Robert B asked me in the last thread what we should be doing as Democrats this fall. There are two things to think about here. 1.) How do we let the DNC know that we mean business and 2.) How do we make sure that progressives maintain power and influence?
Here’s my answer:The parties have put us between a rock and a hard place. It is my personal opinion that John McCain is going to win. He sewed it up when he picked Palin and solidified his evangelical base. I don’t consider myself to be any authority figure but here’s my best shot at delivering guidance: Support downticket Democrats, except for the high profile idiots who sold us out. That is, find a downticket Dem who would be a new face in Congress and work your ass off for that person. Support all of the Dems in fact except for people like John Kerry. For the September 16 primary in Massachusetts, pull out all of the stops for Ed O’Reilly. Even if Ed doesn’t win, we want a showing that will give Kerry the willies. If you protect your numbers in Congress, and they will need extra help now that the evangelical base is mobilized, you will increase the number of progressives to the point where McCain/Palin will have to negotiate and can’t ram anything through.
Then, when you are confident that you’ve done everything you can to promote a solidly blue Congress, vote your conscience for the top of the ticket. If you don’t like the concept of two Republican parties in the country, make sure that one party incarnation doesn’t survive election day. (and by that I mean the party, not individuals)
Savvy?
If you haven’t had a chance, read this post by Anglachel that lays out the repercussions of a Palin VP nomination. Whoever selected her did it with pinpoint accuracy. Now, not only is the top of the ticket in flux, there are dozens of downticket Dems who may become collateral damage. Man-o-man, the Dean Democrats really screwed the pooch when they staked everything on Obama. They shouldn’t be allowed to practice politics without a license.
So, if you want to send a message to the DNC, a taste of things to come in November, send money and support to Ed O’Reilly in Massachusetts who is hoping to upset John Kerry in the primary coming up on Sept.16. Think of him as the Ned Lamont of 2008. Lamont’s primary run changed the narrative on the Iraq War and helped us take control of congress in 2008. We *can* do this. I wouldn’t be surprised if the voters of Massachusetts are ready to start yet another revolution. Let’s give them a hand.
Update: If you are interested in helping other Democratic candidates, here are some who need it:
John Coale, a prominent Washington lawyer, husband of Fox TV host Greta Van Susteren and a supporter of Sen. Hillary Clinton, announced today that he was supporting John McCain for president. Coale, who traveled with Sen. Clinton, President Clinton and her family through out the primary season, complained of sexism, and said the Democratic Party is “being taken over by the moveon.org types” in an exclusive interview with Newsweek.com’s Tammy Haddad.
I promised myself after Kerry dumped Ohio in 2004 that I wasn’t going to hold my nose for a vote again. And as hard as Obama supporters are trying they still haven’t convinced me to vote for McCain (voting for him would make my nose bleed). But, I’m very interested in hearing how one Hillary supporter made the switch.
And I had no idea that Greta’s husband was so involved in Hillary’s campaign.
Happy Labor Day everyone! For all of those Conflucians in coastal Louisiana, Mississippi, Texas, Alabama, we hope you are well & please report how things are in your little corner of the South. Keep safe & hope you and your loved ones are well!
Senator Clinton is eminently qualified for this role. (Indeed her experience in the Senate and the respect in which she is held there were among the reasons she would have been such an excellent Democratic President this year, since working effectively with the legislative branch, especially the Senate, is a large part of what makes a President successful.) She has the policy ideas and the political savvy that can make the Senate an extremely powerful force for progressive change. Senator Clinton has the respect of foreign leaders the world over.
Furthermore, Senator Clinton now enjoys a popular mandate for her views and policies: she won more votes than any other presidential contender in a primary season ever has; polls show that were she running against John McCain she would be beating him handily; and she is a politician of national prominence who has support from rank and file voters of all affiliations.
Thus, the importance of making sure that Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton is elected by her Democratic peers to lead them in the Senate. Information on how rank and file Democrats can work toward this objective to follow. Stay tuned.
Now, this does not mean that Hillary will weaken her presidential chances for 2012, in fact, it strengthens it. After the Pelosi-Dean-Brazile-ocrats get the McCain/Palin SuperDuper Spanking this November, our goal is to bring Democracy back to the Democratic Party. Well, here’s our chance to get rid of the most incompetent and corrupt Democratic leadership since, uhh, since …. well hell, there’s never been a more corrupt DNC leadership ever!
If Cindy Sheehan beats Nancy Pelosi, a big part of the problem is solved. Pelosi loses her House seat and she goes back to San Francisco. But if Nancy Pelosi wins her 2008 election against Cindy Sheehan, Hillary Clinton as Senate Majority leader makes Hillary the most powerful and influential Democrat in the nation, regardless of who’s the Speaker of the House. Nancy will carry the large and looming Obama/Biden defeat on her shoulders and there’s nothing that’ll give more cooties than an election loss, whether it’s a general, state or local election.
Just by Hillary obtaining Harry Reid’s position, Hillary becomes the de-facto Democratic Party Leader due to her strength and record for fighting Republicans head-on, and her emergence as a true populist leader during the primaries, and with that 18 Million “I told you so’s” elephant in the room strengthening her 2012 run. Hillary has something that nobody in the DNC has. Leverage. Hillary came out smelling like ROSE from the DNC convention. She gave above and beyond the call of duty. Not to mention the voters who were shafted in the interest of “party unity.”
My point is: Hillary has YOU AND ME and 18 million others who believe she is the best leader for our country. She already has re-energized the Democratic voter base and as Senate Majority Leader, she’ll bring a much needed backbone to Democrats should McCain win (and he will). She’s the only Democrat, other than President Bill Clinton, that Republicans retreat, stand down and run scurrying to their bunkers. Why do you think Dick Cheney has a permanent scowl on his face? (Michelle Obama, look out, your face will freeze if you keep making that “scoop mouth!” – h/t Sugar @ Sugar n Spice Blog.)
We all know that Obama/Biden is going to get the SuperSmackDown of SmackDowns this November 4th – and I can’t wait! We are only 3 days in the general election and the Obamaphiles are verklempt and going into hyper High School Gossip mode over Sarah Palin as VP. We need to distance ourselves from the High School Gossip Kool Kidz Krew. We need to start thinking beyond the election and start regrouping to put Democracy back into the Democratic Party. We need to support Down Ticket Democrats (but Nothing on Top of the Ticket – N.O.T.) for that impending McCain/Palin win in November, to ensure than they enforce the “checks and balances” to the Executive and Judicial branches as it was intended by our country’s founders. Primary Election reform is another goal we must make sure is addressed to the post-electables.
Personally, I have no dog in this election fight anymore and I’m quite ok with that. Neither McCain nor Obama speak to my needs as a voter. But the show must go on! What do you think of Hillary Clinton as Senate Majority Leader?
The Republican vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin has announced that her 17-year-old daughter is pregnant, in an announcement intended to knock down rumors by liberal bloggers that Palin faked her own pregnancy to cover up for her child.
Bristol Palin, one of Palin’s five children with her husband, Todd, is about five months pregnant and is going to keep the child and marry the father, the Palins said in a statement released by the campaign of Republican presidential candidate John McCain.
Bristol Palin made the decision on her own to keep the baby, McCain aides said.
“We have been blessed with five wonderful children who we love with all our heart and mean everything to us,” the Palins’ statement said.
“Our beautiful daughter Bristol came to us with news that as parents we knew would make her grow up faster than we had ever planned. As Bristol faces the responsibilities of adulthood, she knows she has our unconditional love and support,” the Palins said.
The Palins asked the news media to respect the young couple’s privacy.
I am very sorry that Bristol Palin’s private life is about to undergo an investigation by people who we once considered to be caring, tolerant people. It’s none of our business. She’s very young and her responsibilities have increased enormously. But next year, there will be one more addition to the Palin household and I’m sure that there will be good times as well as hard times. Let us send her and her family our best wishes for a healthy baby and a prosperous life going forward.
Money speaks for Money, The Devil for his own
Who comes to speak for the skin and the bone?
The comfort for the widow, the light to the child,
There is power in a union.
Message to the DNC,
We, the voters of the United States who voted in good faith for Hillary Clinton, demand that you give Senator Clinton the day off. She’s worked tirelessly for your slacker nominee since the day when you stole her delegates from her.
We demand that you compensate her with vacation time and overtime pay. She has gone above and beyond the call of duty, giving up her own right to promotion in order to sing the praises of the man who hasn’t met a opponent he couldn’t derail or voter he couldn’t brutally suppress. We estimate that the amount of time that Senator Clinton has put in so far entitles her to take off the rest of the year.
As to the matter of monetary compensation, it goes without saying that we support equal pay for equal work. You record in this department is sorely lacking. Hillary Clinton has clearly outworked her opponent and yet you awarded the nomination to him. We will be filing a complaint with the EEOC accordingly. We also intend to make sure that you aren’t just paying lipservice to the concept of equal pay in the rest of your organization and will expose you when we find evidence of any discrepancy. Considering that Senator Clinton is a giant discrepancy, we advise you to remedy the situation immediately.
We demand a benefits package including a guaranteed benefit pension plan, a dollar for dollar 401K retirement savings account, life insurance at group rates and accidental death and dismemberment at 2.5 times Senator Clinton’s salary. We demand that Senator Clinton be afforded access to a universal health insurance plan for life with a drug benefit, mental health benefit and access to reproductive health services. This plan should be made available to all people on a sliding scale according to income (not to exceed 10% of total gross income) with tax credits and automatic enrollment.
We also condemn the use of women to do uncompensated work with no definite endpoint and have determined that is reminiscent of human bondage. We are particularly concerned that Senator Clinton’s statement regarding Governor Palin’s incipient breaking of the Glass Ceiling was met with “will do, for now” from Barack Obama. This indicates to us that Mr. Obama will continue to insist that Senator Clinton save his bacon in the 2008 election and no reward will be forthcomeing for her. We believe this is a violation of Senator Clinton’s human rights and an affront to her personal dignity. We therefore demand that you release Senator Clinton from any further campaigning on Barack Obama’s behalf. Any further uncompensated work forced upon Senator Clinton in this regard will be referred to Amnesty International for a formal investigation.
We have no expectation that you will bargain in good faith since your recent record is deficient in the extreme. However, you should note that the true and loyal Democrats have found that there is indeed Power in a Union and we look forward to making the powers that be in the DNC, the powers that were in November.
Robert B asked me in the last thread what we should be doing as Democrats this fall. There are two things to think about here. 1.) How do we let the DNC know that we mean business and 2.) How do we make sure that progressives maintain power and influence?
The Confluence 
