Esquire: We Need to Talk About the Democratic National Committee Chairperson

[Lorien]

There is no greater mystery in politics right now than the continued employment of Debbie Wasserman Schultz as chairperson of the Democratic National Committee. I can almost understand the continued employment of obvious anagram Reince Priebus on the other side; he's an amiable lapdog who will sit up, roll over, and yip obvious nonsense on command. And, besides, he's the emptiest suit in American politics, there not being an institutional Republican party worthy of the name any more. He can do very little harm and nobody listens to him anyway.

But DWS is quite another matter. Despite her constant presence in the nation's Green Rooms, I'm damned if I can see what she's accomplished as a national chairperson. (Priebus has accomplished Staying The Hell Out Of The Way, which is something.) She's presided over a catastrophic midterm election cycles that produced the worst Congress in the recent history of the Republic. And now, on at least two occasions in the past year, DWS has gone out of her way to break with the president on important foreign policy initiatives. First, she took a dive on the opening the president made with Cuba, because she is from Florida and very frightened. And now, it appears she has decided to play shenanigans with the Iran nuclear deal, both as a congresscritter and, worse, as DNC chairperson.

The deal has divided the party, to the point where the chairwoman, Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz of Florida, has not made her position clear as yet. As the President heads into a veto battle with Congress on the issue, he needs every Democratic vote he can muster. But Jonathan Martin of The New York Times noted he couldn't get help from the party he leads. "The Obama-controlled DNC could not pass a resolution this weekend expressing support for President Obama's Iran deal," said Martin. "It's a bit of an embarrassment for the administration, seeing as how it's his party. He appointed Debbie Wasserman Schultz."

More at: http://www.esquire.com/news-politics/politics/news/a37542/dnc-chairperson/

[Lorien]

1. Please sign the petitions

to remove DWS as DNC chair: http://petitions.moveon.org/sign/remove-debbie-wasserman

And:

https://petitions.whitehouse.gov/petition/remove-debbie-wasserman-schulz-effective-immediately-chairwoman-dnc-democratic-national-committee

[LiberalElite]

18. I signed both nt

[magical thyme]

21. done and done

sorry to see the whitehouse petition with so little support after 2 weeks, though.

[beac]

51. It's up by about 4K signatures since I signed it yesterday (was just over 2K then, now over 6k.)

Maybe exposure on DU is helping? I sure hope so.

[dreamnightwind]

58. I am 6377, so it is climbing, long way to go though - nt

[The Polack MSgt]

81. Just shy of 6.6K

when I signed it - 0950 CDT

[cprise]

114. Its approaching 15,000 now

[Babel_17]

66. I signed it

Now that the lines are being drawn, I expect others to want to show their strong disagreement with DWS.

[SamKnause]

44. Done and done.

[passiveporcupine]

47. Agreed

Signed it a day or two ago. I hope this stays rec'd and kicked until everyone signs it here.

[JackInGreen]

74. Signed both

done and done.
......Doctor Venkman had the right line, I'll never be permitted to repeat it here.

[The Polack MSgt]

82. I signed

the white house petition thinking that the impetus for calling for her dismissal was the Iran deal shenanigans. That is not the case. The petition at WhiteHouse.gov calls for her dismissal over the scheduling of the debates.
I want her fired, but not over the debate schedule. I think folks should know up front what they're signing.
My fault for following the link and signing first - reading second

[d_legendary1]

86. Signed, Sealed, Delivered!

Even though she's my rep she needs to go.

[Unknown Beatle]

91. I signed them both yesterday, but why do

we need petitions? She should have been fired yesterday without the need for petitions.

Wow, a female Joe Lieberman, Josephine Lieberman Schultz.

[AikidoSoul]

101. Done on both, but still waiting for the confirmation WH email hours later

and still no sign of it.

[Freddie Stubbs]

112. It's hilarious that people are signing a White House petition which states that

Debbie Wasserman Schultz is "former 2008 presidential campaign manager for Hillary Rodham Clinton."

No wonder is isn't anywhere close to the number of signatures needed.

[enough]

2. Charles Pierce right to the point as usual. (nt)

[KG]

3. the dem party leadership is a joke.

y'all can stop blaming the media and look in the mirror.

[stuffmatters]

90. Maybe it needs to be done Party State level. Pretty sure Ca State Party would

support any petition or actions that would press for DWS replacement. I'm keeping in mind that the Ca Dem Party in the recent past voted a position to cut DOD/Pentagon spending by 25%. It's a heavy state in Dem delegates, voters, electoral votes and, of course, contribs.

I think a vote by the Dem Party of Ca of "no confidence" for DWS would have a decisive impact on national leadership. Other solidly blue states as well...instead of allowing this DNC incompetence to continue. The organized objections to DWS need to be powerful and loud outside the insular Beltway.

[brooklynite]

95. Begging the question: who here has spoken to their State Party or DNC members?

If you're really concerned, wouldn't that be the smart thing to do, rather than "sign" internet petitions? Or is it easier to just sit at your keyboard and complain?

[stuffmatters]

111. Re: Ca. Our Party Chair is John Burton. His email is [e-mail]

[DURHAM D]

4. This is all just so silly.

When your party has the WH the President is head of the party. He can request and receive DWS's resignation at any time.

In this day and age the DNC has almost no function other than keeping the list of actual voting members of the DNC and planning conventions and meetings. That is it.

[Lorien]

10. And yet she gets to decide how many debates we have

and when. Her strategy helped the Dems lose big in the midterms. Do you really want to retain her *just because* she and Hillary are buddies?

[DURHAM D]

15. Still silly.

The members of the national committee decided on the number of debates, not DWS. This was decided long before it came up at the meeting.

It should come as no surprise that most of the members of the national committee are strong Clinton supporters given that she has been doing party work since McGovern. Naturally they make decisions based on their feelings about her. I have talked to some party people who are really pissed that Sanders is being allowed on the stage because not only do they not consider him a Democrat because he has constantly, and continues, to trash the party they all remember that he wanted to primary Obama.

This is the fight Bernie wants so I don't see the problem.

[JI7]

16. dems lost because many of those were red areas that Obama himself lost

[cascadiance]

59. Four of those red states where Dems lost an ISSUE like minimum wage PASSED!

That's a testament to complete and UTTER FAILURE on her part. If issues can win, but many democrats spewing her CRAP (or avoiding talking about issues that people care about) due to CRAPPY DNC leadership, then it is time she is GONE!

If we want the party to survive, and so many here on all sides say that the party should come first, then DWS needs to go NOW!!!

[JI7]

63. many unions support drilling

Just because right wingers support minimum wage increase doesn't mean they stop being racist, loving guns and the usual shit.

Just as liberals in San Francisco are always pushing anti homeless laws.

[L0oniX]

19. Some would be happy to have no debates ...right?

[DonCoquixote]

29. oh really

"When your party has the WH the President is head of the party. He can request and receive DWS's resignation at any time. "

And this is in full light of the fact that in doing so, Barack would be exposed to clainms of being both sexists and antisemitic, as debbie herself PLANNED TO ACCUSE HIM OF BEING?

http://www.politico.com/story/2015/02/senate-bid-could-be-solution-for-wasserman-schultz-115373

[passiveporcupine]

48. She's a blue dog

She is not going to willingly resign. She has done nothing but harm to the party, and this debate issue is beyond the pale.

[bvar22]

97. "When your party has the WH the President is head of the party."

That IS the problem:

"I want to thank Debbie Wasserman-Schultz for being an outstanding chair of our party. (Applause.) She is a great partner."--President Obama

[hifiguy]

5. She is absolutely useless

and as corrupt as any Repuke. Should never have been given the job and should have immediately been kicked to the curb after last November.

Quoth Charlie:

And this is not to mention the long history that DWS has with the Fanjul family, the premier sugar dynasty in Florida, or her longtime support from the private prison industry. I mean, seriously, what has this person done to benefit the Democratic party since she took the job in 2011?

[Lorien]

9. More and more she's looking like a Right Wing operative

She isn't left of center on ANY issues. No one can truly be that incompetent and clueless either, can they?

[hifiguy]

11. It's hard but some manage it. It takes real hard work, though.

?w=604

[Elmer S. E. Dump]

34. And some people wonder how he got the "Chimp" moniker.

[hifiguy]

42. The expression on his idiot phiz

while losing the battle with the Chinese door may be the single most idiotic one in human history. Derp doesn't come close to describing it.

[LittleBlue]

41. Didn't know that

The Fanjul family, huh? Interesting

[Scuba]

46. Worse than useless.

[Enthusiast]

67. +1 an entire shit load.

[Xipe Totec]

6. OT - I don't think the anagram is that obvious. I checked.

There's 9,438 distinct anagrams of Reince Priebus. 8 of them include the word Penis.

So it's not obvious which is the obvious anagram.

http://wordsmith.org/anagram/anagram.cgi?anagram=Reince+Priebus&t=1000&a=n

Does anybody know?

[Jeff Murdoch]

37. Take the vowels out of his name, and see his game...

RNC PR BS

[Elmer S. E. Dump]

40. OMG, You're a fucking genius! Hidden code explains EVERYTHING!!!

[cascadiance]

60. And DWS could also stand for "Damaged Washing Machine"!...

Which illustrates what a failure she is a spin meister!

[Fairgo]

62. I now before genius!

Well done!

[Elmer S. E. Dump]

38. My vote: Beer Uric Penis

[Xipe Totec]

54. Mine is Rube Rice Penis. nt

[Zorra]

7. Makes me wonder if she is trying to destroy the Democratic party. nt

[MrMickeysMom]

35. There are some things in life you don't even HAVE to try to do...

By the nature of becoming so compressed inside the beltway by the forces that bind Rethugs and these types of Democrats, I'd say she's conjoined with them to fuck up naturally all by her own self.

[rhett o rick]

55. She is a puppet for the Oligarchs. nm

[SmittynMo]

68. Bingo

I couldn't have said it better.

[GoneFishin]

102. Yep. It hasn't been dems against Repubs for a long time. It is insiders against outsiders.

[rhett o rick]

105. It's the progressives vs the corporatists. The 99% vs. the 1%. Why some Democrats choose

the 1% is beyond me. I guess they feel more comfortable with big brother taking care of them.

[GoneFishin]

107. May be part denial, part authoritarianism.

[cali]

8. it's hard to come up with a worse dem than little Debbie.

At least one that prominent

[hifiguy]

12. As the old football coach Bum Phillips

would have said, I don't know if she's in a class by herself but it don't take long to call the roll.

[jeff47]

14. Jessie Helms? Strom Thurmond?

They were both Democrats until the Southern Strategy.

[cali]

17. dead and dead. did I really have to specify living?

[beerandjesus]

71. I'll help...

Richard Shelby is still alive!

[jeff47]

83. Just demonstrating how far down we have to go to find worse. (nt)

[merrily]

72. Think hard.

[TheBlackAdder]

13. DNC doesn't get a dime from my family as long as she's the chairperson. nt

[L0oniX]

20. +1 Same here. n/t

[Zorra]

49. Have not sent them a penny since Howard Dean was chair. nt

[L0oniX]

22. Cue messenger attacks...

[MisterP]

43. they're going with "tone policing" now

[BeanMusical]

23. Kick and R

[The Blue Flower]

24. Charles Pierce nails it again

President Obama should replace her yesterday.

[djean111]

26. She has stumped for her local GOP buddies, she has withheld support from local Dems

because she did not want to offend her GOP buddies. This woman of principle offered to reverse her stand on medical marijuana - if the guy who was responsible for the initiative would take back mean things he has said about her.

IMO Debbie does not even belong in the Democratic Party, much less be an elected representative and chairwoman.

To all those who jeer at Florida for being red - THIS is why, the Dem voters are not to blame. All Debbie cares about is money and power. She has no ideology. Not does any member of that New Democrat Coalition.

[DonCoquixote]

28. Florida is NOT red

and we have 2008 and 2012 to prove it. the problem is we have a QUISLING, a fake center fifth column operative who hamstrings the Alan Gratyson and Joe Morgans of Florida.

Yes, I call her that, because even if she did not agree with any Dem to her left, she could at least not go out of her way to hamstring them, and that includes not backstabbing your president when he kept you, even though many would have cheered her firing.

[djean111]

32. Thank you! I am just going by the sneers we usually get. The last money request I got from her

was sent back with the reasons I would not give her money, and a request to be taken off the mailing list.
Florida is a perfect example of why that tired old Third way bullshit about how we need to elect more Progressive people locally is, well, bullshit. Progressives are not getting support from Debbie. But - Patrick Murphy can turn Dem just four years ago, entirely because the GOP would not let him primary Allen West, no change of heart there, and Debbie is all over him.. He has both money and Third Way instincts. They are scrubbing him up to look liberal, and have rewritten that New Oemocrat Coalition agenda to omit the part where they say they don't let silly old ideology get in the way of going what the GOP wants. Ugh.

[DonCoquixote]

33. I'll see that ugly truth and raise you one

This is fresh of the Heels of two things:

One, the disastrous attempt to run chain gang charlie as a democrat.

Two, the fact that Alan Grayson was the ONE major democratic win in the last election.

[hollysmom]

30. I support women in politics, but it is past time for her to go, not only did she not support

democrats, she recruited them and abandoned them when it counted. not trustworthy, sorry, got to go.

[DonCoquixote]

27. As much as there is genuine stuff to criticize about BHO

We can never forget that from day one, his own party sought ways to counter, contain, and outright back-stab him. This includes the obvious Blue Dog Heavies like Landrieu and Wassermann-Schultz, and yes, it includes Nancy "impeachment os off the table" Pelosi and Harry "I fold like a cheap tent" Reid.

[tblue37]

31. She needs to be replaced by Howard Dean, the best DNC chair in my lifetime--perhaps ever. nt

[MrMickeysMom]

36. Amen to that, blue...

Somebody do something and fast...

[Elwood P Dowd]

57. I second that.

Just when you think we might be turning the corner in 2008, Obama's crowd makes a decision that will live in infamy. We've been in deep election doo-doo since then.

[frylock]

92. Howard Dean is in the tank for Clinton..

so no, thanks.

[Plucketeer]

104. My sentiments EXACTLY

Last time I listened to Dean throw rose petals on Hillary's path, I groaned heartily. I used to RESPECT Howard's views. Now he's part of the Coronation and he's lost my appreciation altogether!

[hifiguy]

108. Seriously WTF happened to him?

I was a huge supporter of his in 2004.

The Clintons have been known to buy friends.....

[blackspade]

39. DWS is an anchor on the Party's progress.

[catbyte]

45. Absolutely. The DNC is not getting one penny from me until she is G-O-N-E.

[Stevepol]

50. I agree that DWS shd go, but to blame her for the Mid-Term losses

I don't think is fair. I believe a good bit can be explained by the voting machines as Simon explains in CODE RED.

Simon's calculations are pretty convincing to me. These crooks who own and program the machines have gotten very good at cheating and nobody seems to care about having trustworthy elections, that is, nobody is interested in VERIFYING THE VOTE, something you've got to do if the voters are going to trust that their votes have been counted properly and not stolen, a sine quo non for a democracy.

I do think the Dems have made a great mistake in not following Dean's 50-state strategy. Whoever succeeds DWS I really hope will have the foresight and wisdom to realize that you have to appeal to Dems in every state.

[d_legendary1]

88. She ran Charlie Crist in my state against Skeletor

who was a former Republican who went Democrat and lost. Not too long ago he went independent vs. Marco Rubio and lost. For voters down here it means "flip-flopper" and most just didn't want to vote for the guy. He wasn't very popular with the younger crowd since he cut education while he was gubbernor. Its almost as if she handed the state back to the Republicans. I don't quite get it.

[DonCoquixote]

96. I do

Namely, if you had an actual Democratic governor, it would mean that DWS would lose a lock on power. The Third Way only works as long as you tell the narrative of "OH, this state will never elect a liberal, so you gotta shut up, take these crumbs, and let us beat you for the GOP every once in a while so that the voters will remember, er think we hate you too!"

[d_legendary1]

98. I was hoping not to come to that conclusion

but then again its the reason why our state is going to the Neocons.

[HassleCat]

52. Why they chose her

To the mainstream Democratic Party, she represents the future. She is female, and she wins elections by adjusting her image to please her voters. Some might say this is the past, not the future, but the DNC has been doing this for the past 30 years, moving back and forth with the ebb and flow of the rightward drift of the nation. Eventually, it will have to stop, but the DNC doesn't want it to stop right now, not this election cycle. So, Debbie Wasserman Schultz represents their game plan very well. Arguing she should not be the DNC chair is arguing that the Democratic Party should change direction and strategy, an argument with which I certainly agree, but an argument that falls on deaf ears for many (most?) Democrats.

[Elwood P Dowd]

56. Then we are toast. (nm)

[NBachers]

53. Hey Hey - Ho Ho - Dee-Wits has to go!

[Marr]

61. She always, always-- puts her personal best interest ahead of *everything* else.

Last edited Tue Sep 1, 2015, 09:48 AM - Edit history (1)

And that is the opposite of what you want in any sort of party leadership post. A person like that will gladly wreck the party's broader interests if it serves her that week. Lieberman fit into that same mold.

I don't even think she's a Blue Dog-- not really. She's just a career politician with absolutely zero ideals beyond advancing herself.

[merrily]

73. Agree, but how many politicians do exactly that--put personal ambition/goals above all else?

(Before I finished reading your post, Lieberman did leap to mind, but there are many other examples.)

[Lee-Lee]

64. Translation- strong female leader dared have differing options than the male leaders

so let's blame her for every failing of the organization and fire her for daring to have her own options and not march in total lock step with the men who lead the organization.

[eridani]

65. Which male leaders have been comapaigning for Republicans?

If Dean had done that, I'd have advocated kicking him to the curb.

[ybbor]

69. Gender has nothing to do with it!

DWS has been horrible as the head! I don't care if she were a puppie (everyone loves puppies), there needs to be a change.

The DNC sent out emails before the midterm that more or less sent the message that they were throwing in the towel.

Personally, I cannot believe she made it to January, let alone that she is still the head. (Didn't use leading, because she has shown no leadership at all!)

[Ikonoklast]

76. Only a person who only sees everything through that one filter would believe.

If DWS was a male you'd be calling for his head for supporting Republicans.

Same reason so many support Clinton the person, not her policies;, it's gender over everything.

[Lorien]

77. I wonder if those same people are also fans of

Palin and Bachman? I'll never vote for someone based on gender alone because I, as a woman, have always hated being discriminated against on the basis of my gender and feel that such discrimination is illogical and downright idiotic. Gender shouldn't be factor in determining anything, pro or con. That's kind of the point of feminism; establishing equality, which means ENDING the practice of favoring one gender over the other! I vote for a candidate based on their policy positions and ability to inspire others to fight for the same issues. Hillary's policy positions are those of Reagan era Republicans, therefore I don't support her. Sanders' policy positions are 98% identical to my own. https://www.isidewith.com/elections/2016-presidential-quiz

[hifiguy]

109. There are people right here at DU whom I swear

would vote for Margaret Thatcher over Ted Kennedy, if their posts are anything to go by, for just that reason.

[BlueJazz]

106. Amen to that.

[Blue_Adept]

78. Jury results

On Tue Sep 1, 2015, 08:30 AM an alert was sent on the following post:

Translation- strong female leader dared have differing options than the male leaders
http://www.democraticunderground.com/?com=view_post&forum=1002&pid=7129096

REASON FOR ALERT

This post is disruptive, hurtful, rude, insensitive, over-the-top, or otherwise inappropriate.

ALERTER'S COMMENTS

Not a gender issue.

You served on a randomly-selected Jury of DU members which reviewed this post. The review was completed at Tue Sep 1, 2015, 08:53 AM, and the Jury voted 1-6 to LEAVE IT.

Juror #1 voted to LEAVE IT ALONE
Explanation: No explanation given
Juror #2 voted to LEAVE IT ALONE
Explanation: Nah.
Juror #3 voted to HIDE IT
Explanation: No explanation given
Juror #4 voted to LEAVE IT ALONE
Explanation: So... state it in a response? C'mon folks, discuss stuff, don't be alert-weenies.
Juror #5 voted to LEAVE IT ALONE
Explanation: No explanation given
Juror #6 voted to LEAVE IT ALONE
Explanation: No explanation given
Juror #7 voted to LEAVE IT ALONE
Explanation: No explanation given

[Lee-Lee]

79. Really? Such think skin here anymore

Run to an alert instead of just debating it? Sad.

[hifiguy]

110. Stupid post. Stupid alert.

[Doctor_J]

84. Oh fer chrissakes

can't you ever give it a rest?

[awoke_in_2003]

87. Or, siding with republicans

on Cuba and Iran. We finally go rid of one Leberman, now we got her.

[frylock]

94. Fresh take.

[merrily]

70. I agree that DWS needs to be gone, but am nonetheless underwhelmed by this article.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/?com=view_post&forum=1002&pid=7129066

[Babel_17]

75. So the gift* of the debate schedule might come with a poison* pill

If DWS's popularity continues to fall her being seen as an ally of HRC will be a liability. And as the media eventually starts to focus on the Democratic debates, and the controversy of the scheduling, ... oh my.

In exchange for keeping the schedule, the HRC camp might be willing to sign off on DWS's removal. Not that their permission is needed, but there would be repercussions if they strongly objected to it.

*https://www.oxforddictionaries.com/us/translate/german-english/Gift

[The Polack MSgt]

80. Well,

It seems that incompetence is not enough to get her fired, maybe the grandstanding and disloyalty will do the trick.
I cannot recall ever being impressed by any effective strategy, plan, policy or action of this "party leader"

[True Blue American]

85. Both Petitions signed.

I have been waiting on one. Thanks.

[stuffmatters]

89. Record of abysmal DWS election failures and low,low DNC coffers reason enough to replace her.

It's not personal, it's just that her extended (longer than most DNC Chairs) reign has resulted in abnormally dismal Dem electoral and DNC financial impoverishment. It's a rotating job & DWS track record has been so damaging to our party that I see no justification to not bring in new leadership. It's urgent for 2016 and high time to dig out of this deficit in contributions, enthusiasm(I'm sure DNC membership has sharply declined) and electoral losses DWS' Chairmanship has created. Excuse time is over.

[SoapBox]

93. She's a TOTAL fail!

[Uncle Joe]

99. Well, in Debbie's defense

[Dont call me Shirley]

100. Signed.

[usaf-vet]

103. Her first allegiance is to Israel!

I'm tired of these Congress members who will vote Israel first. In this case leaving POTUS hanging in the wind. I know their oath and nowhere in it does it say support and defend Israel. She has to go for so many reasons. This just being the final straw.

[cprise]

113. DWS should go!

http://www.nytimes.com/politics/first-draft/2015/10/12/d-n-c-officer-says-she-was-disinvited-from-debate-after-calling-for-more-of-them/?_r=0