A sense of outrage: an open letter to the DCCC re: "attack ad"

[Cerridwen]

To the Democratic leadership at the DCCC: (text of email I sent)

The republicans have exploited 9/11 since the hours immediately following the attacks. The Democrats joined in and helped them erode our civil rights, one piece of legislation at a time.

Finally, it looked as though the Democrats were going to "take the fight" to the republicans by creating a hard hitting ad which would take to task the republicans for their constant and deadly failures and corruption. The republicans immediately responded in their usual manner; whining like a schoolyard bully called on his abuse.

The Democratic leadership caved.

Put the ad back up.

For years I have supported the Democratic Party knowing the only difference between the Democratic leadership and the republican leadership was that the cage created for the "unwashed masses" (known in the U.S. Constitution as "We, the People") by the Democratic Party would at least be gilded. Now it appears the Democratic leadership has decided that even a gilded cage is too difficult to manufacture.

Put the ad back up.

The next time the republican bullies start whining, respond to them, in no uncertain terms, in their own juvenile vernacular, "tough noogies!" At least pay lip service to gilding the cage you've helped to create for "We, the People" as you've aided and abetted the republican robber barons in the form of The Patriot Act, the bankruptcy bill, the Iraq war, NAFTA, welfare reform, no-bid contracts and support for war profiteers to list but a few.

Put the ad back up.

Let me at least enjoy the bright, shiny gold plating on the bars of my cage as you work with the republicans to create a modern day, Dickensian United States.

Let me at least enjoy the facade of comfort as you dismantle, one by one, the agreements of the social contract between government and "We, the People" as laid out in the U.S. Constitution.

Put the ad back up.

A little gold plating goes a long way.

Signed,

Cerridwen's real name

------------------------------------------------

Where, in the pyramid below, do you think the Democratic leadership resides? On what tier do you reside? When faced with decisions about legislation, which tier do you think they vote or work to protect? Whose interests do you think they address? With whom do you think they have more interests in common? Although I would like to take credit for these questions, they are based on an editorial comic which appeared in a "Gilded Age" publication of the day. I can't find a link to it online so I've attempted to recreate the message here.

[Totally Committed]

1. Outstanding!

I share your outrage, my friend.

Tough noogies, indeed!

TC

[Cerridwen]

4. Thank you!

I just had to let it out or I was going to explode.

I'll be interested to see what, if anything, the DCCC has to say in response.

[rodeodance]

2. I do hope that they publish it. Thanks.

[Cerridwen]

5. Quite frankly, if they'd just read the danged thing and realise

how frustrated and outraged many of us are...yeah, well, I'll hold my breath.

[KoKo]

3. That Graphic nails it and the quote from Erma Bombeck is sadly

so true...so true..

[Cerridwen]

6. So true...so true..

I think I'm on outrage overload right about now.

Too many arenas in which I've fought long and hard to get the message and warnings out only to be ignored or told to STFU while we take care of more important issues.

"Told ya so" just didn't seem to cover it.

[Toots]

7. Their ad asked "Had Enough"

My answer is yes I have had enough of Democrats back peddling and acquiescence. Want my vote. better earn it.

[Cerridwen]

8. Unfortunately for us

they are frequently the only "viable" alternative to the repubs. Some choice, huh?

Living in a gilded cage or a rusted cage...that is the question.

[tulsakatz]

9. bravo!!

Great message!!!

I wrote them a message about that too!! Once again they wimped out by removing that ad........I bet they got a lot of messages from people complaining about the removed ad!

[Cerridwen]

10. Thank you for also writing to them.

Let's hope, for all our sakes, that they'll start to listen to their base.

[acmejack]

13. They take us for granted.

They know we won't vote for the Republicons, so they are confident of our votes. The DCCC in particular likes to slap us in the face. Frankly those worthless so & sos will never squeeze another dime out of me. I have sent them a letter explaining why.

[Cerridwen]

22. Probably the biggest problem with a 2-party system in which

any new or "other" party is quickly relegated to the fringes and we have a "choice" between the "lesser of two evils." Sometimes a choice is nothing of the sort.

[The Count]

11. Thank you! Could you put an e-mail so the rest of us can unload too?

Politely - of course :evilgrin:

[Cerridwen]

12. But, of course.

Here's the link to the "Contact Us" page I used.

http://www.dccc.org/action_center/contact/

Have at it. Politely - of course. :evilgrin:

[ooglymoogly]

27. thanks for the link...just a little rude

i meant my response was a little rude

[Cerridwen]

28. I think I understand what you said...your email to them was a

little rude? Eh, what can it hurt at this point. Being polite has given us a repub controlled House, Senate and resident in the white house. Maybe it's time to be a "little rude."

Thank you for writing them.

:D

[ooglymoogly]

29. yes indeed

i more or less told them that i had been searching for a dem backbone and that when i thought i found it they then at the slightest grumblings from the right removed a very good add for the dems. how can we expect to win against an insane gorilla with that oh so polite attitude? the truth is all we have and it is what the gop fears the most.

[Cerridwen]

30. :D Your post reminded me of this quote...

"I will make a bargain with the Republicans. If they will stop telling lies about Democrats, we will stop telling the truth about them."
- Adlai Stevenson

We can win with the truth, if only our leadership and those with access to power and the corporate media would use those tools as they were intended and speak the truth to the American people. Regardless of the consequences to their own purses.

I'll hold my breath.

*sigh*

[INdemo]

14. Could we get this in the form of a petition

it would have a stronger impact and certainly get their attention..Oh and could you send a copy to Moveon.org I think they would certainly publish it and even Salon? Just a thought

[Cerridwen]

17. You mean like an online petition site?

It didn't occur to me that anyone other than those here at DU would be interested in my "rant."

Thanks for the suggestions.

[grannylib]

33. I wrote to them immediately as well, and told them that I was sorry to say

that they are a bunch of cowards for knuckling under every time a republican whines. I said that it's no wonder Democrats have a reputation for standing for nothing, since we don't seem willing to stand UP for ANYTHING, at least not for long. I asked what had been the point of the ad in the first place, if they were so willing to pull it at the first sign of criticism. I said that Democrats must NEVER apologize for telling the truth, and that the most impressive moment for me of the 2004 campaign was when Kerry refused to apologize for his statement about the corrupt liars in the Imbecile's mis-administration.

There were a LOT of us who wrote to the DCCC to complain...let's keep up the pressure!

[Cerridwen]

35. "let's keep up the pressure!" Exactly. And thank you so much

for saying so and for doing so.

I didn't write immediately. I tend to "burn" a bit before I become "calm" enough to speak or write coherently. :D Short fuse, quick burn, deadly calm is my MO.

:evilgrin:

[Greyhound]

15. Bava! Well done.

Waking up to, what will undoubtedly be, the best post of the day gives me hope.
I'm sitting here listening to the former Democrat George S. throw war mongering softballs to Kindasleazy Rice and thinking "what's the use?" and I goto DU and there's your post.

Thanks again,
K & R

[Cerridwen]

19. Thank you.

Watching Sunday morning tv gives me an acid stomach. Sometimes I just gotta release some of the acid.

:evilgrin:

[NanceGreggs]

16. EXCELLENT!!!

REALLY WELL DONE!!!!!!

:kick: & Recommended!!!!!!!

[Cerridwen]

18. Thank you!

High praise indeed, from the Lady of the DU Home Page.

:D

[Straight Shooter]

20. A most excellent letter. Well done.

:thumbsup:

I am bereft of inspiration to write such eloquent prose this morning, but, following your lead, sent them this letter:

You pulled one of the most effective ads I have ever seen. You capitulated to the very hypocrisy your ad called to attention. Thousands of people donated to you based on that ad and the implied strength of the Democratic party. How angry do you think those people are now?

From what I've heard, plenty damn angry. This is not a game. Get your act together.

I doubt if they will read beyond the first sentence. :(

[Cerridwen]

21. Thanks for writing them.

Maybe the "revolution" in the U.S. begins with a lot of pissed-off Democrats screaming at their party.

I don't think they'll read beyond my first sentence either. I had to write it anyway.

Thank you again for doing the same.

[KittyWampus]

23. The Ad Ran For TWO WEEKS. You Didn't Even Know It Existed

Hell, you didn't even know their website existed.

So they rotate the damned thing off, the GOP squeals at the last minute and you trash the Democrats.

:puke:

[Cerridwen]

24. Let me guess...

you live in my basement so you know what it is I know and when I knew it?

That was a trick question. I don't have a basement. But I'm sure you knew that, right?

As to "trashing" the Democrats, please, point to anywhere in my letter in which I spoke an untruth? For that matter, please point to anything I wrote and debate the message rather than the messenger. Try it. It can be fun, enlightening and entertaining. Of course, it can be "hard work" so maybe that's not your forte. Hey, if you can snark, I can, too. Nanner nanner.

Oh, and by the way, "tough noogies!" too.

Wow, I feel grown up now. You?

[Greyhound]

41. I see that your name is well chosen.

Yes, of course they know what they're doing, just look at all of our accomplishments in the last quarter century. :eyes:

[Greyhound]

50. This is more than an ad, it is the first meaningful action these

invertabrates have made in 6 years. It was effective and simple enough to penetrate the dense fog that most amerikans live in. :eyes:

[Psyop Samurai]

25. So sorry, but, perhaps you didn't hear us... We said...

Put the ad back up.


Do these impostors have a nest somewhere - 'cause I got some real big pots and pans that make a lot of noise when you bang them together. I think it would make a nice accompaniment to a thousand voices chanting in unison:


Put the ad back up.

[Cerridwen]

26. LOL

Thank you. Your "hollerin'" made me laugh. I knew I could count on DUers to get my outrage meter back into the green range.

:rofl:

Though I still doubt "the leadership" will hear us. Reminds me of that woman debating Randi while plugging her ears so she wouldn't hear what Randi had to say.

;(

[grannylib]

31. Well done! Very well done indeed! Let us know if they publish it.

[Cerridwen]

32. Thank you very much.

At this point, I'll be happy if they bother to read it and take it in...if you know what I mean.

:D

[grannylib]

34. I got an auto-e-mail saying that they had received my e-mail (see other

post this thread) and I hope they got really inundated with outrage!
We CANNOT keep backing down!

[Cerridwen]

36. I hope I'm wrong

Auto email responses remind me of form letters in response to written correspondence of old (what, 4, 5 years ago?) :D

Ah, well, at least you know they received your email. I'll watch for my form letter response.

[robinlynne]

37. I sent an outraged email yesterday. but it had nair a bit of your

eloquence. Good job!

[Cerridwen]

38. That is a very kind thing to say. Thank you.

It sounds as though many of us sounded-off about them withdrawing that ad.

Yay for us!

:bounce:

:D

[robinlynne]

39. You'd think they'd get it after 6 years...

[Cerridwen]

40. You'd think they would have got it when they lost the House and

the Senate and then the white house.

*sigh*

[LittleClarkie]

42. Meh. It did its job. People talked about it. It got notice

That will not be undone by it's not being available anymore.

And they have NOT apologized for it. Hence, it still stands, up or not.

[Cerridwen]

46. Yes, it did get noticed. Unfortunately,

though they did not apologize, (I'll preach to the choir here, a bit), as you know, in politics, even the appearance of "weakness" is like blood in the water to sharks. I think for many of us, that is what we're objecting; the appearance of appeasing the repub bullies...again.

Though it may be true for celebrities that "any publicity is good publicity," I'm not so sure I agree that the same can be said in politics.

Just my 0.02. YMMV.

[Greyhound]

43. Such a small stand, but still too much for them. Which tier do they

really represent?
:kick:

[Cerridwen]

47. It's not popular to say, so I'll say it anyway ;)

This is becoming (continuing to be?) less and less of a struggle between Democrats and repubs and more and more about class, i.e., our place on the pyramid. If only all of us on "the bottom" and the few who think they've made it up a tier (for now) could only see that; the power "We, the People" could have.

[AndyA]

44. My message to the DCCC:

Last week, I viewed the advertisement you displayed on your website. I thought it was well done, and made its point. Now I see that you have caved in to pressure from the GOP and pulled the ad.

At this point in our lives, I don't think we can afford to cave in to the GOP. They are trampling our civil rights and liberties, and are at best reckless and irresponsible custodians of our country. That ad represented a truthful look at what is going on in our country today, under Republican leadership.

I look to the Democratic Party to do what it needs to do to put a stop to this nonsense before it's too late. That does not mean giving in to the GOP yet again.

If the Democrats want any campaign donations or support from me, they will need to get their act together (quickly) and stop acting like puppets for the GOP.

Put the ad back online. We cannot afford to continue turning the other cheek. Doing so has allowed the GOP to remain in control, and we are running out of time.

PUT THE AD BACK ONLINE!

[Cerridwen]

45. Bravo!

I knew we had many people letting them know that we supported the ad.

I'm glad my post has prompted some to share their responses here.

Well written/spoken.

Thank you.

[ProgressiveEconomist]

49. k&r

[Greyhound]

48. Congratulations! Another victory for the corporate class and their willing

flock.

Not letting this one go. :kick: