Dean: They don’t make Republicans like that anymore

[Rose Siding]

“I’ve heard a lot of people tell me that Mayor Berkley is a wonderful person,” Dean said. “So I convey on him today an honorary membership in the Democratic Party. They don’t make Republicans like that anymore.”



That was at the MLK event last week. This piece has good coverage-

snip>
Dean cited a litany of problems the nation faces, from a lack of health insurance for everyone to the high cost of gasoline.

“It’s discouraging because it seems so hard to make progress,” Dean said. “People say, ‘Where is the Democratic Party? Where is our message?’ ”

No matter how bad conditions become, Dean warned, pessimism is not an option.

“We have no right to be discouraged,” Dean said. “Dr. King went to jail. He and his people were beaten. Think of what he felt in that Birmingham jail writing those letters. He was looking at a whole country that needed to be woken up.”
....
“Soon we will have a majority in the House,” Dean vowed. “We will have a strong national defense. But it will be based off telling the truth to our citizens, our soldiers and our allies. We will have American jobs that stay in America. And yes, we can balance the budget and have health care for every American.”

http://www.kansascity.com/mld/kansascity/news/local/13657975.htm?template=contentModules/printstory.jsp

In this video, from a Democracy Bond holder meeting a few days later, he explains the program of changing the party at the local level, with guidelines from the states in partnership with the DNC. The occasional lobbed grenade is always enjoyable, but I have to say that this is what makes me hopeful:

"We are remodeling the Democratic party....centalized government or centralized anything is not the most effective way to govern a nation of three million people. It's not even the most effective way to run a presidential campaign....Let people understand that they own the party. The idear...was to change the country by first changing the Democratic party, and then changing the country through the Democratic party....we are doing this county by county, precinct by precinct..."

[mojogeorgo]

1. Thanks

Thanks for the video link. I was there, and got the audio, but it's nice to be able to pass along the video link to people who weren't there and would like to see it.

[Rose Siding]

3. That's good to hear

and you're welcome.

It's a little intimidating to realize that our own localities need to grow to have so much influence, but just knowing about the involvement of others so many states away is affirming. -Ironically, it's not unlike the excitement generated Dean's listing of the states in the media moment that did him in.

Considering the vulgar, vulgar media behavior of nat'l media pundits and reporters this week, it's also good to see some local coverage that is compelling.

[patrice]

2. Howard Dean is all about empowering People.

I've been watching him from the start, not once has he made things about himself, not even when his own party under-cut him. He is a regular guy who has a passion for Health Care. The acquisition of power is secondary to his desire to see the U.S. affirm its Rights to Health Care. That's why he delegates power, because he knows IF we are going to realize our right to Health Care, it is the People who will have to do it, not their so-called leaders.