I never thought we'd have to start a petition against our own Democratic

[Guaranteed]

"leadership," but here we are.

I think we're going to have to get together a large petition showing support for Dean and telling the DLC whores bagging on him to shut the hell up themselves. Of course, it would be in much more polite terms.

I'm sick of these bastards undermining our own party.

Anyone want to volunteer to write it?

[impeachthescoundrel]

1. Respectfully

I will have no part of it. And I am more than disappointed in all of you who are pandering to right wing disractions.

[Guaranteed]

4. The DLC is doing this.

Not the Repukes.

You love your party unity so much but then sit idly by while assholes like Ken Salazar and Ben Nelson attack Dean. Sorry, but I want no part of that. I'm going to do what's right, and defend who's right.

[acmejack]

6. So be disappointed in the DINOs destroying party unity

not in the party faithful, who we are!

[tx_dem41]

7. After reading a few threads the last couple of days...

I'm starting to wonder if that's true.

[LaurenG]

2. I am not a writer but I TOTALLY agree with you

Slap them into reality. This is ridiculous and needs to be addressed.

I do not care if they all get their feelings hurt. Dean is speaking the truth, something that many of our democrats have trouble with. I really wonder why?

[Debau2005]

3. I will support a petition.

I am dismayed that leaders in the Dem party are undermining Dean. This is part of the perception problem we currently have.

I am not a writer and not articulate at all. I am sure someone in the DU will be able to help out with this.

edited for misspelling

[Finder]

5. a word of warning--playing into the hands of others

The repubs are dividing and it seems there is a movement to divide the Democrats too.

"Divide and Conquer" and "A house divided cannot stand" are things that must be considered.

[KurtNYC]

8. Yes they would be all too happy to see us

in some kind of circular firing squad.

Dean's strategy is to start taking some control of the news cycle -- to get our own echo chamber going. Last week the topic was WalMart, this week it is the Downing Street Minutes. Notice that the push for coverage of the DSM targeted a Monday for the big push -- Monday is the best timing for stories to try and dominate the week's news cycle. (Conversely, stuff that they don't want covered gets put out late on Fridays.)

The GOP's counter-strategy seems to be to talk about Dean rather the veracity of his statements. Dean is defining the opponent with statements like the one in question -- this is a classic stage of every political campaign. The GOP response is to try and drive wedges between Democratic leaders and their base. So they go with Kerry's grades, etc. The GOP is going to continue to talk about how Dean is allegedly "hurting fund raising" -- it isn't true and the GOP wouldn't care if it was.

And btw, * responded to Dean's soundbite quite akwardly. He pointed to Condi Rice at a press briefing and said she had a great interest in Africa. She looked like she wanted to crawl under her chair.

They are liars who react to the truth with an assumed outrage and then they tell more lies. What Dean has done recently is exploiting this flaw in the GOP machinery.

[LaurenG]

9. Geez who has divided us?

The republicans started it and we finished the job ourselves. If we want the country to be honest we must be honest. This really isn't the party of elite, it is the party of the people. I wish our representatives would behave as if what we thought mattered. Dean is telling the truth, in his own unique way. The truth isn't dividing us the lies and cowardice are.

Can't we please let Howard be Howard, he'll get the message out that we aren't buying the bullsh** anymore. My advice to all Dem officials, get your house in order and you'll have nothing to fear from the truth.

[Guaranteed]

10. How do you explain the 6 Democratic senators I've seen so far

bashing Dean?