DNC playing role in Wisconsin protests

[Joanne98]

Source: Politico

The Democratic National Committee's Organizing for America arm -- the remnant of the 2008 Obama campaign -- is playing an active role in organizing protests against Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker's attempt to strip most public employees of collective bargaining rights.

OfA, as the campaign group is known, has been criticized at times for staying out of local issues like same-sex marraige, but it's riding to the aide of the public sector unions who hoping to persuade some Republican legislators to oppose Walker's plan. And while Obama may have his difference with teachers unions, OfA's engagement with the fight -- and Obama's own clear stance against Walker -- mean that he's remaining loyal to key Democratic Party allies at what is, for them, a very dangerous moment.

OfA Wisconsin's field efforts include filling buses and building turnout for the rallies this week in Madison, organizing 15 rapid response phone banks urging supporters to call their state legislators, and working on planning and producing rallies, a Democratic Party official in Washington said.

The @OFA_WI twitter account has published 54 tweets promoting the rallies, which the group has also plugged on its blog.



Read more: http://www.politico.com/blogs/bensmith/0211/DNC_playing_role_in_Wisconsin_protests.html?showall

[yurbud]

1. it's heartening to see Obama sometimes remembers who brung him to the dance.

[loudsue]

2. Isn't union busting illegal? When did that law change?

Can't the justice department step in?

[skyounkin]

3. A lot of things used to be illegal...

torture, wiretapping without a warrant, protesting without being inside a "free speech zone"...

[whattheidonot]

4. what chose did they have.

No support would have finished them off. This puts Obama in a tight spot. he must have seen this coming. His policies were leading to it.He had to at least give it lip service to stop a rush from the Democrat party. Now what he is going to do. Reverse all his policies. The foreclosure wave is coming along too. Hold onto your seats. This is a great opportunity for a serious challenge to Obama to step in and up the ant<object width="640" height="390"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/h3BlVqrTDZU&hl=en_US&feature=player_embedded&version=3"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowScriptAccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/h3BlVqrTDZU&hl=en_US&feature=player_embedded&version=3" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true" allowScriptAccess="always" width="640" height="390"></embed></object>e.

[Marnie]

5. At least OfA seems to understand that the Republican's

ultimate goal is to destroy the Democratic party by impoverishing its base and thus stopping its non business donors. For the most part the Republicans already own most of the really big donors.

Why would the Republican stop at "starving," their word, the government to death, and destroying unions, why not also starve the Democratic party to death, as they already are, and starve the citizens of this country into submission.

[YvonneCa]

6. Interesting. Comments at that link...

...are pretty disgusting.

[sybylla]

7. OFA has been involved since Friday when this first came up.

It would be wrong to confuse the President with anything OFA does now. It essentially operates under the auspices of the DNC.

[gmcheeseman]

8. The DNC finally has some backbone

I'm glad to see the DNC finally having some backbone! It's about time!!!!

[struggle4progress]

9. There's no way to win except by organizing. That's always been true,

but it's especially important in the era of media monopoly and no regulation of campaign contributions. It's crazy and lazy to expect a handful of people at the top to be able to turn American politico-economic culture around: they individually have only a little more control over that Leviathon Steamroller than you or I do. We can only win by developing a critical mass of citizens who are dedicated, experienced, informed, organized ...