Harkin predicts Vilsack will be DNC chairman

[lilfroggy]

Last Updated: 5:49 pm, Wednesday, November 17th, 2004

Harkin predicts Vilsack will be DNC chairman
By Todd Dorman

DES MOINES – U.S. Sen. Tom Harkin predicted Wednesday that Iowa Gov. Tom Vilsack will be picked to lead the Democratic National Committee, citing what he contends is growing support for Vilsack among party leaders.

Harkin, D-Iowa, said Vilsack has the support of U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin, D-Ill., House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., and U.S. Sen. John Kerry of Massachusetts, the party’s 2004 presidential nominee. Earlier this week Vilsack received strong backing from newly elected Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nevada.

“He’s getting more and more support as the days go by,’’ Harkin told Iowa reporters on a conference call. “And I think he’s going to be our next Democratic national chair.’’

Vilsack is on a lengthy list of prominent Democrats maneuvering to win the post, including former Vermont governor and presidential hopeful Howard Dean, former labor secretary Alexis Herman, former New Hampshire Gov. Jeanne Shaheen and U.S. Sen. Hillary Clinton of New York.

So far, Vilsack has declined to comment about his place in the race.

Party leaders will pick a leader in February to succeed outgoing DNC Chairman Terry McAuliffe.

http://www.qctimes.com/internal.php?story_id=1039689&l=1&t=Iowa+%2F+Illinois&c=24,1039689

[thedailyshow]

1. FUCK VILSACK!

I'm pissed he was picked over Dean and Simon Rosenberg.

[JohnKleeb]

3. he hasnt been picked yet

[Placebo]

2. So much for Howard Dean...

I know the fact that he isn't going to be the next DNC chair will disappoint some of his most ardent supporters...

But hey, at least this means the door is open for him to run for president in 2008 :)

[Dickie Flatt]

4. Vilsack's platform: KEEP IOWA FIRST [full stop]

[Kahuna]

36. Right.

:puke:

[Justitia]

39. This was my primary objection to Vilsack

so, we will have more of the same - sigh...

[Piperay]

41. Yeah that has been working so well

for us lets just keep doing it, BAH! :argh: :mad: :grr:

[Maat]

5. Well, that's it then. Insiders choose.

What the grass-roots-level Dems want is irrevelant.

Well, Howard Dean is my leader, whether the above individuals like it or not. They will have to interface with him - I suggest they plan on it.

Democracy for America gets my $!

[mzmolly]

16. ABSOLUTELY!!!

:toast:

[MaineDem]

43. Umm, the DNC votes

Is that "insiders"? Perhaps but that's the way it is.

But instead of complaining about it here on a message board, contact your state's DNC members. They're probably listed on your state party's web site. I know few of them are ever contacted by "constituents". Each state has at least 4 members who will be voting in February.

I wonder if anyone posting here has done that?

[JohnKleeb]

6. Is Durbin gonna get hell now for supporting Vilsack?

[DaveinMD]

7. the attitude

that anyone who isn't Dean is a bad person is beyond ludicrous.

[JohnKleeb]

9. understatement of the day

I am sick of it too, Vilsack hasn't even made one remark that has been inslting towards Dean and people act like Vilsack is the kiss of death, I am sure Dean, Vilsack, whoever will make fine DNC heads, either way its not gonna be something that affects me personally.

[BamaLefty]

10. Dean= Sure As Hell Loss

Why can't you people see that?

Two weeks ago, we lost counties in Alabama that had NEVER gone to a Repub... and I'm sure it happened all across the rest of the nation as well. Without the people that should be Dems... we will never win w/ consistency.

Bill Clinton won Montana, Arkansas, Tennessee, Georgia, Missouri, Kentucky, Florida, and Iowa. These were all red states in 2004. The truth is obvious, but we need another Big Dawg!

CLARK IN 2008!

[lilfroggy]

12. No

Dean should be DNC chairman. He can energize the base. Vilsack - dull.

[WI_DEM]

15. Did you know that Montana and some of those other RED

states went to Clinton in '92 (Georgia, for instance) because of Ross Perot. Not that we can't win them, but Dean is not going to be the cause if we don't. He certainly wasn't this year.

[dionysus]

19. yeah, we lost them because of Dean, who wasn't on the ticket

OK. let's be more republican.

slogan for '08 "we're republican enough to win!!!"

and that 3rd way bullshit will never work unless it's BD himself running.... FACT

[BayCityProgressive]

11. What is wrong with Vilsack?

He is a good guy! He ran a wonderful grassroots campaign to get elected in Iowa and he is from a rural state. I like Dean and I wouldnt mind him at all as the chair. However, he framed many things like abortion in the same way as Kerry did and it proved to be ineffective. POlitics is kind of like moving furniture. At first you move it all into the center of the room, then when no one is looking you put it wherever you want. We need to frame abortion, welfare, war and peace issues, taxes ect in a different light to the public without fundementally changing our views, and I don't think Dean is capable of that, as much as I like him.

[DaveinMD]

13. thank you for saying this

[JohnKleeb]

17. thanks, someone who doesnt hate vilsack

I dont have a dog in this race but I havent seen one legit arguement against Vilsack, Ive seen good arguements for both him and Dean, but please if you have a dog in this, promote your guy and what he does well not trash the opposition, we're in this together whether we like it or not, the guy will be head of the DEMOCRATIC National Commmitee.

[WI_DEM]

8. I fear that Harkin may be right

Harkin is no hater of Dean's either, after all he supported him for the 2004 nomination. But it seems that despite strong grass roots support around the country and within the party (Jesse Jackson,Sr and JR., Gov. Richardson, ect) that the Dem heirarchy (Reid, Kerry, Durbin, Pelosi,ect) are behind Vilsack because they fear that Dean may be too "hot". It's a shame, I feel Dean is a perfect fit and unlike Vilsack would commit full time to rebuilding the party for '06 and '08.

[Guaranteed]

14. Well, expect us to keep losing, then.

Why change course when things are going so well?

[BayCityProgressive]

20. The problem I see

is we have been on no course at all since the Republican Revolution under Gingrich.Before that the Clinton's were putting out agressive center-left policies and the party was standing for something. Ever since that election we have been on the defensive and we have yet to get a coherent message. Our message of the last 4 years "hey at least we aren't as bad as them" is not working! I don't think we need a radical left wing policy and I don't that that would serve us well. We need a refined public/private national healthcare plan that incorporates medicare, medicaid, AND private industry with regulations in order to make all segments of the party happy. We need a plan for social security. We need a plan for taxes and welfare. We need a plan for trade. We need a plan for internationalism. They dont have to be far left plans. Even a centrist or center-left plan would be light years better than what we now have. We need somethign concrete and convincing.

[Guaranteed]

21. Totally agreed. Even moreso, for me,

is our need for flashy buzzwords and some cajones. Our leadership just lets the Repukes walk all over them. They 'll keep losing as long as they do that.

[Kahuna]

37. Yep.

nt

[Piperay]

42. Yeah

might as well get using to losing cause that looks to be the future for our side. :-(

[Mojambo]

18. This does not make me happy.

But the Democrats should do what they want to do.

They'll not receive a nickel from me until I see which direction this "leadership" will be taking them.

[cally]

22. Dems didn't win Iowa

so why pick a man that can't make us win? Dems are soooooo stupid.

[BayCityProgressive]

23. By that logic

why give it to Dean. He couldnt win the primaries. Why pick someone that loses right?

[JohnKleeb]

24. do you know if anyone else prominent other than Dean and Vilsack

is running? as Ive said I have no dog in this race, I wont care who wins or who loses, just gimme a person who has good management skills, knows how to stand up, and can raise money good.

[cally]

25. If you are a Governor and can't deliver your own state,

then why should we think you can deliver a nation. Dean lost the primaries but I think he can deliver votes. I'm not sure Dean is the best choice but I don't support Vilsack. Show the money and votes which he has not done.

[countmyvote4real]

26. Bingo.

He couldn't lead his own state against *, but he's sure to deliver other states where he's less familiar. That's very DNC.

Stupid is as stupid does.

[politicasista]

28. dissappointed

Dean or an African-American person should have been considered.

[DaveinMD]

29. there is talk about Alexis Herman

Labor Secretary under the big dog.

[BayCityProgressive]

31. well guess what guys

I am about as liberal as they come but we have to do something to get states like West Virginia New Mexico and Iowa back into our fold. We also must become competitive in the South and Soutwest. If we give up half the country that not only cripples our chances at the presidency...we will NEVER get the house or senate back. I think the party runs the risk of not only being overrun by Right Wingers..but Left Wingers as well. The Democrats need to be progressive and put out policies that are common sense...not ideological platitudes. The elite GOP is now doing a better job of connecting with the average Joe than we are! We lost to the worst president in history and have barely controlled the house or senate in the last 10 years. I am not saying we move to the right, I am saying we be pragmatic and address the concerns of peopel who vote against us. We also need to clean up the political process fromt he state level up similar to the McCain Feingold Act.

[DaveinMD]

27. the notion that gov's deliver states is outdated

This just doesn't happen in modern politics where there are no more party machines.

[cally]

30. Jeb Bush..and many other states.

I agree that it is not as strong as before, but if he can't get his own state to vote Democratic then why should we think he can have other states vote our way?

[DaveinMD]

32. Florida

has been a state that leans Republican for some time. Iowa isn't a reliably Dem state. Vilsack became governor after Republicans held the office for 12 years.

[cally]

33. So, we have to win some of these states

What success does Vilsack offer? None. That's my point.

[DaveinMD]

34. of course we do

Vilsack is a good Governor who has won Iowa for Dems after 12 years of Republican rule. He should not be vilified.

[w4rma]

35. Fine, as long as Dean is Vice Chair.

Gov. Dean should be vice chair. I don't know if that seat exists, but he should be vice chair. Give the chair to someone who hasn't been smeared all to heck. Let Gov. Dean do the hard work with real power from a vice chair position. We Dems will know whose really in charge. The Repug base won't figure it out unless they also figure out that Cheney is in charge of our country right now and not Bush who is just a figurehead.

Sorta like how the Governorship and Lt. Governorship work in Texas where the Lt. Governor has all the power and the Governor is a figurehead (Repugs will never be able to explain this to their base without harming their opinion of Bush). Besides, Vislack would have to share his duties with governing his own state. Gov. Dean can do this full time and has an AWESOME work ethic.

Easy fix. Everybody is satisfied.

[madfloridian]

38. Dean said at Yale he did not intend to pursue....he did not have the votes

I posted it here last night. He feels if he really tried and lost it would split up DFA and maybe the party.....it already is.

[Piperay]

40. They'll never get another dime out of me

till they put in someone that is going to go after the repukes and promote real Democratic principles.