I see zero leadership from national Democrats on the frontal attack

[merbex]

made by the GOP on the middle class

ZERO.

I refuse to cheerlead for lacklustre politicians who only 'shine bright' when there is a fundraiser in the appointment book.

And even then it seems certain politicians who use a D after their name to get elected can't seem to resist a dig a teachers,......and are always quick to talk about sacrifice for a 'budget'; those sacrifices articluted in speeches that some fawn over, will be made by the poor and middle class in this country pretty much exclusively.

What is lacking, and what is needed, desperately, are 'leaders' who will FIGHT for a reality in which a LEADER sees it as his/her responsibility to point out to society that it is immoral that 400 INDIVIDUALS have as much wealth as the bottom 50% of the population combined.

Big kudos to anyone who can point to national Democrat who fits this description of what a leader is.

Those national Democrats' names which are left off or not included on this list which I invite you to creat in comments below should tell you a major story about THOSE LEADERS' TRUE VALUES.

Or more accurately:the lack of the values thay have.

[undeterred]

1. Dennis Kucinich is coming to Madison this weekend.

Previously scheduled. He and Congresswoman Baldwin (from Madison) will both be at an event Saturday night. They are national Democrats supporting working people.

[merbex]

2. Very good, we now have 2 names out of ALL the elected Democrats in the USA

hat fit the definition I created above as what defines a "leader" today.

I applaud the fact that you identified these 2, but what does that say about the lack of any other names?

[undeterred]

32. Gwen Moore, the rep from Milwaukee, has also spoken out.

[roody]

3. They are not leaders.

[old mark]

4. K&R- The Democratic Party has abdicated its traditional role as supporter

of working people. I guess we just have not paid them enough to get their loyalty-they certainly have no concept of what is right and wrong.

We must find another group to represent our interests because it is clear that we have no one now.

mark

[merbex]

9. K&R

[William769]

5. K&R

[Lucky 13]

6. Obama has ordered them to stay out of it because it's a "distraction"

No joke. So the Republicans as a National Party come at us full force and we leave the people of Wisconsin and their Dem State Senators and Assemblymen of Wisconsin to fight the fight alone.

Shameful. Obama, the party, and any other fucking DINOs get nothing from me from now on. If they are going to leave it to the state level representatives to fight, then that is who my money, time, and effort go to - because that's where the real fight is happening.

[merbex]

7. Highly rec your response

The 'national' democrats will look back on this period anly WISH they had stood with the people of WI.

It will be like the veritable army of pols that claim that they 'marched with MLK'

They didn't.

They didn't have the courage.

They don't seem to have the courage now.

Shows you the courage it took to go up against George III by those that signed the Dec. of Independence.

Today's so called 'leaders?'

All PROFILE NO COURAGE

[sharp_stick]

10. evidence please

Even a simple link to a quote would be nice.

[deutsey]

12. Probably referring to this

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=439&topic_id=600018&mesg_id=600018

[Lucky 13]

13. Here is the DU thread where it was discussed previously with links

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=439&topic_id=600018&mesg_id=600018

[merbex]

16. Link and quote below for you reading enjoyment...or not

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/03/04/us/politics/04staff.html?_r=1

"Similarly, the White House mostly has sought to stay out of the fray in Madison, Wis., and other state capitals where Republican governors are battling public employee unions and Democratic lawmakers over collective bargaining rights. When West Wing officials discovered that the Democratic National Committee had mobilized Mr. Obama’s national network to support the protests, they angrily reined in the staff at the party headquarters.

Administration officials said they saw the events beyond Washington as distractions from the optimistic “win the future” message that Mr. Obama introduced in his State of the Union address, in which he exhorted the country to increase spending for some programs even as it cuts others so that America can “out-innovate and out-educate” its global rivals."

[gkhouston]

31. 60 kids in a classroom and we're going to out-educate. Uh huh. n/t

[Lucky 13]

19. Here's another article - "Mr. President: Use the Damn Bully Pulpit!"

http://www.salon.com/news/wisconsin/?story=/politics/war_room/2011/03/10/obama_wisconsin_unions

"President Obama is the only person in the country with the clout to reframe the debate on public sector unions in a more sensible manner, and he seems to have wrapped himself in a radio silence. One can only assume it’s a deliberate, tactical, decision, an attempt to win back anti-union, conservative independent voters. After all, when the president wants things said, he has a remarkable ability to make himself heard. The chief executive can command national attention simply by calling a prime time press conference, or asking the networks to set aside some air time for a presidential address to the nation. And in Obama’s case, he’s not only the president; he’s also a first rate orator with an almost preternatural ability to get people to see things his way when he really wants them to."

[bullwinkle428]

8. Rachel : "The Democratic Party has been ignoring its base for a LONG TIME!"

Direct quote from last night's show! :applause:

[spanone]

11. i expected a little political outrage this am.......crickets

[quinnox]

14. The Democrats have been MIA for awhile now

They need a jolt to the heart to see if its still beating.

[MadHound]

15. Face it, the Democratic party, especially on the national level, is as corporately corrupt

As the 'Pugs are. Both parties have been bought and paid for. The only true role of the Democrats now is to act as a safety valve for those pissed off on the left, giving them the illusion that there is something they can do to fight back, yet in reality accomplishing nothing. Outside of a few Democrats, there is nothing worthy or worthwhile left about the Democratic party, and it is time to move on beyond them.

[glinda]

17. Their silence implicates them. That is the conclusion I came to recently. Sadly.

[jtown1123]

18. We need to primary all Democrats with progressive candidates to force them to move left

That's what the freaking tea morons did to the Republicans and now they are all insane.

[merbex]

20. Still only 2 names...how sad is that? I was going to refrain from adding any to see who DU

put up here but since those that are 'leaders need to be recognized for standing with the workers of WI and the WI14 I will say I attended a rally in Boston and Congressmen Ed Markey, Mike Capuano, and Stephan Lynch spoke clealry and loudly in the defense of the middle class.

I'll give a'present' in body and hafway in spirit shout out to Gov. Deval Patrick...still too,too,too, DLC speak for my taste in his remarks, but he did show up...maybe he listened and learned something( my only hope)

[Courtesy Flush]

21. Where does that "400 people" figure come from?

I know Michel Moore used it, but what source did he get it from?

[jtown1123]

23. Members of Congress?

[merbex]

24. When Egypt was recently going through it's upheaval MANY news

articles pointed out that the wealth disparity was worse in the US right now than in Egypt

Egypt happened before WI ...the facts are out there MM just connected the dots succinctly

[Marrah_G]

33. Its the top 400 wealthiest people in the US

http://www.forbes.com/wealth/forbes-400

[Marrah_G]

34. Here

http://www.forbes.com/wealth/forbes-400

[PATRICK]

22. Incrementalists leading from behind?

Or blue dogs wishing we'd shut up and die? I think the message we are getting is the latter and repugnance for the former is strong enough not to care about the difference.

[swilton]

25. Totally agree with your premise

Ted Kennedy would have been there and so would Paul Welstone. The current leaders in Washington, DC can't see outside of the beltway - totally out of touch....It looks bad for our president as being insensitive and out of touch as much as he is a poor manager....the labor unrest is spreading across the country.


I would rather lose in 2012 in the interest of promoting a stronger progressive party - and I say that hoping that uber-DU censorship moderators don't strike this post and send it into a black hole.

[merbex]

26. K& R if your comment is deleted

I thinks it great that we have to put dead politicians up there to show the COWARDICE of today's Democratic politicians.

This is a test people( speaking directly to national Dem pols) and you are FAILING

We should test you more often( as you like to do with kids) only we should TEST YOU WITH PRIMARIES.

I don't feel like advancing your careers anymore. You need to learn a basic lesson on what DEMOCRACY is.

[kenny blankenship]

27. Do you really want Obama on your side?

Everything he touches turns to shit.

[merbex]

28. Feel compelled to add Robert Reich's name as a national Dem LEADER

wish I could add more......

Can anyone?

[tallahasseedem]

29. It's just sad...

the Republicans and Karl Rove are so good at messaging. We will never be able to match they way they can message and throw it all out there to get what they want.

[merbex]

30. TOTAL SILENCE in defense of working people is a message

maybe it's just one you don't want to absorb because the implications are so awful

[autorank]

35. That's because they agree wit it. n/t