Tim Kaine and the Future of Obama For America

[DeepModem Mom]

WP political blog, "The Fix," by Chris Cillizza
Tim Kaine and the Future of Obama For America

Virginia Gov. Tim Kaine's installation at the head of the Democratic National Committee sends a strong signal that President-elect Barack Obama will seek to keep the massive grassroots organization built during his national campaign almost entirely under his control as he moves into the White House.

Kaine is considered one of Obama's closest friends among elected officials and is seen as a major figure within the party -- as evidenced by the fact that he was one of the three finalists in the vice presidential search....Kaine's appointment -- coupled with the installation of Jen O'Malley Dillon, who ran the battleground states for Obama in the general election, as executive director of the DNC -- is cast by Obama insiders as a clear sign that the massive email list and grassroots capacity (three million donors, 10 million supporters) built under the Obama for America umbrella will stay under the control of those who built it....

***

What does Obama's decision to empower the DNC mean for the myriad outside groups vying to become the main advocates for the new president's agenda?

It's clearly not good news but those closest to Obama caution that much remains to be worked out. Jim Messina, deputy chief of staff to the president-elect, has spent the last few weeks meeting with labor organizations as well as the heads of non-profit 501(c)(4) groups in hopes of streamlining the message delivery system for Obama. No firm decisions have been made about whether a new group should be formed to help coordinate with the DNC or whether an existing entity -- like Americans United, which Messina had a hand in starting five years ago -- can be utilized to drive Obama's message.

What is clear, however, is that the DNC will be the 800-pound gorilla when it comes to pushing Obama's message -- a development that directly contrasts the role the national committee played over the last four years when much of the message-creation came from Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (Nev.) and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (Calif.).

http://voices.washingtonpost.com/thefix/2009/01/kaine_and_the_future_of_obama.html?hpid=topnews

[Cha]

1. Well, he will be the

President and has oneupmanship on the Speaker and the Majority Leader.

[Radical Activist]

2. ummm....

Did some moron think he was going to hand over his email and donor list to someone else for them to play with? Of course it will stay under Obama's control! Duuuuuhhhh

The slanted tone of this column does a good job of making common sense things sound vaguely sinister.

[FrenchieCat]

3. Chris Cillizza is good for it.

Cillizza never ran into CW that he didn't embrace.