Dems ARE wimps: Must read from Washington Post on Paul Hackett

[debbierlus]

Excerpt from Washington Post...

"Hackett is seen by many as a straight talker, and he became an icon to the liberal bloggers because he says exactly what they have wished they would hear from a politician," Ms. Duffy said. "On the other hand, the Senate is still an exclusive club, and the party expects a certain level of decorum that Hackett has not always shown."

Mr. Hackett was widely criticized last year for using indecent language to describe President Bush. Last month, state Republicans attacked Mr. Hackett for saying their party had been hijacked by religious extremists who he said "aren't a whole lot different than Osama bin Laden."

Though Republicans called for an apology, Mr. Hackett repeated the mantra of his early campaign: "I said it. I meant it. I stand behind it."

God FORBID! Indecent language to describe a murdering, lying, thieving, incompentent, moron, unelected President. Bite your tongue Mr. Hackett!

And, how dare he compare the religious right wing to the Muslim Extremist. Just because they want to teach religion instead of science in schools, inflict their very minority will on the vast majority of Americans, and control women's reproductive rights....How dare he?

I am FED up to high heaven with the democratic establishment. They are completely CLUELESS on how to inspire and win. Hackett is EXACTLY what this party needs.

Entire article is here:

http://www.nytimes.com/2006/02/14/politics/14ohio.html?_r=1&oref=slogin

[seabeyond]

1. fuck that dems are weak. they have kicked ass and stood up for

truth above and beyond all others...... repugs

there is over a year of documented speeches showing how dems are not weak

dems are intellectually superior. that does not equal weak

dems kick ass in military. that does not equal weak

nothing about the dem, but allowing differing views all over the fuckin place BECAUSE we are progressive, can support such a statement that dems are weak. but.... i will challenge being open minded as being weak.

bogus statement

[debbierlus]

9. I amend that to say MANY dems are weak & the establishment

Is pathetic...

There are a handful of AMAZING dems.

However, the leadership sucks.

And, the dems are pretty weak as a whole.

They have LET the Republicans STEAL TWO ELECTIONS with nary a peep on the second one. They refuse to come out and expose the fraud with the election system (except for Conyers and the Black Caucus who are STRONG)!

They couldn't even unite to stop Alito.

I am sorry, but this is out of control.

[seabeyond]

13. i disagree with about your whole post

i could go through and point out why i disagree with about your whole post. i dont feel you are open though. so i really see it as a waste of time. so i will leave it at.... i think your conclusions are wrong. the information is wrong. you are not being factual.

[debbierlus]

17. Factual?

The dems laid down and died when the Bush STOLE the election in 2004.

The dems did not unite and filibuster Alito.

The dems broke rank and allowed the bankruptcy bill to pass.

The dems rolled over on fight after fight after when the Republicans peppered our courts with right wing extremist judges.

The dems still have not submitted impeachment papers. I KNOW they can't impeach, yet. But, they need to stand up and demand this maniac be stopped.

I am FULLY aware that the dems are the minority. That does not negate the fact that they need to fight tooth and nail against the Bush regime.

The democratic party needs SERIOUS change, and that will not happen until WE demand it.

Disagree, if you will. But, I have HAD IT.

[seabeyond]

21. then go. if you have had it. then go n/t

[debbierlus]

22. I should go because I refuse to walk in lock step?

From a post I wrote further down before you added this comment:

I have HAD it with the democratic party as a whole. I am NOT leaving the party. I am working at a grass roots level to CHANGE the party by working to get progressive, courageous, visionary people in key seats. I realize the best way to way to bring about a better country is a takeover of the democratic party with the best people. So, I am in. But, I am sick to death of having to battle our 'leadership' to do the right thing.

I am a delegate for the Progressive govenor candidate in Massachusetts. I am going to be secretary of the local democratic town committee when the woman who is in the position currently steps down this spring. I am avid writer for local publications. I am introducing our older crowd to internet organization.

So, don't tell me to go. I will continue to call a spade a spade, and fight to change a party that is not effective.

[still_one]

2. I just donated to hackett a week ago

I wonder how I would go about getting a refund?

I guess I will stop payment on my credit card

[sui generis]

3. senatorial decorum is how we got into this war.

Senatorial decorum hangs us by the nads every single time. If you're apologizing for what you say before you say it you're just as ineffective as not saying it or having to apologize for it later.

What a stupid value to give primacy to in the senate. I want someone who will roll up their sleeves and work, who can speak plainly, and senatorial good old boys decorum be damned.

The republicans don't appear to have any at all - I'd volunteer that Hackett at his worst was better than their best.

[Burried News]

19. The Madams of the Whorehouse insist on decorum ...

the newspapers really need to get rid of the Comics section - and replace it with Politics. Hollywood on the Potomac.

[debbierlus]

20. Amen

I get blasted on this board for critizing the dems.

I can't believe many people here do not expect and demand more from their leadership. The dems are failing. And, they are not failing because of the Republicans. They are failing because the party has been diluted to impotence by a leadership that truly is a Republican lite. I KNOW there are some amazing dems. But, they do not lead the party. And, they are in the minority.

[redqueen]

4. Please...

Please stop trashing all dems because you're sore about Hacket. It's bullshit.

[mikehiggins]

7. Not all Dems, just the ones in Washington most of the year N/T

[seabeyond]

8. prove it. you are wrong. n/t

[redqueen]

10. Sorry, but the Subject says "Dems ARE wimps"

And that, my friend, is high-grade bullshit.

Sickens me to see it here.

[jsamuel]

5. I think you are misdirecting your anger

you are angry at Repubs and Bush, but are letting the Hackett thing confuse you into yelling at Dems

[debbierlus]

15. No, I am ANGRY at the democratic party.

The Republicans are scum.

What defines our difference from the Republicans is that we don't march in lock step with their decisions and policies!

I have watched the dems repeatedly fumble, blunder, back-down, and let the Republican establishment get away with holy hell on earth. Along comes Hackett who tells it like it is...and they FORCE him out of the race. Can't have anyone standing up and telling the truth! They RECRUITED him.

I have HAD it with the democratic party as a whole. I am NOT leaving the party. I am working at a grass roots level to CHANGE the party by working to get progressive, courageous, visionary people in key seats. I realize the best way to way to bring about a better country is a takeover of the democratic party with the best people. So, I am in. But, I am sick to death of having to battle our 'leadership' to do the right thing.

Where is the outrage and the exposure of the stolen elections?

Where was the Alito filibuster?

I fully recognize the few strong democrats from within the party who I admire beyond all things. But, this democratic party as a whole is broken and not effective.

So - I AM ANGRY.

[tularetom]

6. I'm sure Brown would make a great Senator

I'm a lot less sure that he can get elected. At least Hackett has the balls to say the things a lot of us want to hear.

[Armstead]

11. Yes Brown is real wimpy (sarcasm)

Read his comments on the REAL ISSUES in this thread, and tell me he is one of the wimps.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=364&topic_id=410955&mesg_id=410955

(One example, from a profile in In These Times, hardly a DLC house organ):


...Brown believes his long progressive record will help rather than hinder. “For 10 years I won in a congressional district that was slightly Republican,” Brown says. “I think that voters that don’t agree with me on some issues will still say, ‘Brown’s on my side.’ On economic issues I’m clearly not just in the mainstream, but in the great majority. The overwhelming number of people think the drug companies, the oil companies and the insurance companies rip Americans off. They don’t like the Medicare bill, they want a minimum wage increase and they think our trade agreements hurt our country. On every one of those issues, I beat DeWine.”....MORE

[mazzarro]

12. I'll Keep Repeating It - Dem Leadership Is Clone of DLC

They are all compromised rethuglican-lites and corporate stooges! I do think that they are scamming us - the progressive rank-and-file - most of the time and I am tired of it!

[seabeyond]

14. becasue in repeating over and over. what was it bush said

how he convinces his people with propaganda. repeat over and over for them to buy your story? i dont have an exact quote. wouldbe interesting if some does.

[debbierlus]

24. I am becoming enormously unpopular for stating difficult truthes

I should have put the qualifier in the heading that MANY dems are wimps, and put the onous on the leaderhship. But, I amended that three lines down, and still people are furious with me because I call the dems out.

[Armstead]

25. Read Brown's positions and record -- He is far from DLC

[Nicholas D Wolfwood]

16. Way to not see the point of what happened AT ALL

Hackett's ideology was NOT the reason the party asked him to run for the HOUSE and not the Senate. Hackett's actual inability to defeat Sherrod Brown in a primary was the reason. There was NO POINT to having a primary that would waste valuable resources when the conclusion was never in doubt.

[seabeyond]

18. so what, lesson in this story. dems being strong, smart, reasonable?

wow......lol lol. i see it like you do vash

[debbierlus]

23. No, according to the article they recruited him for the Senate race

Mr. Hackett said Senators Charles E. Schumer of New York and Harry Reid of Nevada, the same party leaders who he said persuaded him last August to enter the Senate race, had pushed him to step aside so that Representative Sherrod Brown, a longtime member of Congress, could take on Senator Mike DeWine, the Republican incumbent.

From the LINKED article....

Who missed the point? They wanted him last summer.

Mr. Hackett staged a surprisingly strong Congressional run last year in an overwhelmingly Republican district and gained national prominence for his scathing criticism of the Bush administration's handling of the Iraq War. It was his performance in the Congressional race that led party leaders to recruit him for the Senate race.

Entire article: http://www.nytimes.com/2006/02/14/politics/14ohio.html

So, why the change? They DID want him before. Now, they are calling his donors and telling them to stop. I think my original post was RIGHT on target.

I thought democrats were supposed to challenge and question their representatives. What Reid and Schumer did was wrong! It is NOT for them to decide to cut off a candidate at the knee caps and stop them from running through dirty tactics. I thought the entire point of DU was to demand we run candidates who speak truth to power. I am in NO way saying that the other canidate should not have been given a full chance to run. And, maybe he would have proven a better candidate then Hackett. THAT is for the voter's to decide.