Dean, Kerry, Murtha are being sidelined even as we celebrate.

[Leopolds Ghost]

I recently posted two articles from New Republic, etc.
(with no accompanying commentary from me) describing
how senior Dems are attempting to position Rahm Emanuel
as the "architect of 2006" and discredit Dean, Kerry et al.

In a classic case of "closing ranks after the election"
however, it apparently does not meet DU standards to
quote those articles directly, as that would constitute
flamebait; never mind that both articles extol the netroots
and sites like DU and Kos in particular. I can only
suggest folks check out tnr.com for more information:

http://www.tnr.com/user/nregi.mhtml?i=w061106&s=perlstein110806
http://www.mydd.com/story/2006/11/8/13534/5744

But it is a subject that must be discussed.

There has been a behind the scenes alignment between the
socially-and economically-conservative "Blue Dog" Dems
and the urban, socially-liberal and economically-conservative
"neoliberal" or "Clinton" Dems. The common theme is economic
conservatism, social and technological "progressivism" and a
hawkish stance on the war; essentially,
old-line urban Republicanism.

There's nothing wrong with their freedom to caucus that way...
until they start marginalizing other wings
of the party before the presses are dry on the election,
while studiously avoiding dean at the victory party and
openly trashing Kerry (and by extension Murtha, his ally
in the House on the war.)

[wyldwolf]

1. I'll respond now, then, with someone who rebutted that article

With all due respect to Rick Perlstein, his piece about Rahm Emanuel and the bloggers is highly unpersuasive. His evidence that Democrats owe their victory to the "netroots" -- whatever that really means -- rather than to the DCCC, boils down to the fact that five candidates disliked by liberal bloggers had the nerve to lose their races (Mike Weaver (KY-02), Ken Lucas (KY-04), Christine Jennings (FL-13), Dan Seals (IL-10), and Tammy Duckworth (IL-06)). Putting aside the fact that Duckworth was in fact a blogger favorite, what is the evidence that alternative candidates would have succeeded in these districts? Well, Perlstein doesn't say. But griping about five races that didn't pan out when Democrats just won at least 29 seats, seems to miss the point of what happened yesterday.

Later in his piece Perlstein gives ten examples of victorious netroots-approved candidates that he seems to believe the DCCC somehow abandoned. He hints that the bloggers put these candidates over the top. "The thing all these successful candidates share in common is backing by the same dirty-necked bloggers and netroots activists that pundits have been calling the political kiss of death," he writes.

I suppose that's one thing they had in common. Others might look at Perlstein's list of winners and say the thing they had in common, with the exception of one, is that the DCCC dumped tons of money, strategic advice, and fundraising assistance into their races.

Let's go through Perlstein's list. In the case of John Hall (NY-19) and Larry Kissell (NC-08), the DCCC helped with fundraising and developed a ground game for both campaigns. There was little reason to do more. In the case of Kissell, the DCCC polled three times and each poll showed Robin Hayes well ahead.

In Kentucky, John Yarmuth (KY-03) receieved $350,000 worth of support from the DCCC. In the case of Chris Carney (PA-10), who was a top target and obsession of staffers at the DCCC, Emanuel spent at least $1.5 million. The DCCC spent about $500,000 on Jerry McNerney (CA-11). As for Joe Sestak (PA-07), the DCCC spent over $2 million on him. The money helped destroy his opponent, Curt Weldon, and the NRCC actually abandoned the race. The idea that Sestak was some kind of blog creation is ludicrous.

The story was the same with Lois Murphy (PA-06), where the DCCC spent over $3 million; Bruce Braley (IA-01), where it spent over $2 million and where it was on the air as far back as August; and Kirstin Gillibrand (NY-20) where the DCCC spent over $1 million and ran two different ads simultaneously in the final days of the campaign.

Carol Shea-Porter (NH-01) is the only purported netroots candidate on Perlstein's list on which the DCCC did not spend any resources. So how much did Blue America, the group Perlstein ridiculously suggests is more responsible than Rahm Emanuel for the Democrats' victories, spend on the Shea-Porter race? According to the PAC's Web site, not a single dollar.

[TayTay]

5. This was not a victory for Democrats who stand for nothing

And the Democrats will lose if they abandon the voters who 'came home' in this cycle. We have elected a large group of populists who want to amend labor law and put in restrictions on alleged 'free trade' that takes American jobs away and sends to countries that have no labor law protections.

We have elected candidates like Jim Webb who mentioned, specifically, in his Victory speech yesterday that what made him a Democrat was a deep desire for social justice and economic justice for those who are on the losing end of a society that is not rewarding effort and labor with money.

Dream these delusions that this was some sort of DLC victory. It was not. And the netroots movement is only beginining. There was a report that came out yesterday that said that the US is 15th in the world in terms of broadband penetration and actual availablity of the internet to it's citizens. This is a movement that is growing.

The DLC and the people who do not listen to what people have said are doomed. The people said they wanted Iraq to be the top issue of this election. A lot of Dem leaders quacked in their boots at this and tried to bury it as an issue as recently as this summer. Well, Iraq was a top issue and will continue to be a top issue.

This is over yet. In fact, it has barely begun.

[wyldwolf]

8. Anything relevant to add to the post?

We've seen the "DLC is evil" act before.

[Leopolds Ghost]

24. I don't see any evidence of that. He said DLC is anti-populist.

The real issue is the conservatives and the neoliberal wing are both trying to sideline the populists and the progressives by claiming credit, publically avoiding Dean, and publically rebuking Dean, Kerry and Murtha.

Remember how Terry McAuliffe used to headline election night fests?
No evidence for that at Rahm and Pelosi's Capitol Hyatt extravaganza.

[wyldwolf]

27. well, aside from the fact that he responded with something irrelevant...

...certainly claiming that following the DLC spells doom qualifies in my book as "DLC is evil."

[Leopolds Ghost]

32. I think he meant electoral doom. (Not eternal perdition in the afterlife.) n/t

[wyldwolf]

35. even so, it isn't a legitimate claim

[TayTay]

28. Not evil, irrelevent to the debate

going forward. Totally irrelevent.

[wyldwolf]

33. if they're irrelevant, why mention them in an irrelevant manner?

I don't think the DLC padding their membership and one of their members getting credit with the House win by congressional leaders qualifies as irrelevant.

[Leopolds Ghost]

36. Exactly, that is the topic of this post.

Apparently it's verboten for TNR to take issue with that sort of pre-emptive pro-conservative debate-shifting however, as based on the reception previous posts on the TNR and WaPo revelations have got.

Gotta close ranks on DU now that we are in the majority, right?

Got to adopt a prevent-defense mindset.

No infighting allowed -- leadership purges are acceptable however.

How come Carville didn't close ranks behind Kerry in Nov. 04 and isn't closing ranks with Dean now?

[TayTay]

41. I'm not sure why you did

But there is this second post to a thread that is hostile to the DLC.

Why was that post so quickly put up anyway? Sometimes that happens when someone is trying to hijack an idear and pretend it was theirs to begin with, which, of course is what is happening with this election.

The DLC is not responsible for this week's past victory. They have merely found a parade to try and get in front of.

[wyldwolf]

42. actually, YOU did. Post #5

[Mass]

2. You are unfortunately right.

The DLC is trying, and certainly succeeding, getting all the congratulations for the victory, even if many other participated to the victory.

Without Dean, there would be no such victory, and, just a few weeks ago, Emmanuel was still touting Kerry as one of his major allies in this fight.

As for the netroots, I think the DLC has said a very long time ago what they thought about it. Use it when you need it. Ignore it the rest of the time.

Loyalty in politics simply does not exist.

NH picked 2 seats, one of them was not even on the radar of the DCCC. The candidate did not have any budget and started her campaign by chain letters.

Even more disturbing than the sidelining of some of our leaders is the sidelining of the American people.

This victory is a victory of the People for the People, not of any of our leaders. We rose to the occasion and said that we had enough.

[sandnsea]

3. Uhm, excuse me?

Could you please provide me with links of TNR articles that have been locked? You are absolutely right, I thought everybody understood what was going on with the Billary wing.

[DemocratSinceBirth]

7. Bill Clinton Worked Tirelessly For Our Candidates And He Gets Slammed

"Billary"

Cute...


I saw Clinton campaigning in the final days in Rhode Island, Maryland, and Virginia... Those races were supposed to be close and they were . I would assume Clinton made a difference.


The last time I heard the word "Billary" was from my ex boss in 1993... You can imagine what his politics were...

[Mass]

10. Tirelessly? For two weeks, you mean,

Before that, he was busy being cozy with the Bush family.

Two other ones missing to the OP list who worked really "TIRELESSLY" were Edwards and Clark, who went throughout the country for the last two years to support these candidates.

The Clintons were really there for a very short time.

[DemocratSinceBirth]

14. I'm Not Going To Piss On Clinton Or Use Contractions Like Billary

That's fucking grotesque...


Bill Clinton was a great Democrat, a great president, and he has raised piles of dough for the Democratic party and other good causes.

[sandnsea]

22. And right now he's trying to get his wife elected President

I'm not going to pretend otherwise. That's what's going on. If you like Hillary, fantastic, fair enough. I don't.

[DemocratSinceBirth]

23. I'm Ambivalent About Hillary...

She's about my fourth choice for pres.

I just took umbrage at the contraction "Billary"...


Do you know the etymology of that contraction?

[sandnsea]

25. I don't care

I will never call them Klintoon, I can guarantee that. But Billary fits what is happening right now. If you don't want them, you have to pick a side. They're framing this election as a mandate for Hillary style centrism. You help them or fight them. 2008 starts today. It actually got into high gear when they ran that smear on Kerry and his money, and started the frame that it was all Hillary and Rahm's money that was winning the election. Then there was her piling on JK when she could have side-stepped it. Now this. It's politics. Blood-sport. That's the way it is.

[DemocratSinceBirth]

34. I Don't Have A Dog In This Fight.

I just want to elect more and more Democrats.

[sandnsea]

37. Yeah me too

And we won't do it from way over on the left or the right. America just rejected the intrusion of religion into government and other conservative extremism. Democrats like Hillary and Rahm don't seem to get it. Americans are pragmatic, not ideologues. They also rejected cynical politics which is what this attempt to sideline Dean and others is. This is important if we really want campaign reform, ethics, and an honest and open government.

[sandnsea]

13. Hey, election's over

They're moving on to 2008, it's clear from their desperate attempts to frame this as a mandate for conservative centrism. You like corporatism and muddled social policy, great. I don't. I did whatever it took to get the majority. We've got it. Now it's time to fight for the soul of our party and pull it away from the corporatist cliff.

[DemocratSinceBirth]

18. I Don't Like Corporatism Or Muddled Social Policy

I like kicking GOPU ass and that's what Bill and Hillary Clinton have been doing in their elections.

[sandnsea]

21. Hillary had NO coat tails

She spent millions of dollars and didn't help a soul in New York. People voted against Iraq, corruption, unitary executive, religious extremism. The left set the stage for all of these issues, the left has been screaming about them, not the Clinton wing. If you haven't listened to Jon Tester, you should. He's pretty far away from Hillary Clinton, much more in line with Russ Feingold. This was NOT a referendum for Clinton centrism and the only reason they're saying that is for 2008 purposes. It's politics and the Clintons will say anything just like the Bushes.

[DemocratSinceBirth]

26. All I Know Is The Clinton Years Were Infinitely Better Than The Twelve Years That Came Before Them

And The Eight Years That Followed Them.

That's my unsophisticated frame of reference.

[Leopolds Ghost]

38. Long as we don't get another NAFTA,

near-total phasing out of Welfare or another pre-New Deal social program, HOPE VI dismantling of HUD, privatization of the Smithsonian, nor focus on divisive social issues while the economy becomes entirely tethered to trickle down gains from the stock market, embrace of neoliberal trade and foreign policies, or passage of major trust deregulation in energy, finance and telecommunications/media, we'll do fine.

[DemocratSinceBirth]

40. I Prefer To Remember Justices Breyer And Ginsburg

Twenty eight million new jobs....


Eight years of relative peace and prosperity...


And the fact that he was the first Democrat to win re-election since FDR...

[theboss]

47. Wait...Hillary had not coat-tails?

Name a prominent elected New York Republican right now? The House breakdown is, like, 23 to 6 or something ridiculous.

[sandnsea]

50. No thanks to her

Don't even pretend Spitzer or Cuomo got elected because of her, that's ludicrous.

Here. $29.5 million - for what??

http://www.mydd.com/story/2006/11/9/20156/8691

[SouthernBelle82]

29. Bingo

I agree with you. I get so sick and tired of the centrist's ignoring the progressive's and vice versa as well. I think instead of either side claiming victory and pumping up candidates wait for the primary season and than let the voters decide. Until than we should just work together and they should keep listening to us the voters and the people they represent.

[blm]

43. Democrats were projected to win LAST SUMMER - Clinton, McAuliffe and Carville jumped IN FRONT

of the parade the last two months.

[Leopolds Ghost]

30. The previous post on this subject was locked due to its thread title

Which accurately reflected the sentiments of the TNR author and
the original poster, who was protesting Emanuel's claims of being
the sole Architect of the 2006 victory, as backed up by Schumer,
Pelosi, and Carville, who have specifically trashed the anti-war
wing in comparison.

I make no claims to know whether or not the author is correct.

The following is for reference only:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=364x2671649

All this matters as to whether or not we're leaving Iraq, and whether we
get impeachment or legalized domestic wiretapping (an EITHER-OR OPTION).

[autorank]

4. This election signaled the start of a popular movement.

I'm reminded of the line from "The Grifters" - "He got rich when everybody got rich and he thinks he's smart."

This was our victory - the citizens who voted. We send a clear message - GET OUT OF IRAQ. The broader message behind that was stop f'ing around and do you job.

We the people could care less who is trying to take credit for all of this. We want action now. Anybody who impedes that does so at his or her own political risk.

Dean was one of the first to support the sane view on Iraq.

Then Murtha, then Kerry to reference those three.

Whoever gets in the way will be swept away. Nobody tricked us into voting for this huge shift, nobody
persuaded us. It was our judgment.

Get busy getting out of Iraq and then get busy fixing the huge problems we face as a nation and a member of the global community.

[SouthernBelle82]

31. Not really

Not really. Dean sure Kerry was next. He had a plan way before Murtha ever did and ever spoke out. I agree with everyone else though. This election was right vs wrong and not centrist vs liberal.

[WI_DEM]

6. I would say the big three are Schumer, Emmanuel and Dean

[DemCam]

49. we need them all, good people

far left, left, left-center, center...and that includes all of the work done by everyone. We all contributed...from the bottom on up to the strategists at the top. I celebrate all right now.

then we have to define ourselves as the Party of the Future...not the past. I believe we will but it's not going to be a cakewalk. Loved it when Nancy Pelosi said in front of W that we and the Republicans have our differences and we'll debate those differences.

How Democratic!

[janx]

9. Nobody can "sideline" Dean.

He worked *with* Emanuel.

[DemocratSinceBirth]

11. I Thought They All Did A Good Job Including Schumer...

eom

[janx]

12. Dems worked together to make this happen.

:party:

[Mass]

16. Want to bet. Read that and see why people are angry!

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=364x2675131

[janx]

19. Some people can try--but this election was a resounding success.

Sorry--I'm not into division right now. It's a beautiful day!

[Mass]

20. I agree, but I am getting tired to see a few trying to hijack what should be a victory to share!

[Old and In the Way]

15. Everyone contributed - Netroots, DNC, DSCC,DCCC,DLC,New Democrats,

young Democrats and old Democrats. I really don't see how anyone can devine how the confluence of people and groups who were part of this tsumai can be assigned into "winners" and "losers". I really don't think NR has a clue, either.

The recent emergence of the internet having a positive and significant impact on our candidates ability to read the electorate's positions and emotions is a powerful thing. The old media used to act as a filter and firewall that kept us in check...no longer operative. And this phenomena will continue to grow at the expense of the traditional media's role. Wait until the next and future cycles to see how much we are influencing the national dialog.

[Mass]

17. Exactly, this is a victory to share, not to hijack.

[OzarkDem]

39. Rahm & Friends need to get to work

on governing our nation instead of playing isider politics.

[wisteria]

44. Well money obviously talks and if we want recognition we had better

start using our fund raising clout and point out that we do not intend to continue to support a party that wants to have one dominant faction at the expense of the others. We do not like party leaders who take all the credit without acknowledging others who worked hard. A lot of the money raised was given by us and I for one will not continue to give if I am brushed aside and not even acknowledged.

[wisteria]

45. Hear is something that confirms what is going on. The media has a hand in this too.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/15651811/from/RS.1/


The Democrats' engineers of success

Schumer, Emanuel as different as their backgrounds

[Leopolds Ghost]

46. Does anyone remember how instrumental Terry McAuliffe was portrayed?

He got all the credit for Dem successes even amidst lowered expectations of a permanent Dem minority.

Now Dean isn't even on-stage with Pelosi and Rahm at the victory party.

"Buried the hatchet with Dean" indeed.

I seem to remember something about DNC operatives "picking their nose in Montana"...

[wisteria]

48. Yep, he was everywhere on the news. The media couldn't get enough of

him.

[Moderator]

51. locking

If you have any complaints about
moderators' actions, please contact
the Administrators.