Dean, Obama, Plouffe and the 50-state strategy. Time for part two.

[Perky]

As Dean nears the end of his term and the 50-state project gets mothballed. I can't think of anyone better able to put the party appartus in place to sustain anf grow our gains than Plouffe.

He may well not be sutied for chairman, but he knows how to build infrastrucure,. Put him in charge of grassroots fundraising, organization and databases.

PLEASE!!!!!

[cali]

1. Despite the posts of some alarmists, we don't know yet whether the 50-state

project will be dismantled. I do think Plouffe is a good choice for Chair, but I'm not sure he'll want it.

[MaineDem]

3. Believe me or not but...

I have seen the letter the staff got. They will be laid off as of Nov 30 with a week's severance pay.

That being said, it's also possible that the new President and the new DNC Chair will restart it after January. Basically the program is being "suspended".

[Peace Patriot]

4. I don't understand the alarm at 50-state strategy activists being laid off.

Isn't that normal after a campaign, with less donations coming in?

I DO understand the alarm at Rahm Emmanuel being appointed WH Chief of Staff--nothing could be more alarming to the grass roots--but that one may turn out to be a smart appointment. Only time will tell if Emmanuel is the nail and Obama the hammer, or the other way around. I think it's the former--Obama has the self-confidence to keep an enemy right next to him, and use his energy and insider knowledge to whip a truly errant Congress into shape, for Obama's policy goals, not the DLC's.

However, I do have the willies over the floated name of Chiquita's death squad attorney, Eric Holder, for A.G. Chiquita execs paid $1.7 million to rightwing death squads in Colombia, to whack 4,000 union leaders and workers in Chiquita's banana plantations. Whack as in torture and murder. This guy got them off with a hand-slap. Good God! Of all the attorneys in the U.S., this is who Obama comes up with for A.G.?!

It bodes very, VERY ill for Obama foreign policy in Latin America, and smells of Clinton/DLC corrupt dealings in Colombia (not to mention Bushwhack corrupt dealings in Colombia).

Let's hope it's just a rumor.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=405x9608
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/dan-kovalik/lawyer-for-chiquita-in-co_b_141919.html

[MaineDem]

5. One of the goals of the State Partnership Program was to build a continuous staff

When the program was started it was so that states wouldn't have to lay off the staff after each election cycle. The staff would continue, to build for the next campaign.

Personally I'm not alarmed at this just disappointed. I know our state party cannot afford to keep these people on and I'm sorry we'll lose their institutional knowledge as we head into a gubernatorial campaign.

During the Primaries, Obama assured the State Party Chairs that he will support the 50-state strategy. I'm hoping he follows through on that support and picks the program up again after the Inauguration.

[madfloridian]

7. Yes, he did assure them. It was a promise. I am disappointed.

[Orlandodem]

2. I would love to see Dr. Dean help build a Dem party in Florida.

Our party is anemic. Reps control the executive and legislative branches. We're largely irrelevant in the state legislature, with Reps controlling it by large margins in the House and Senate. Furthermore, there are more Reps in Congress than Dems from Florida. Florida voted for Obama, but we are still controlled by a well run Republican party. We need to make the Dems competitive here!!!!! If we do, stick a fork in the Reps. If we control the Congressional delegation, and at least one branch of the legislature or the executive branch, it would give state and national Reps headaches!!!

[Perky]

6. kicking for more dialog

[AtomicKitten]

8. I've been wondering where Obama will place him.

If and when Dean moves on, I think Plouffe is well suited for the job.

[genna]

9. I don't know the ends and outs.

I don't know about Columbia or Eric Holder either.


Has Dr. Dean made mention of whether he'd like to continue to remain in politics or does he want to go and make some money? His abilities could transform a number of different kinds of grassroots institutions. What are his interests?


I liked Plough in the interviews he did at the end of the campaign. He seems to be a serious guy who doesn't like to be gassed up.