Dean having a bad week-Rahm Emanuel clashed with Dean per WaPo

[LiviaOlivia]

Democrats Are Fractured Over Strategy, Funds
By Thomas B. Edsall
Washington Post Staff Writer
Thursday, May 11, 2006

Democratic National Committee Chairman Howard Dean and the leader of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee have clashed angrily in recent days in a dispute about how the party should spend its money in advance of this fall's midterm elections.

Rep. Rahm Emanuel (Ill.), who is leading the party's effort to regain majority status in the House, stormed out of Dean's office several days ago leaving a trail of expletives, according to Democrats familiar with the session.

The blowup highlights a long-standing tension that has pitted Democratic congressional leaders, who are focused on their best opportunities for electoral gains this fall, against Dean and many state party chairmen, who believe that the party needs to be rebuilt from the ground up -- even in states that have traditionally been Republican strongholds.

Emanuel's fury, Democratic officials said, was over his concern that Dean's DNC is spending its money too freely and too early in the election cycle -- a "burn rate" that some strategists fear will leave the party unable to help candidates compete on equal terms with Republicans this fall.

~snip~
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/05/10/AR2006051001927.html

on edit: I think this article is a big *So What*. Typical WaPo Rovian BS. I emailed my thoughts to the Wapo and I hope others do also.

[CAG]

1. Dean can just say he's having "run of bad luck", seems to be workin for *

nt

[napi21]

2. Well, I'm putting my money on Dean!

Rahm has HIS job and he's free to do it! He's got the high level contacts to gt his $$ from.

Howard has done a great job from everything I've seen, and I for one want him to keep on doing what he has been!

[Xeric]

3. Like going on the 700 Club?

And pissing off an important consitituency while sucking up to the theocrats who will never vote Dem? Great job. yeah.

[janx]

12. You must be confusing Cheney's stint at Bob Jones U. with

Bush's KKK appearance.

[napi21]

18. Well, maybe I missed something over the past year or so, but

I THOUGHT the Dem platform was pushing Civil Unions, but not marriage. I read the remarks Dean said and that's what it sounded like to me this time too.

[incapsulated]

4. Dean is right, let him do his fucking job

What the fuck has Emanuel and company won with their "strategies"?

Nothing. Why should we listen to them, then? When their big ideas win something they can question Dean's ideas.

We need to compete everywhere. We can raise the money we need. If money was all that won elections, Kerry would be in office right now.

[Pithy Cherub]

8. Actually Rahm is having the bad week as he had the temper tantrum

and he left empty-handed. Dean firmly stood his ground and the message is clear if he Rahm and Schumer want to be Democratic king & queen makers then fundraise like they mean it. Don't rely on DNC Daddy Warbucks to pick up the pieces as the entire Dem family needs to taken care of, not exclusively them.

Go Dean!:woohoo:

[WCGreen]

5. Gossip.......

So they disagree....

As long as I have been involved with politics, the chairperson of the party always clashed with the political leadership of the legislative and executive branch....

No matter what level....

It's healthy...

And, if memory serves me right, no one wanted to be chairman of the party when Dean stepped up....

And, Dean has to answer to all the democrats, not just the ones sitting in Washington...

And, that strategy of focusing only on the districts that we can win has worked so well over the last twelve years....

And, what good is a party that has no grassroots organization....

And, last time I looked, the democrats were out raising the GOP....

And, I, as an activist democrat, have a lot more faith in Dean than I have in any sitting congresperson.....

[LittleClarkie]

6. Isn't Emanuel DLC or am I thinking of someone else

That would explain why they aren't working and playing well together.

[incapsulated]

7. Yes, he is. n/t

[Pirate Smile]

10. Rahm's job is just the House November 2006. Dean's job is long term,

all local, state, congressional and presidential races.

They are both just doing their jobs.

I don't blame Rahm for wanting as much $$ as he can possibly get to focus on the election in November.

I don't blame Howard for realizing the state and local Democratic Parties have to be rebuilt.

We have screwed that up by simply focusing on the next set of Congressional elections, or the next Presidential election, etc. and never focusing long term.

They are both concentrating on what they need to do.

Good.

[LittleClarkie]

13. I do appreciate the four field organizers in Wisconsin that represent

Dean's efforts here.

Meanwhile, we're all doing what we can, I suppose.

[NightOwwl]

21. Yes, he is.

Can you guess who he wants to run in 2008?

Hillary Clinton.

I think I'll put my money on Dean.

[madfloridian]

9. Dean is in for the long haul. I'm with him.

As one of his advisors recently said....when asked how he would react if they kept telling him they did not like his strategy..

he said it would then be a "tough conversation"

[IndianaGreen]

11. Considering what Dean said about LGBT rights today on 700 Club

I will side with Rahm Emanuel this time. The "burn rate" is a valid concern on the part of Emanuel.

[Name removed]

14. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[IndianaGreen]

17. Good Germans are the ones that endorse denying full rights to LGBTs

and Dean's comments, not to mention idiotic appearance at the bigot Pat Robertson's show, brings into question his judgment and his values. We must now look at everything that Dean says and does with a critical eye, beginning with the OP story about his irresponsible spending of precious party funds in some quixotic quest to extract votes from people that believe that dinosaurs were contemporary of Noah. Rahm Emanuel must go public if he feels that Dean's stewardship of DNC has become reckless and insular.

[madfloridian]

19. Yes, let Rahm go public.

You are not standing up for your principles either. You make fun of mine when you feel like it, and you don't stand for what you believe.

[Jane Austin]

22. What is Rahm Emmanuel's position on Equal Marriage Rights?

I would be surprised if, as a DLC'er, he endorsed Gay Marriage.

[IndianaGreen]

24. He did not go on Pat Robertson's show and embraced the bigotry

of the 700 Club. I have to question Dean's judgment and ability to lead the DNC when he shits on the LGBT community. What will Dean do next? Endorse Randall Terry?

[madfloridian]

26. You despise him anyway, always have.

So why pretend?

[IndianaGreen]

28. Sure, I was with Kephra and the other Hoosiers for Dean DUers

any other slander?

[Old and In the Way]

15. I hope the RNC appreciates Mr. Esall's efforts.

I'll bet things are going swimingly over at the RNC headquarters these days. Think we'll get an insider glimpse from Edsall on how well the machine is working there?

[emulatorloo]

16. Karl Rove says _ DEMS ARE DIVIDED!!!!!

Enough of this BS. . .

[NightOwwl]

20. Hillary is Rahm's choice for the 2008 presidential candidate.

He made this statement on Late Night with Bill Maher a couple of weeks ago.

'nuff said.

[IndianaGreen]

27. Emanuel knows how much money he needs for House races

if Dean is pissing money away trying to outreach to Christofascists and other rightwingers, then I think Emanuel is justified in clashing with Dean. Emanuel's support for Hillary is irrelevant unless you can show that it is affecting his running of House races.

[depakid]

23. Lots of unattributed sources

Something to think about, considering the Post's reputation for never misleading people or straying from the truth.

[IndianaGreen]

25. more links

http://www.mydd.com/story/2006/5/10/145841/185

http://www.taylormarsh.com/archives_view.php?id=2344

[depakid]

29. Those don't have anything to do with this story

Though I agree he shouldn't be pandering like that- BIG mistake, especially coming from Dean.

[madfloridian]

30. Pandering or reaching out?

Like he said he would do. He has reached out to the gay community often, in emails, in meetings.

He is more on their side than most of the other Democrats, but because he talked to a Christian group the screw him ...right?

[depakid]

31. Sorry- but pandering to the extreme right like that

is a proven losing "strategy." He should NEVER have legitimized the likes of the 700 club-

Then again, my pet theory is that maybe he's anxious to get back on the campaign trail... where he belongs. This latest thing might just be a way to do that. Just a crazy theory.

[IndianaGreen]

34. There is nothing Christian about Pat Robertson or his followers

I don't recall Jesus ever calling for anyone's assassination, as Robertson has done on more than one occasion, or rejoice when natural disaster strikes, as Robertson did when he said on numerous occasions that the "gay lifestyle" was the reason G-d sent a hurricane to a certain part of the country.

[jackbourassa]

32. Here we go again...

Rahm, another DC Democrat, bashing Dean in the Washington Post.

Get a life Rahm.

[TayTay]

33. This is unproductive

Dean's 50 State Strategy has the potential to bring in more volunteers for the DCCC and DSCC campaigns. It might also be a way to tap into new revenue streams for Democrats by doing an outreach to new people.

The DNC needs to be attentive to the needs of the Dems who stand the best chance of winning races this fall. That is also common sense.

Both sides should be working in tandem. Dean is dead right. We need to build a party for the future and can't just be hostage to a 'swing state' mentality. Emmanuel and Schumer are right when they say that a targeted investment of money in certain races can be productive this year.

They should get their acts together and stop allowing this type of in-family fighting to get out and make more of an effort to show Dem unity