DPW Chair

[ThisIsMyCountry]

I had coffee this morning with my county party chair to talk about how to get more involved in the party post-election and he started telling me about the DPW State Convention more and went on to talk about how he just got a letter in the mail yesterday from Bryan Kennedy who is running for DPW Chair. I guess a week after the election we already start to talk about what happens in June. So who else is officially running?

[LiberalFighter]

1. Why is Bryan Kennedy running?

Is Joe Wineke stepping down?

[dragonlady]

12. This e-mail from Bryan Kennedy arrived today

KENNEDY CONSIDERS RUN FOR STATE DEMOCRATIC PARTY CHAIR



Madison—Bryan Kennedy announced this morning that he is considering a run for Chair of the Democratic Party of Wisconsin. Speaking on Lee Rayburn’s radio program in Madison, Bryan thanked outgoing DPW Chair Joe Wineke for his service and then laid-out his plan for the party. The next chair will be elected by party members at the 2009 convention in Green Bay next June.



With Wineke’s announced departure, Kennedy said that he is a good fit for the next stage in the party’s growth and activism. Wineke has raised the party’s visibility, been very active with the media, and oversaw the Democrats taking back the State Senate and State Assembly in subsequent elections. “Our next leader needs to be the bridge between party operatives and progressive activists. I can work with both activists and party leaders to strengthen the party and to be ready for the 2010 elections,” Kennedy said.



Kennedy outlined the priority for the party as re-electing Governor Doyle in 2010, as well as growing the majorities in the Assembly and Senate. He also said that he would pick-up where the current chair left off in terms of fundraising and increased media presence. Most importantly, Kennedy proposed a series of initiatives to keep activists involved in party activities between election cycles. These include a citizen lobbying effort, an expanded state convention that includes workshops in organizing and activism, community service opportunities sponsored by the party, and maintaining party offices in various regions of the state year-round.



Bryan Kennedy is President of AFT-Wisconsin, a labor union that represents 17,000 public employees in Wisconsin. In 2004 and 2006, he was the Democratic nominee for US Congress in the 5th Congressional District. Kennedy raised nearly $700,000 for a seat that is traditionally very Republican. He worked to re-build the Democratic Party and to make the party more of a presence in the most Republican area of the state. Bryan has a PhD and was faculty at UW-Milwaukee from 2001-2008.

[ThisIsMyCountry]

28. Any truth

to the rumors that he said he wasn't running anymore?

[ewagner]

2. I've seen the letter....

have to think about this one for a while.....

Head of a Union and DPW Chair too? I don't like that ...

[ewagner]

3. Just a quick footnote

for those of you who might remember an episode where our DPW Chair became a paid lobbyist for AT&T....

I didn't want our Chair to become a lobbyist then and I don't want our next Chair to be a lobbyist either....it wasn't all about Joe, it was about a clear message from the Democratic Party...it was then and it is now.

I like Kennedy but this is a deal-breaker for me.

[ThisIsMyCountry]

4. Maybe

he will step down from his union job? I haven't seen the letter. Did he address that in it?

If he doesn't workout, who are the other alternatives?

[ClassWarrior]

10. You make an excellent point.

:hi:

NGU.

[ldfdem]

5. I think we could do better

[ThisIsMyCountry]

6. Names?

Who are you thinking then?

[undeterred]

7. ...

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=186&topic_id=26568&mesg_id=26568

[ewagner]

8. I know

Paula and Jef and I think either one of them would be good....

I don't think I've ever met ANYBODY as focused as Paula....great person!

[undeterred]

9. And she's really a nice person.

I can't imagine her getting into a bar fights and making a scene. That should be a job requirement. :hi:

[ldfdem]

11. I would agree

I think both would be great.

[ThisIsMyCountry]

13. Rep. Hintz

I heard that Representative Gordon Hintz is contemplating a run as well.

[undeterred]

14. Gordon Hintz should run for Congress in 6.

He would be an excellent candidate up against Petri.

[ThisIsMyCountry]

15. Can you...

run for both State Assembly and Congress at the same time? I think he is a rising young star in the Assembly and I would hate to lose him there though. Especially with 2010 supposed to be a tough year for Democrats.

[tanglefoot]

16. An epic struggle for sure - same ole, same ole...

For decades the unions (Kennedy) and the legislators (Wineke, Hintz) have fought for control over this party - inside and out.

When the hell will the grassroots realize it will never be the party they want and need it to be so long as they put up with it?

[ewagner]

17. Hey tanglefoot!

You think there's time for grass-roots movement?

[tanglefoot]

20. hard to say

Not a lot of opportunity. I've been in a room with Hintz. He seems like a decent guy. I was a fan of Kennedy when he ran for congress both times. Not sure we could come up with a big enough gun to oppose them. We'll probably have to sniff out the lesser of two evils and try to leverage him in. And you never know. If one of them is doing this for the right reasons, they might pick a good vice chair - someone with creds on the grassroots level.

[ldfdem]

18. the struggle

Wineke was a combination of both. Which I think is what made him so effective.

I don't believe it is the state party's job to build the grassroots; that should be the focus of the county parties. The state should provide the tools to the counties. Grassroots organizing is based on relationships; local relationships. If you are waiting for the State Party to come in and build your local party...:nopity:

[tanglefoot]

19. Tools? What tools?

Please. The local parties gave up on expecting anything from the DPW years ago. You need to get out a little more.

Grab hold of the 40,000 foot view, my friend. Can't have the grassroots getting too powerful or too organized. If they start wining elections for un-recruited candidates from bum-fuck Wisconsin, the unions and the ADCC and SDCC won't have any control over them. We could actually end up with houses full of legislators whose loyalties would be to their own constituents instead of the powerbrokers in Madison.

As far as I can tell, all the "tools" are in Madison. And that's the way the legislators and unions want it.

And if you think we're not out here working our tails off to change that without waiting for any tools or help of any kind from Madison, you're as ignorant as Wineke. Too bad the sodden fool isn't hanging around for another term. He has no clue how he fires up the grassroots in my neck of the woods.

[ewagner]

21. staring blankly ....

at the letter I got to renew my DPW membership.....and wondering...what's the use?

[tanglefoot]

24. Can't take the sumbitch over if you're not a member

Pay your dues and roll up your sleeves. Or I'll come over there and give you a good swift kick. :P

[ewagner]

26. Covering my a$$$

filing out application...writing check :grr: :grr:

[undeterred]

22. Wineke has done everything in his power to suppress

and control the grassroots Democrats in Dane County. Good riddance.

[dembotoz]

23. and elsewhere too

wineke can not possibly leave too soon

[tanglefoot]

25. Got the gorey details straight from a Dane Dem

In 2007 he shouted "f*** the grassroots" as he was dressing down a delegation from a neighboring county party for daring to question his activities for AT&T.

Clearly we're more than just a nuisance for Wineke.

The bigger question is - who'll be the better replacement? When we figure that out, what are we going to do about it? This is a membership organization. It would be nice if for once the members actually took control of their own organization.

[ewagner]

27. I'm starting the campaign

for ABW!

"A" stands for Anybody
"B" stands for But
and "W" stands for....lets see...what DOES "W" stand for?