Reply #38: The Policy Shop is attempting to grab the reins of power. [View All]

[madfloridian]

Harold Ford said last year that the DLC of which he is chair will be the "policy shop" of the nominee.

"In a lengthy interview last week with a handful of reporters, Ford outlined his plans for the DLC -- ranging from its involvement in the 2008 presidential race to its work as the policy shop for the eventual Democratic nominee.

"This is the incubator," Ford said of the DLC, which was founded in 1985 in the wake of Ronald Reagan's landslide reelection. "If you look at the last ten great domestic policy ideas in the last 10-15 years ... 75 percent have come out of this organization."

They are that. You can go www.dlc.org and read their strategies. No doubts at all.

I am not the only one having some uncomfortable feelings that Rahm's appointment was a tip of the hat to where the party was going. I am finding out that more are concerned than are letting on about the lack of any credit given to Howard Dean as he steps down....and the fact that it was so publicly leaked that he was too partisan to be part of the administration.

I noticed something strange today after the Colbert Roast by Rahm. I know of two people who questioned the wisdom of the remarks directed at Dean right at the beginning of his comments. Some things are funny, most anything goes in a roasting. But some things are just tasteless and out of line. Rahm just got the power, he is the direction in which we are going...he did not have to cut Dean down again. The two people who questioned were rudely attacked by others trying to squelch any discussion.

Rahm said to an audience that of course laughed uproariously..."I took the job despite the fact that when first time after the story broke, President elect Obama received over five hundred calls telling him what a horrible idea it was to choose me, and all five hundred calls were from Howard Dean".

For one day Rahm's picture was at the very top of the DLC website, even above Obama's picture. They got complaints and took it down, but it was there and sent a message.

I am glad at this website and a couple of others that there is concern of the dead silence from the party leaders on this issue. I have had a couple of phone calls from people who surprised me and intend to chack some stuff out.

I think we must learn to accept Rahm's face as the face of the party now. If we don't, we really don't belong anymore.

The concerted efforts here and elsewhere to squelch any discussion of the obvious worries me.