Al From is a cancer on the Democratic Party

[TayTay]

The DLC is the reason that the Democrats lost the Congress in 1994 and were unable to get it back until this year. His brand of 'don't rock the boat and let's go collect some of that good corporate money' nearly destroyed the Democrats.

His pathetic attempts to try and swoop in and claim credit for the win in the 2006 midterms is disgusting. That man is part of the reason that we went to war in Iraq and that some Dems didn't push hard enough to oppose Bush in both his terms.

The DLC should be eliminated. It is a cancer on the Democratic Party. It whorishly panders to the corporate world and explains itself by saying that if it fattens up the table of corporate America long enough, the people of this country might just catch a few crumbs as they fall off the table.

From is an example of a politician who knows nothing, stands for nothing and serves nothing but greed and deception. The sooner we expunge bastards like that from the Democratic Party, the sooner we can start to concentrate on programs that actually help working America.

What a lying, two-faced, incompetent, bullying piece of shit bastard. I hope he burns in hell with the rest of the 'do nothing, cuz it might offend someone, someday' wing of the Democratic Party.

[fedupinBushcountry]

1. I watched

"So the Nation goes" last night on the IFC On Demand. I was screaming at the TV and giving the finger to Begala and McAwful. My god I never heard such shit in my life. Of course it was all Kerry's fault, lame bastards. Of course they brought up how fucking good Clinton was, but didn't mention that he only won with 43% of the vote.

It was mainly about Ohio and how wonderful the damn attack part of politics is, Begala said that Clinton hit back everytime and that is how he won in '92. He chimed in how Kerry didn't have a message, of course that he didn't respond to the SBLiars right, he was from the NORTH, you know to elite, Clinton was a homeboy as was Bush. It was sickening.

Then McAwful was saying how the Kerry campaign wasn't in Ohio until June, and then RNC guy Gillispie <(spelling?) said that the RNC had been in Ohio since June '03. So that alone shows what a hypocrite McAwful is, yeah where was the DNC ?

They showed hardly anything on the disenfranchisement of voters, the way it was presented you would of thought Kerry lost by huge amount in Ohio.

I'm still yelling at myself for actually paying $6.95 to watch it.

[ProSense]

2. Well said!

They obviously feel threatened by voter activism or they wouldn't be trying to marginalize people for speaking out!

From:

A final challenge for Democrats will be to exercise self-restraint in promoting new public-sector activism.

WTF? Is this even democratic, as in lowercase "d" for democracy? I guess From wants everyone to return to the time period when the media, stupid ass pundits and the DLC fed Americans BS, leading to another Bush in the WH.

[globalvillage]

3. Is he telling us to STFU?

What an asinine thing to say.
With Dems like that, who needs Republicans?

[paulk]

4. ???????????????

???????????????????????????????

what brought this on?

[TayTay]

5. The new push on GD and GD:P to say that the DLC is

responsible for the midterm win and that the Dems had a overwhelming vote to go to the middle and do nothing. BTW, did you know that Jim Webb and his article on WSJ about economic fairness, the division of income and how unequal the society is, was, in feect, not written and the DLC knows that Webb didn't really mean what he wrote.

I hate the DLC. They are bastards. They never take a stand on anything, except when it makes a few friends richer. They can't support a withdrawal from Iraq, but that might be a risk. They are for unrestrictive free trade, cuz it's good for their rich friends and so forth. I have just had it with their inability to take a stand on anything.

“The hottest places in hell are reserved for those who in times of great moral crises maintain their neutrality”

Dante Alighieri

[madfloridian]

19. Stuff like this brought it on.

Al From is really stepping into the fray now....telling us how it will go.

He is advocating paying no attention to the grassroots and people of the party.

All the preaching about how centrism won...brought it on.

And there is a lot of discussion on whether any of that is true. The progressive caucus is growing.

http://journals.democraticunderground.com/madfloridian/697

[sandnsea]

6. They have a phone number

Shall we organize a phone tree. We take turns, one or two of us calls them every day to point out how wrong they are about given topic of the day. ????

[TayTay]

7. That is a great idear!

The Congress goes back into Session on Jan 3rd or 4th. We should start telling them to grow a spine and start acting as Democrats, not doormats.

Oooh, I love this.

[JI7]

8. wtf, why was this thread moved here ??????

[madfloridian]

14. I agree with it 100% wherever it was moved from.

Tay Tay has righteous anger, and I recommended this post.

[enough already]

9. WE won the last election, not the DLC

The DLC is dead, they just don't know it yet. If they want a fight, bring it on.

[IndianaGreen]

10. Al From and his DLC cronies advocated support for Iraq War

They told Congressional Democrats to vote for Iraq War Resolution without much of a debate in order to concentrate on bread and butter issues.

We now have nearly 3,000 dead GIs and over half a million dead Iraqis because of people like Al From and his DLC minions.

[OzarkDem]

31. And no money for the bread & butter issues

I guess they didn't know how to do the math.

[w4rma]

11. The DLC is a non-partisan group. They state on their taxes that they aren't pro-Democratic. (nt)

[wyldwolf]

12. so does MoveOn for that matter...

[Toots]

13. They got you by the balls, what are you going to do?

They know you are going to vote for the Democrat. They know you care deeply about America and would never just sit it out and not vote. They also know there just aren't enough of you to win outright. Believe it or not we do need independents and some GOP to aid our cause. Our only true hope is for a real Independent to run that echoes our cause and still appeals to the more moderate or conservative that dwell among us. I do find it sickening that they (From, Rahl, Carvelle, etc.) have to try and diminish others to elevate themselves. We are stuck with them though and in reality we need some that appeal to the conservative among us...We are what they refer to as the Base, they can assume they have our vote. One of the biggest mistakes supposedly the GOP made was spending so much time and energy appealing to their base and not the middle. We have to become one country again and that calls for tolerance and inclusion.

[madfloridian]

15. Laughing up their sleeves at us.

From left to right: U.S. Sen. Tom Carper is vice chair of the DLC; U.S. Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton is chair of the DLC's American Dream Initiative; Al From is founder and CEO of the DLC; Iowa Gov. Tom Vilsack is chair of the DLC; (Not pictured: Bruce Reed is DLC president; Pennsylvania State Representative Jennifer Mann is chair of the DLC's State Legislative Advisory Board (SLAB); Columbus (OH) Mayor Michael Coleman is chair of the DLC's Local Elected Officials Network(LEON).)



I recommended this thread.

[On the Road]

16. The DLC Has Outlived Its Usefulness

It filled a role in the late 1980s. It has had some members I admire, like Clinton, Gore, and Dean.

But I have to agree about Al From. That man appears to be a coward with a collection death wish, or else is simply in the wrong party. The party would be better if he simply went away.

The basic insight -- that the party needs to shed the McGovern/Mondale stereotype that doesn't connect with a lot of Americans -- has been taken up by Dean. His 50-state strategy has already stolen the DLC's thunders. And at this point, they have outlived their usefulness.

[madfloridian]

17. And when one of their own called them out in 03...look what happened.

Al From and Will Marshall got nasty.

http://journals.democraticunderground.com/madfloridian/62

[Cascadian]

44. The only time the DLC has been effective is with Bill Clinton

Dean has upstaged the DLC by using the "50 state strategy" and it's working. Carville wants Dean out because Dean won't use the DLC play book. The DLC is no longer of any use for the Democrats and therefore must step aside. The people have won the party back.


John

[bvar22]

18. K&R

Where is "The Center"?
Here is what the MAJORITY of Americans (Democrats AND Republicans) want from OUR government!

In recent polls by the Pew Research Group, the Opinion Research Corporation, the Wall Street Journal, and CBS News, the American majority has made clear how it feels. Look at how the majority feels about some of the issues that you'd think would be gospel to a real Democratic Party:

1. 65 percent (of ALL Americans, Democrats AND Republicans) say the government should guarantee health insurance for everyone -- even if it means raising taxes.

2. 86 percent favor raising the minimum wage (including 79 percent of selfdescribed "social conservatives").

3. 60 percent favor repealing either all of Bush's tax cuts or at least those cuts that went to the rich.

4. 66 percent would reduce the deficit not by cutting domestic spending but by reducing Pentagon spending or raising taxes.

5. 77 percent believe the country should do "whatever it takes" to protect the environment.

6. 87 percent think big oil corporations are gouging consumers, and 80 percent (including 76 percent of Republicans) would support a windfall profits tax on the oil giants if the revenues went for more research on alternative fuels.

7. 69 percent agree that corporate offshoring of jobs is bad for the U.S. economy (78 percent of "disaffected" voters think this), and only 22% believe offshoring is good because "it keeps costs down."


http://alternet.org/wiretap/29788/

8. Over 63% oppose the War on the Iraqi People.

9. 92% of ALL Americans support TRANSPARENT, VERIFIABLE elections!
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=203x446445

Where do YOU stand on the above issues?
Where does the DLC stand on these issues?
Where does YOUR rep stand on these issues?

What is stopping the Democratic Party from backing REAL Universal HealthCare?




The Democratic Party is a BIG TENT, but there is NO ROOM for those
who advance the agenda of THE RICH (Corporate Owners) at the EXPENSE of LABOR and the POOR.

[Spiffarino]

20. K&R! The DLC is a saboteur.

One thing became crystal clear this election cycle, and that is that money is the name of the game. The progressive Netroots did it with candidates like Jerry McNerney, Patrick Murphy and Jim Webb. Now it's time we get our act together and put the DLC out of power. It can happen quickly if we focus our contributions on progressive organizations.

Money talks and the more we send to progressive causes the more political insiders will want a piece of the action, but sorry boys: The price of membership is real support for progressive agenda and not just the usual lip service.

Contribute to the DNC, MoveOn PAC, PFAW, or any other action group that supports your progressive values. MyDD.com is an excellent source for information.

The DCCC and DSCC are pandering to big-money donors. Until that ends, they'll never get another penny of mine. I contributed in '04, but gave them nothing this year and told them why in a couple of brief emails. I hope others will do the same. If you stopped contributing or cut back, please let them know why you did it. When it comes to money - even small money like ours - they listen. Big-time donors can only give so much. They must have the $200-100-50-25-10 donors to give in large numbers or they're dead.

The Netroots are strong. Use your leverage.

[BluegrassDem]

21. So where do DLC'ers go then?

If you all want to abolish it, then you recommend all those supporters and candidates to leave the party as a whole?

[glitch]

22. They take the Republican Party back from the Fascists - it's a perfect fit. nt

[CrispyQ]

24. Zang!

:thumbsup:

[BluegrassDem]

25. Does that then mean the Democratic Party isn't a big tent?

I mean, it sounds like you have to be in lock step with the far left to be a Democrat? I always under the impression that the Democratic Party tolerated different views.

[tkmorris]

26. Don't be so hyperbolic

No, you don't have to be in lockstep with the far left. You just can't be as far right as the DLC is.

[paulk]

28. but it seems that it 's mostly the far left

that sees the DLC as "far right".

[AntiFascist]

41. It's more of a hawk vs. dove type of division...

particularly with respect to aggression in the Middle East. Already on TeeVee they are admitting that Hillary is a hawk (I think it was Tweety). This seems pretty blatant. The left-leaning anti-war contingent sees the right-leaning pro-warriors as enabling the corruptive, monopolistic goals of American hegemony.

[Debs]

27. Did I miss where someone said they need to leave the party?

I see it advocated they no longer get to run things. I see people mad that the DLC keeps telling us lefties we arent part of the party that THEY define the soul of the party we are fringe and so on. If the DLC is saying either we run things or we leave the party they arent democrats anyway. There views ARE tolerated, I didnt see anyone calling for their arrest or purging them from the democratic party only that we are tired of them running things badly and running down people like us. They are big boys they can handle the criticism.

[BluegrassDem]

34. The op said the DLC should be abolished

That's tantamount to telling those who belong to it that they are not welcome in the party. People in the DLC are not a majority of party members I know, but I have no problem if they wanna have some sort of organization with other like minded people. I mean, would you rather that the 44 Blue Dog Dems switch parties? Would you rather our moderate senators like Evan Bayh, Ben Nelson go ahead and switch parties too? I'm sure Bush would love for that to happen.

[Spiffarino]

39. No, "abolished" is your word.

If you were talking about my post, I said the DLC needs to be "put out of power." I didn't say it should be abolished. It's a free country and we all love the free exchange of ideas, I just happen to believe that the DLC is the wrong place for Democrats to get them.

I don't think that the DLC should disappear, but that Democrats should leave it. It serves no useful purpose for Democrats to be in bed with corporatists. That's better left to Republicans and half-assed Libertarians.

If you meant the original poster of this thread, the word "abolished" was also never used. The word was "eliminated." Much harsher tone if you ask me and, even though I disagree, I like how it sounds.

[Debs]

40. No they are not

Tantamount to the same thing. Saying that this organization WITHIN the Democratic party has outlived its usefulness or even that it should be eliminated is NOT the same thing as saying you people should leave the democratic party. Its like within the PTA there was a group of parents that started a militia group that raised money for PTA purposes. IF the PTA told them they didnt approve of their group and didnt want it as part of or associated WITH the PTA that is not the same as saying they dont want the parents IN that group as part of the PTA.

[Laelth]

35. I don't know.

I like the idea of "inviting" the DLC to invade the Republic party and rescue it from the neo-cons. In fact, I suggested as much in January of this year: http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=364x277934

I also want to add, regarding the Democratic party as a "big tent," it's clear from the poll posted above that the liberal wing of the Democratic party is dead in the middle of the American political spectrum. The MSM and both political parties have drifted way right over the last thirty years, but the American people have not.

-Laelth


Edit:Laelth--bb code error.

[Odin2005]

29. The DLC is a right-wing, Corporatist tool, calling it "centrist" is an insult to centrists

[Pithy Cherub]

23. Join the CFL!

Seriously the DLC is a shield for a group of conservatives with corporate cash that have used it to buy influence in an old media. the Party is evolving and the DLC is resistant to the change and the loss of influence. The DLC is not into economic populism but the vast majority of voters are based on the current conditions in the electorate. The DLC cheerleaded for the Iraq debacle and the vast amount of voters reject the specious reasoning behind that tragic folly. Now, the DLC has to move or continue to reduce its footprint of elected officials and influence more in proportion to their numbers and size. It's the DLC's choice to marginalize themselves or join the majority of their own volition but having respect and tolerance for other viewpoints.

Make no mistake, my view of the DLC is derisive because of their corrosive effect on the body politic and triumphalism and political authoritarianism.

[Spiffarino]

38. It doesn't matter.

My recommendation would be for current DLC members to reevaluate their priorities. If one's priority is to see wage earners given a fair shake in tax and trade policy the DLC is the wrong place to be.

If one wants the same or more of what we have right now, they should stick with the DLC and prepare to be shunned by self-respecting Democrats. The DLC may not be a partisan Democratic organization, but it has nurtured party leaders like Bill Clinton and Rahm Emmanuel. It is time for the Democratic party to decide if it is going to work toward a better life for all Americans or simply remain in the corporate camp. As a Democrat - and a fairly moderate one at that - I see no place in the DLC for champions of the middle class.

[sendero]

42. Exactly..

... the DLC point of view might have had some sort of merit back before the internet. At that time, raising money from individuals was next to impossible. Now, that has all changed and the DLC has apparently not noticed.

[OzarkDem]

30. He's not that important or influential, just noisy

He's more like a pimple on the arse of the Dem party than a cancer. He's annoying, but he'll go away eventually.

[_dynamicdems]

32. ROFL! K&R!

Bravo!

What a lying, two-faced, incompetent, bullying piece of shit bastard. I hope he burns in hell with the rest of the 'do nothing, cuz it might offend someone, someday' wing of the Democratic Party.

Hehe.

:kick:

[wisteria]

33. I agree to a point, the DLC is not a friend of the "people".

However, there is a need to accommodate Business too. The problem is, the DLC wants absolute power and insists on dictating to the rest of the party how they should behave and how they should vote. There needs to be a balance. Right now, as in the past, they have been no friend to the Democratic Party- just certain individual members of our party. This must end. They have taken "The Party of the People" and turned it into a confusing muddled Republican wannabe party.
It doesn't surprise me they are claiming victory this past election, that falls right into attacking Dean and not backing Kerry. This is currently the part of our party with no scruples and low morals. They have been allowed to get to this position because they have gone unchallenged for so long riding on Clinton's wins. They must be fought back. It is important for the health of our party.

[OregonBlue]

36. Thank you. Well said. Since when are Dean supporters radical

left wing. We are grass roots, that's what really scares them. They want the control and the power, when in fact, the power should belong to the people. We just have to keep putting OUR money where our mouths are. When they see their $$ shrinking, they'll have to think twice.

[GreenTea]

37. His disciples Carville, Emmanuelle, etc...are pissed and explains why...

The pummeling of Howard Dean by inside-the-beltway Democrats? Prominent Democratic consultants (James Carville, Stan Greenberg) go on the record (“you can quote me”) with complaints barely two weeks from a Democratic sweep. Leading congressional Democrats (Rahm Emmanuel) vent their anger vociferously (“on background”). Why? Dems now control both Houses and have twenty-eight governorships. Dean ought to be congratulated. So what’s the underlying agenda here?

Dean’s strategy of putting money into state party infrastructure takes money out of the pockets of Washington insiders – away form Democratic consultants and key congressional party activists. That makes insiders angry.

Dean is an independent DNC chair, not under the sway of the Clintons. Unlike Ron Brown, who guided the DNC toward a Clinton victory in 1992, Dean doesn’t play the usual power games. Hence, the Clintons would like him out, and the sooner the better. Carville, Greenberg, and Emmanuel, (DLC) among others, are doing their bidding.

http://robertreich.blogspot.com

[Q]

43. Al and Joe could start their own party...

...called the 'highest bidder party'.

Lieberman perfectly demonstrated his and the DLC's loyalty to the Democratic party. If they don't like the rules...they change them to fit their own needs or simply ignore them.

We've seen what happened with the GOP when they invited corporations in to help write legislation and finance their campaigns/party.

The same thing is happening to 'our' party now.

And like the true moderates of the Republican party that were pushed out of their party...the only thing that stands in the way of a corporate takeover of the Democratic party are the progressives. Thus...the enemy of 'new' Democrats are those who refuse to sell out the party for money and power.

The DLCers will tell you that they only want to bring 'moderation' to the party. But it's clear they want more than that. They want to establish their own version of trickle down/supply side economics and privatize (commercialize) every government service. (More favors for big business in return for millions in campaign cash for their perpetual careers).