The Infestation of the Democratic Party

[Scuba]

The article is specific to Wisconsin, but this is a national problem.


http://cognidissidence.blogspot.com/2015/11/the-infestation-of-democratic-party.html

It was brought to my attention today, that two long time Democratic party insiders are now working with an extreme right wing organization. John Jacobson( who worked for Mandela Barnes and helped others campaign) and Brandon Savage, (who has worked forvarious Democratic campaigns), have hung up their Democratic party badges and decided to throw in with a right wing organizatuon trying to destroy our schools amongst other things. The Organization is called Wisconsin Property Taxpayers Incorporated.

...

This comes on the heels of many of the former Democratic Party power structure quitting and heading to work for union busting, fake Democrat Chris Abele.

If the Democratic party is infested with people who are just check cashers and have no principles, there is no wonder that in a few short years we turned the state from blue to extremist red. How many others working in the party, for electeds or in campaigns would be so willing to run to the opposite side for a paycheck? Is there any vetting process in Democratic circles for hiring?

[leveymg]

1. Hillary was a Goldwater Girl, and all that goes with that.

[SidDithers]

6. Did she vote for him?...nt

Sid

[ieoeja]

8. Too young. She did work for Rockefeller at the RNC in 1968.

Earlier that year she volunteered for McCarthy (D) because of his anti-hippie and anti-protestor stances, interned for congressman Laird (R-WI), and was president of the Young Republicans.

She ultimately left the Republican Party because, as a Rockefeller supporter, she was treated rudely by Nixon's supporters at the RNC.

Hmm. Sounds a lot like Hillary's supporters today regarding Bernie....

[Hortensis]

31. No. Hillary became a Democrat when she left her conservative

home (especially her father!) for a wide world of new ideas, Wellesley College version. She has never turned away from her religion and remains Methodist.

As for a tale that she changed parties because someone was "rude" to her? Ridiculous. That sort of petty nonsense is for amateurs who had no conviction to begin with, not people who devote their lives to politics and public service.

[Octafish]

10. Who do you vote for?

Just wondering.

[Rex]

20. You think he helped put the liberal party in power in Canada?

I wonder who Sid's favorite Canadian politician is.

[Art_from_Ark]

26. I'd be very surprised

if it's either of the Trudeaus.

Joe Clark would be my guess.

[arikara]

49. Joe Clark was actually one of the better Conservatives

But then again, maybe he was ok because he only had 9 months to screw things up. At any rate, he had a cool wife who kept her own name which was unheard of back in the day.

"Joe Who" as he was fondly known by Canadians was the last of the old timey Progressive Conservatives. His successor, the first of the Canadian neo-cons Brian Mulroney sang Irish songs with Reagan and was the one who bulldozed Nafta through. Brian singlehandedly destroyed the Conservative party in Canada until the Reform and Conservatives united and the Reformers came out on top. Northern Foundation Reformer Stephen Harper took over and went to work finishing the job of dismantling Canada, even Brian Mulroney spoke out against some of his policies.

That's Canadian Conservatism in a nutshell.

[Art_from_Ark]

58. One of the reasons why I suggested Clark

He's not as nutty as Harper, but still conservative.

And was NAFTA already a done deal when Chretien became PM?

[arikara]

59. Yes, Chretien promised during his campaign to revisit it

but he broke that promise and left it as it was.
Corporate rights always trump human rights no matter which party gets in.

[Octafish]

50. I always ask for, you know, something. Anything. Historic.

Like this great DUer, always contributing.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/?com=view_post&forum=1002&pid=7328900



"Always. Be. Contributing."

[ljm2002]

14. Hillary was young at the time...

...and she has been a solid Democrat for her entire adult life.

Look, I don't like Hillary Clinton as a candidate for a number of reasons -- the biggest one being that we have a much better candidate this time (in my opinion). But she is a Democrat, with all that implies on the social issues that are so important, and also with all that implies for potential Supreme Court appointments. These attacks on her because she was once a Goldwater Girl are -- again, in my opinion -- ridiculous and unwarranted.

[leveymg]

19. She was a junior Repub. Now, she's a senior Dem neocon. Lots of evolution . . .

Her trajectory tracks the "East Coast Establishment" party elite, itself. Actually, the Democratic Party was "evolved" toward the Right to meet them since the early '80s. That was largely Pamela Harriman's work. Bill and Hillary, Pam's proteges, were an integral part of that transformation.

Bill eulogized Pam this way in 1997:

In 1991, she put her indomitability to a new test in American politics, forming an organization with a name that made the pundits chuckle because it did seem a laughable oxymoron in those days: Democrats for the Eighties. For members of our party at that low ebb, she became organizer, inspirer, sustainer, a captain of our cause in a long march back to victory. She lifted our spirits and our vision.

I will never forget how she was there for Hillary and for me in 1992: wise counsel, friend, a leader in our ranks who never doubted the outcome, or if she did, covered it so well with her well-known bravado that no one could have suspected. Today I am here in no small measure because she was there.

Read up on Pamela Digby Churchill Harriman and Democrats for the Eighties. Here's an insightful piece from the WaPo in 1992 about how Pam, who understood men and their money, created Democrats for the Eighties, and Bill and Hillary Clinton as American royalty: https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/lifestyle/1992/11/06/pamela-harriman-life-of-the-party/24eaff39-40fd-4f21-a4b4-9c59b4fc08c2/

By the time Democrats for the 80's was disbanded a decade later, with the Senate at least back in the Democratic fold, Pamela Harriman had raised $12 million in the elegant surroundings of Picassos, Matisses and Degas, priceless Chinese porcelains and authentic French antiques. And that figure did not include the "never less than $100,000 an evening" that innumerable individual candidates collected for their own campaigns.

Now, after 12 years as what Eizenstat calls the Democrats' "voice in the wilderness" -- albeit one with a British accent -- "the improbability of a British-born person who had deep roots in British politics being able to become queen mother of the Democratic Party" is a reality.

"If there is, in effect, a coronation, using Bill and Hillary Clinton as the king and queen," says Eizenstat, "I'd certainly call her the queen mother."

In her own image.

[ljm2002]

21. Well it is certainly true...

...that she along with many others has pulled the party to the right. I guess I just find it odd how people cling to that old "she was a Goldwater Girl" thing though. People often reject their youthful beliefs.

On the other hand, people often are influenced by their upbringing in ways that may not be obvious. In Hillary Clinton's case, she was raised Republican and therefore may have some deep seated beliefs that have spilled over into her somewhat conservative fiscal and military outlooks. That makes sense to me.

Anyway, her positions on the economy and the military are far to the right of mine, and her social positions, although pretty close to mine at this time, are far too squishy for me to really believe them (remember, she was still touting marriage as "between one man and one woman" as recently as 2012).

Even with all of that, I would vote for her over any of the Republican contenders. But I hope that Sanders wins the nomination, then I can vote with enthusiasm.

[leveymg]

28. The point is, Hillary never really changed, she adapted. She's the best Republican candidate running

I have never voted Republican, and doubt I ever can.

[Hortensis]

36. Okay. We have a couple of friends sitting out this election,

although they're conservatives who think the GOP's gone nuts -- mostly up and down the ballot. They can't vote Democrat, so they expect to stay home.

[Vincardog]

48. B I N G O

[840high]

55. ...+1

[cantbeserious]

56. ^^^ This ^^^

eom

[Dustlawyer]

32. I worry about her SCOTTS appointments almost as much

As I do any Republican. We will get corporate Justices who favor corporations over individuals. This is something not talked about, but it should be. How about some former trial attorneys who became judges for a change? Judges with a background of representing individuals instead of insurance companies or Wall Street?

[Scuba]

45. Yep.

[tabasco]

53. Corporate tools like Ruth Bader Ginsburg and Stephen Breyer?

You sure you're on the right site?

[George II]

18. What is "all that goes with that"? The only thing I've seen is..........

........Sanders supporters throwing out that 60+ years after the fact.

The real fact is that she was never a registered republican. Do what you want with that fact.

[Maineman]

23. I suggest looking at what she has done, not at what she is currently saying.

She is a, you know, politician, and a Clinton.

[George II]

30. I have, and that's why I'm supporting her.

[LanternWaste]

24. Oh dear... someone was misguided when young. That never happens.

Oh dear... someone was misguided when young. That never happens. Ever.

However, I too would pretend relevance if my dishonesty demanded it from me. Human nature.

[PatrynXX]

33. doesn't surprise me

like state the obvious. and why Hillary groups make DU's front page I'll never know. I'm not blocked. How does blocking me make that a good idea. Blocking me basically proves me right. ie the Right Wing have taken over certain groups on DU. I believe I've been called extremely stupid for thinking Hillary is to the Right of Donald Trump. (on facebook) well I stopped following that group. like okay prove me right keep going. If people want Ben Carson to win I guess thats where thats going. I'd rather have Donald Trump win because he on record rather liberal and his Children have made him like that. Birther or not. and mind you he's gone after Ben Carson on what Ben called media bias which is lacking the word Liberal bias. Yeah most of the bias is from the right. I would like to see Hillary prove me wrong. She's hasn't done that yet. Not in the 10 years since I changed my mind. Rahm Emmanuel same thing. and he's Anti Teacher... and he also called anyone thinking he's more Conservative ... as stupid. So yeah you call someone that name (and I might be guilty but not consistently) and it's a turn off.

[phantom power]

2. "Is there any vetting process in Democratic circles for hiring?"

You can bet that there is. It's just that they aren't vetting for Democratic principles.

[PatrynXX]

34. yeah if they wanna show that Republicans have no principles for voting for Mittens

it has to go both ways

[hifiguy]

47. Hey, the Chair of the DNC will not even endorse Repig challengers

to her BFFs in the House. She even STUMPS for her Repig friends. AGAINST Democrats.

That kind of open treachery is the new normal in the institutional Democratic Party.

[PatrickforO]

3. They've lost their moral compass.

Somehow, the Democratic Party as a whole lost its moral compass. We quit talking about kitchen table issues and passively stood back as corporate-owned Republicans pulled apart the New Deal, piece by piece. An then some of us decided that to win elections we had to get away from that 'tax and spend LIB-ER-AL' meme and so became Eisenhower Republicans and were themselves co-opted by corporate money.

The right wing has been manipulated into choosing the wrong enemy - the government. Government has a role, but the oligarchs are gonna have TPP and TISA which will allow them to overturn our laws and regulations to boost profits (read it if you don't believe me - this is their MOVE). And the oligarchs have more than just that going for them, too.

They have all the rural gun nuts and survivalists who are now heavily armed, and those people are OWNED. They just don't know it yet. But they will.

[FlatBaroque]

4. That's what they do

They take healthy institutions, infiltrate them, hollow them out from the inside, then move on to their next grift. It is the definition of The Clinton's.

[Maineman]

22. And Mit Romney

[HassleCat]

5. No vetting allowed

I asked the same question in a post yesterday, and the responses told me anyone who voted Democratic is a real Democrat, and anybody can claim to be a real Democrat.

[jtuck004]

7. Oh, and those stories about resurrection? Phony, the lot of 'em. n/t

[Rafale]

9. With the President's endorsement of the TPP,

It starts at the top. We've been betrayed. Don't be shocked by anything that happens below the level of the President. His op-ed today is a complete shame that destroys our national sovereignty and middle class.

[marmar]

11. K/R

[bemildred]

12. For sale to the highest bidder, that's our party leadership. nt

[libodem]

13. That is so fucked up

I hate to hear that. Booooo Hisssssss

[1StrongBlackMan]

15. It seems to me, they are chasing $$$, which says very little about their political positions ...

nor, does it speak to/negate the work they did when working in/for the party.

[PowerToThePeople]

35. Actually it says everything about their political positions

"Money trumps (insert important liberal value here)."

[1StrongBlackMan]

38. That is NOT a statement of political position. n/t

[PowerToThePeople]

39. I disagree. n/t

[1StrongBlackMan]

41. Okay. n/t

[sybylla]

16. This is what happens after you start spraying for cockroaches

Those that can run for the nearest safe haven.

The WisDems elected new leadership this year - a massive house cleaning followed removal of the party hacks at the top. The new, fresh leadership is without any ties or obligations to the DNC.

Those that left might have been desperate for work and whored themselves out for anything they could find. After 5 years under Walker, our job situation in this state is in a shambles. And then again, they maybe were dinos in the first place.

Either way, good riddance.

[AzDar]

17. Kinda 'hillarious' that we have those who have backed, and acted and voted like Republicans trying

to desperately convince us that the Candidate who embodies what the Party is supposed to represent, is all wrong?



No Mas

[hifiguy]

46. I have learned something this primary season.

People who stand up for the policies of FDR, Harry Truman, JFK, LBJ, RFK and Hubert Humphrey are actually Republicans.

People who support Wall Street, the oligarchs, privatizing everything, war now and war for ever and are welded at the hip to the banksters and the MIIC are the real Democrats.

Wow, who knew?

Bizarro World REAL!!

[denverbill]

25. Makes you wonder if this isn't some sort of Koch brothers operation.

I mean seriously, if they could get someone hired by the Democratic Party who is actually a Koch brothers operative actively working against Democrats, they could do a lot of damage.

Did the people these two worked for win their elections?

[appalachiablue]

27. K & R. Quislings

[mountain grammy]

29. K & R

[Fuddnik]

37. If they have a "D" next to their name, You have to support them!

Otherwise risk eternal damnation, and a DU pizza.

If it weren't for heroes of the Party like Debbie Weaselman - Schlitz, Rahm Emmanuel, and Hillary Clinton, we'd be a defunct Whig Party.

Oh, wait..........

[Le Taz Hot]

40. It was Bill Clinton

who opened the door to the corporatists and it's been downhill ever since. If the Blind Loyalist would just open their damned eyes, they could combine their efforts with the progressives and rid the party of these corporate leeches. But they won't. They'll continue to cheer wildly for whatever corporate-friendly candidates The Party offers up. And don't even THINK about challenging an incumbent Democrat!11!!

[hifiguy]

44. Yep, Bubba was the lead salesman for Al From and the DLC.

[Eleanors38]

42. Remaining Democrats needn't worry: They filed an Assault Weapons Ban bill recently.

[hifiguy]

43. Al From, the DLC and the Clintons began selling the party off piecemeal

to the oligarchs back in the 1990s, primarily to feather their own nests. The Turd Way sold what was left. The oligarchs who couldn't abide the jebus-wheezers needed to had to have a place to go where their Reagan/Thatcher economics didn't need to be combined with crazy preachercreatures. The Democratic Party was put up for sale, so they bought it and remade it in their own sick image.

Something has to explain a SHPOS like DWS and all the rest of the DINO corporatists and that is the simplest explanation possible.

[haikugal]

54. Always best to keep it simple. It's usually on the money!

What a sad fucking state of affairs.

We take it back and throw them out. We don't close our eyes or look away no matter what.

[Octafish]

51. It's like we live in an Plutocracy or something.

Once it seemed to be a Kakistocracy, govenment by the worst -- but it's fused with the thieves, more of a Kleptocracy. Must be a management issue. Definitely Buy Partisan:

A who’s who of the conspirators behind the Detroit bankruptcy

By Thomas Gaist
13 November 2013

EXCERPT...

Michigan State Treasurer Andy Dillon

Andrew or “Andy” Dillon is a leading Democratic politician in the state of Michigan, who was speaker of the Michigan House of Representatives before being appointed state treasurer by Snyder. Dillon was elected to the House in 2004, and ran for the Democratic nomination for governor unsuccessfully in 2010, at which point he hitched his chariot to Snyder’s campaign. He was rewarded with the second most powerful post in the state.

Dillon earned his fortune as a venture capitalist, serving as vice president of commercial finance for General Electric Capital Corporation. He become president of Detroit Steel Company in 1996, and later was managing director of the Chicago-based private equity firm Wynnchurch Capital.

Dillon has been a chief conspirator in the plans for the “restructuring” of Detroit. He worked with Jones Day attorneys to draft the April 2012 consent agreement, which forced major concessions on municipal workers, and has overseen restructuring operations against municipalities and school districts throughout the state using powers of the authoritarian emergency manager law.

An email sent by Dillon on July 10, 2013 to Orr on the wording he should use to justify the bankruptcy filing exposed the conspiratorial character of the operation. Dillon told Orr he didn’t think, “we are making the case why we are giving up so soon to reach an out of court settlement. Looks premeditated.” He advised Orr to “say facts got worse as we dug into the numbers… We don’t even say they rejected the city’s proposal. I think we may want a take it or leave it demand before we pull this trigger. I agree with the recommendation but I don’t think we made the case. After the letter is revised, let’s work on the Gov’s response.”

Dillon resigned his post as state treasurer on November 1—the day after giving a deposition for the bankruptcy trial—saying publicity over his acrimonious divorce was becoming a distraction. Snyder, stating regret, immediately heaped praise on the state Democrat.

“He has been instrumental in many of the comprehensive reforms that are contributing to Michigan’s comeback. He has worked tirelessly on behalf of the people of Michigan, and we’re a stronger state because of his dedication, expertise and leadership.” Dillon’s “partnership with Detroit to assist in the city’s turnaround,” Snyder wrote, “is just one example of Andy’s positive impact on Michigan.”

SOURCE: https://www.wsws.org/en/articles/2013/11/13/whow-n13.html

Dillon lost out on the nomination for the Democratic nominee for Governor in 2010. So, instead of helping the eventual nominee, Lansing Mayor Virg Bernero (a REAL Democrat), he laid low. After Rick "Gateway Pinkslip" Snyder won the job, [font size="6"][font color="green"]Dillon joined the Republican administration as Michigan State Treasurer[/font color][/font size], a reat job for a vulture capitalist -- think "Boardwalk Empire" and Nucky Thompson with UMC features. Dillon recently left public service to return, again, to the pirate sector.

The guy's gone now, but his "approach" to governance and finance as Buy Partisan affairs becomes more obvious every day. Thanks for a great OP and thread, Scuba!

[Scuba]

52. Thanks for the Michigan example. This stuff is killing us at all levels of the Party.

[PowerToThePeople]

57. If it is anything like the business world

By the time I was 21 I had been fired without good cause from two jobs by two bosses who both ended up in jail for embezzlement within a short time. My most recent job I was walked out the door after discovering discrepancies in costing and bringing it up to management. I suspect a similar thing may have been happening, but not enough data to know for sure.