Now I understand why Dean said "ask Harry Reid."

[madfloridian]

I figured it was just an off-hand comment as he was whisked away to another event in RI last week. But I guess there was no way in hell he could answer it...it is a question that has no obvious answer. In this statement he shows his support for Kerry and Kennedy, but it is the other comment that I wondered about.

I bet the Governor wondered to, as did Senators Kerry and Kennedy who put their butts on the line.

Asked about the possibility of a filibuster to stop the nomination, Dean said, "we have to do whatever we have to do. I don’t have a say in whether we have a filibuster but I am very supportive of what Sen. Kennedy and Sen. Kerry are doing."

Dean brushed off a question about why, if Alito is as bad as Kennedy and Kerry are saying, the Democrats don’t appear able to sustain a filibuster, which takes only 40 votes and there are 45 Democrats in the Senate along with some moderate Republicans, such as Chafee, who might join in.

"You have to ask (Senate Minority Leader) Harry Reid," Dean said, as he was whisked aside by an aide telling him he had another event to get to.

http://www.zwire.com/site/news.cfm?newsid=16020234&BRD=1712&PAG=461&dept_id=24361&rfi=6

I called Bill Nelson's office just now and expressed my outrage with him. They were back to the same so what attitude. Dr.Phool of DU, go for it. I will talk to our DFA here, I have a sizable mailing list.

[GreenPartyVoter]

1. Don't you just love that "screw you" attitude of "we're all you've got"

Dinos? x(

------------------------------------------------------
How about some freakin’ election reform already?!

[WildEyedLiberal]

3. We both used a frowny face

x(

Coincidence? I think not. :P

[WildEyedLiberal]

2. I noticed that the first time I read the article

I thought it was nicely snarky of Dean - HE seems to understand who the real patriots committed to fighting are.

x( fuck Harry Reid. Not a dime of mine to the DSCC. Not one dime.

[endarkenment]

4. But my Democracy Bond is going to fund them anyhow

This is driving me nuts. I really do not know what to do.

[WildEyedLiberal]

6. Can you write to the DNC

And request that your money be used solely for grassroots building?

I don't want a dime of my money to support these cowards - only the real Democrats who showed courage today. But Dean was on board so it's not fair to punish him either. Dilemma. x(

[madfloridian]

7. Don't desert the DNC, please. Dean is trying.

He will not go 3rd party right now, and withholding support hurts all of us.

Withhold support from the ones who let us down if you must.

[GemMom]

15. Donate directly to your candidates of choice

NOT the DNC! There it obviously goes into some general pot, and you have zero say-so in where it goes.

[madfloridian]

16. I think to advocate against the one part of the party working for us...

is shameful.

[mom cat]

23. We have to be strategic ... but that will come. I want to personally

select which candidates I fund. I can no longer just give to the party as a whole when I see that some of my hard earned money would go to people who just made a very dangerous decision for America. They are the ones who turned their backs on Dean and on their base. The upcoming primaries of the traitors should send a message!

[MoJoWorkin]

8. Can you cancel your bond commitment? If so, I suggest it be done.

And the the DNC gets told exactly why.

I didn't do a bond, but sent back my DNC card saying that I would only donate further if the Democrats filibustered Alito

[madfloridian]

10. Dean did just stood up for us....so you cancel.

Ok...

Withhold from the right people.

[WildEyedLiberal]

11. People just don't want the money to go to the traitor Dems

DNC money will still go the people who voted for cloture. I don't want to punish the grassroots building either, but I understand people wanting to direct their money to only the Democrats who acted like Democrats.

Is there a way to specify how your DNC donation is used?

[madfloridian]

20. DNC money goes to building the party. How will that hurt you?

I just posted this just now:

"Dean said that progress is being made, but that some Dems in Congress don't see that hanging together is more important than their own re-election campaigns. "They're not there yet, and we just have to keep working on them."

He also said that we should not hesitate to let Democratic politicians know when we're displeased.

I notice that many people conflate the actions of specific Democratic politicians with the DNC. The DNC has no control over what individual legislators do. The DNC does not give money to House and Senate campaigns, and doesn't give money to the DSCC or the DCCC.

So, it makes me sad when I see justifiably irritated people say that because of the vote by specific Senators, they're not going to support the DNC. The DNC works pretty hard to get these folks on the same page, but it's like herding cats. "

[WildEyedLiberal]

21. Well I agree Dean was on the right page of this

I think if you want people to keep giving to the DNC, you need to highlight and capitalize part of your post: THE DNC DOES NOT GIVE MONEY TO HOUSE AND SENATE CAMPAIGNS. That is what is tripping people up, here. You should make it its own thread so they know to boycott the DSCC instead.

[Mass]

5. I noticed he said that as well. Once again, he was spot on.

[Kolesar]

9. I was away. I came back to DU and found the place on fire

It takes all of ten minutes for the latest page to fill up with angry comments.
I thought yours would be the only one of the lot reading or posting to. Most of the other thread titles looked, how shall I say?, unproductive.

[Armstead]

12. I would almost rather see Katherine Harris in the Senate than Nelson

If we're going to have a clown from Florida, Harris might even do less damage than Nelson.

At least we'd know what to expect. And she'd provide endless comic relief.

[madfloridian]

13. Please reward the ones who cared. Don't punish the DNC and Dean

and Kerry and Kennedy and the others who tried. If you do that they won't bother again.

[MercutioATC]

14. Reward the good. Cut out the bad. Let starve the indifferent.

The DNC just lost all of my sipport. It's not a punishment, but I'll be damned if I'll give money to a group who aids some of the Senators who voted yes today. I'll contribute directly to the candidates that I feel deserve it.

[bread_and_roses]

17. It's not about punishing Dean. It's about controlling your $$ leverage

And once $$ go to the DNC, if I understand correctly, one has no control over how they are spent.

Why would I risk one $ going to any Dem who voted yes to Cloture? They are fools and knaves. And the only way I have to influence that outside my own State is to make sure not one of them gets one lousy dime from me.

So no money to the DNC. No money to MoveOn unless they take a vow never to promote any Democrat who voted "yes" on Cloture (as did Byrd). And I will do my damndest to make sure that I send $$ to any Progressive Primary candidate opposing any of those Quislings.

I'm sure there are millions around the Country who, like me, voted over and over for "lesser of two evils" Democrats for one reason only - to protect the Supreme Court. Look where that got us.

No. What little I have to contribute to candidates, I will CONTROL. If that harms Dean's fundraising, well, that's too bad. Dean has done some good work, good for him, but it's not about him - it's about a Party that only understands $$ and too many of whose Reps are dismiss the very people who put them in office in pursuit of some "swing vote" Chimera.

[MuseRider]

18. Agreed.

That is exactly the way to do it. I want to know exactly what I am supporting.

[madfloridian]

19. Then go ahead and harm us all.

Go ahead.

[MuseRider]

22. Grassroot begins

with anyone who wishes to create it. We can do this without larger organizations where our donations are not specific.

There are lots of people here who do many hours of work for the party and some of us are not even in the party. All of that is good, hard, helpful work. To tell them that they are harming everyone is silly.

[mom cat]

24. Easy there. We are all a little raw right now. We have a lot of rage right

now, so lets us not take it out on each other.I think that the upshot of all of this is that we are all going to work harder and give more than ever before. We may each contribute differently, but we will all be pulling for a more progressive government and country.

[MuseRider]

25. Nicely said.

There are many ways and many MANY good leaders.

[bread_and_roses]

26. Well, "all" didn't do much good today, did it? What "all" anyway?

"All" would only be a "set" if "all" had voted against Cloture. There were enough "Ds" to prevent Cloture - they didn't.

So supporting "all" when they effectively voted FOR one of the worst, most extreme Judicial nominees I could imaging would make sense just how?

The entire arguement for donating to the DNC is that, somehow, having "enough" Dems in office will advance a Progressive agenda. Well, there WERE enough to Filibuster. They didn't.

I will continue $$ support to individual Candidates. I will continue working for local candidates. But I will controll my $$ leverage - it's all they understand.

And it has nothing to do with Dean.

[Freddie Stubbs]

27. You're not going to hear Gov. Dean criticize Democratic Senators

That's the Republicans' job.