carolab]

13. Let us remember that Chuck heads the DSCC

Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee (DSCC), a chief conduit for fund-raising for senate Dems.

[JI7]

14. wasn't that one of the things he got in exchange for not running

for Governor in a primary against Spitzer ?

[Carolab]

26. Apparently so.

http://avc.blogs.com/a_vc/2004/11/my_senator_cont.html

[Andromeda]

15. I think it's all going to backfire on them,

It sounds like they are really afraid of Dean. Why else would they spend so much time trashing him?

The Democratic party is all about putting the people before the leaders, damn it! The DLC is sooooo out of touch with mainstream America it's pathetic.

[nadinbrzezinski]

16. SHHH some round these parts are all for voting for the team

and not saying any bad things about the team

;-)

And it has been somewhat entertaining

[annabanana]

20. you must be exhausted...

But thank you for fighting the good fight while everyone else gets a little shut eye!

[Q]

17. Democrats will ignore the DLC...

...at their own peril. They represent the wealthy, ruling class and want nothing to do with the voting base that kept our party in the majority for 40 years. They don't mind sharing power with crooks and thieves...which is why they have nothing to say about election fraud and war profiteering. It's why they support illegal, aggressive wars.

Like the far-right of the GOP...their 'job' is to convince the working and middle classes that trickle-down economics and corporate welfare is the solution to 'big government'. In fact...they were the force behind Clinton's 'era of big government is over' agenda of NAFTA and other programs that benefited the ruling over the working class.

The 'activists' the DLC rants about are those who stand in the way of the agenda they share with the Right. That agenda is the creation of the corporate state and a working class without unions or collective bargaining.

One of the ways they plan on keeping the 'left' from attaining any power within the Democratic party is to help the Right character assassinate any liberal or progressive Democrat that becomes popular and attracts a large grassroots following. It's the reason they attacked Gore and then Dean. They were part of the force that exiled Gore and they felt relieved when Dean agreed not to run for president in exchange for the DNC chair.

The DLC has adopted the tactics of the Right by smearing anyone that opposes them or challenges their agenda. They would rather lose elections than see someone like Gore or Dean become president and give the party back to the people.

[Douglas Carpenter]

18. "so just what specific positions does Dean (or anyone else for that matter

advocate that makes them fringe, extremist, ultra-liberal or whatever?"

That is my constant question to these types. They NEVER have an answer. They just made it up.

Unfortunately, their lying and name-calling does have a real affect. I remember sitting in my hotel room in Manila watching the BBC in 2003 and hearing Dean described with those words. And guess who the source was for this nonsense? Well, it was not Karl Rove or the RNC.

[mmonk]

19. With friends like the DLC

who needs enemies? It seems the two party system is becoming a one party system with two candidates and combining to keep out progressive candidates.

[mmonk]

21. Why I'm suspicious of the DLC:

1) They attack democrats as much as the administration.
2) They use the same talking points about their fellow dems that the extreme right does.
3) They seem to support the neocon agenda.

Which begs me to ask this question; Are they part of the neocon network? Please give me pros and cons with examples.

[Douglas Carpenter]

22. Exactly, Al From is an anti-Democratic Party propagandist

And they don't just Democrats on blogs they go to the mainstream media and spread their anti-Democratic Party poison at every opportunity.

Although, to be fair, this did not begin with the DLC.

In 1973 DNC Robert Strauss threw away the small donor list and tried to destroy the grassroots activism of the Party thus making it more friendly to Wall Street and their big money.

Since then, every single national election, every single one without exception was based on trying to win middle class and well to do swing voters by removing populist progressivism from the agenda.

One needs only look at what has happened to the Party's significance since then. It declined just as their agenda that addresses the concerns of ordinary people declined.

Interestingly the corporate-lobbyist element of the Democratic Party now has done a complete rewrite of history. They are claiming that Mondale and Dukakis were too far left and that's why they lost. Of course this again is complete nonsense. Just ask them what positions did Mondale or Dukakis hold that were by any wild stretch of the imagination ultra-liberal or far left. They won't have an answer because, they just made it up out of thin air and repeated the lie over and over and over again to the major networks and mainstream media.

No wonder Karl Rove and the RNC are so affective in spreading their "fringe left" propaganda against Democrats--they get a lot of help from the likes of Al From and company.

[Douglas Carpenter]

23. here is a link to do with the DLC/Neocon question--there are several more

but, I think this is a particularly good one

the link:

http://www.worldpress.org/Americas/2030.cfm

and here is another:

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

[madfloridian]

24. From your right web link. Interesting.

"Using language that mirrors that of the neoconservative Project for the New American Century (PNAC), in October 2003 PPI hailed the “tough-minded internationalism” of past Democratic presidents such as Harry Truman. Like PNAC, which warned of the present danger in its founding documents, the Progressive Policy Institute declared that “America is threatened once again” and needs assertive individuals committed to strong leadership. Its observation--“like the cold war, the struggle we face today is likely to last not years but decades”--mirrors both neoconservative and Bush administration national security assessments. In its words, PPI endorsed the invasion of Iraq, “because the previous policy of containment was failing,” and Saddam Hussein’s government was “undermining both collective security and international law.” (9)

Like PNAC and the Bush administration, the Progressive Policy Institute has a vision of national security that extends to fostering democracy and freedom around the world in “the belief that America can best defend itself by building a world safe for individual liberty and democracy.” It’s likely that PNAC itself would heartily agree with PPI’s criticism of those who complain that “the Bush administration has been too radical in recasting America’s national security strategy.” In fact, in assessing the Bush administration’s foreign policy agenda, the institute stated, “we believe it has not been ambitious enough or imaginative enough.” (9))

[Douglas Carpenter]

25. I wouldn't say that every single member holds rigidly to their dogma

But,it is quite clear where their philosophic gurus are coming from. Will Marshall, one of the leading figures in the so called "Progressive Policy Institute" has very publicly denounced opponents of the war and has claimed them to be "unpatriotic".

here is a link to an article:

http://www.commondreams.org/views04/1203-15.htm

[mmonk]

27. This is why I don't intend to vote

for a DLC candidate. The lies and the resulting deaths can never be rectified through honest or truthful assessment. If in 2008, it's a "meet the new boss, same as the old boss" situation, I will continue the fight for truth and human decency no matter how many democrats support the violence and evil of perpetual war for greed. Any democrat that supports the same evils of the neocons is my opponent.