Obama Snubs Once-Powerful DLC

Politico:

Obama skipped the Democratic Leadership Council's "National Conversation" this weekend, even thought it was a block from Obama's Chicago campaign headquarters. The centrist group helped Bill Clinton get elected in 1992.

"Obama, who had time to get a haircut and shoot some hoops on what passes for a down weekend on the campaign trail, didn't make it by," the Politico reports.

Political Insider concludes that the DLC has "lost its mojo":

Even though the Illinois senator has moved to the center on so many issues in recent weeks, he's not willing to incur the wrath of liberal Democrats by speaking at the convention of the group described by many as "Republican-lite."

With none of the Democratic presidential candidates in attendance at last year's meeting either, it's fair to say the DLC has officially lost its mojo.

Read the whole story: Politico

Comments

[Graywolf48]

Yeah! Good riddance to bad Democrats! We need a Democratic party that is progressive and will live or die on it's own merits. We need a Democratic party that is truly an opposition party and not Republican-lite. Since the DLC it's hard to tell the D's from the R's on most issues.

[arvay]

here's all we need to know about the DLC. From Wikipedia:

"The DLC gave strong support for the 2003 invasion of Iraq. "

Here are the details on one of Hillary's most important backers, and a foundational support mechanism for the DLC.

http://www.dlc.org/specials/NC2008/

little detail on the fouder's foundation

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pritzker_family

[SEQUOIABISON]

And so Change begins.

[tototo]

The DLC was -- almost to a "man" -- pro-war in Iraq. Enough said as far as this lifelong Democrat is concerned.

[SeanGardner]

I'm sure Harold Ford Jr., who runs the DLC, is sitting back, looking at Obama's success with a mix of pride and envy.

Ford had been mentioned in recent years as the one African-American who had the best chance of becoming President of the United States. And here comes Obama who has revolutionized politics in dramatic ways, and who will make his nominating speech on the 45th anniversary of the 1963 "March on Wahington".

Obama is making strides, while Harold Ford Jr. is busy tending to the reviled left-overs of the DLC.

[condew]

If the DLC thought Ford was presidential material, no wonder they are "losing their Mojo".

[Jay20]

well, now we can go back to getting 100 electoral votes just like the averages of Dukakis, Mondale, Carter, McGovern, and Humphrey now. GREAT. In case you Clinton haters didn't know. once upon a time, Democrats used to lose NJ, CA, MI, IL, VT, ME, NH, CT, PA, MD, and DE, all of which are worth over 150 electoral votes. I'm excited to go back to huge electoral losses.

[SCurry713]

I think you exagerate, if anything this underscores the fact that Bill Clinton is now officaly passe and that Democrats will vote for Democratic candidates who offer a plan and not just self absorbed, self pittying old boomers who sulk and refuse to act graciously when they have been beat that are indeed Republican Light.

[Texas4Obama]

Senator Obama can't be everywhere everyday doing everything,
Geez... give the guy a break. He has to get haircuts and take time to relax!
He has been working harder and longer than any other nominee in history.
He seems to know how to pace himself so that is a 'good' thing ;)

[Strywever]

I believe he's signaling a change away from the "old guard" of Democratic politics. The fact that he did not attend was no accident, and is a welcome sign of more changes ahead.

[snesich]

Excellent choice by Barack Obama! The DLC is "Republican Lite" and couldn't be more shamefully pro-corporate. The DLC is one of the reasons why the wealth gap between rich and poor is so extreme; they couldn't give a rat's ass about this issue in the 90's, when their people were in power; they were too busy partying with the rich and elite at the expense of the rest of us.

So where are all the Obama critics now? You know, those people who have been complaining the last few days about Obama "selling out" and "moving to the center"?

Obama just turned his back on the biggest disease within the Democrats. The DLC is a cancer that we may have finally kicked out of the body of the Democratic Party. Let the DLC folks spend their time now trying to move the Republicans to "the center".

Good for you, Obama. You don't need these quasi-Republican sellouts to win a thing.

[pupbayer]

They shouldn't feel too special. He skipped the Chicago gay pride parade, too. Kennedy always marched in the Boston Pride Parade and Clinton always marches in the New York parade. O got a haircut and played basketball. At least the gays now know where they rate....right below his hair.

[ZimboChick]

yawn

[SCurry713]

Honey, as any self respecting 'mo will tell you, good hair is vital! besides, what did we get from the Clintonistas besides bad lipservice? Don't Ask, Don't Tell? and how awsome was that DOMA thing! Thanks Billy! for making a state issue federal!

[ProudLiberalDan]

Donnie McClurkin told me all I needed to know.

[jerkzilla]

I wonder if those jerks chose the name DLC because if they used DINO (Democrats in Name Only), they'd be sued by Hanna-Barbara.

[orangepetal]

Alot of people have small businesses, they usually work more hours than most people. Many are suffering terribly with the economy today, they are responsible for collecting and passing on to the state sales taxes, ( which is usually the money that pays the cities bills ) they consistently re invest their profits with the idea of growth which usually benefits the community, but no they are evil. Obama has no respect for the sacrifices, risks and hard work of Americas small buisinesses, he is too focused on his hatred of corporations. Obama supports a more socialist agenda, but America was built on capitalism, a system that believes people should be rewarded for their contributions and efforts to society.
Nobama = a vote 4 Mc Cain

[snesich]

I'm a small business owner. No one has hurt my enterprise more than the pro-Big Business, screw everyone else Republicans.

No small business owner can afford to be a Republican. A National Health Care program, like Medicare for All, would allow me and other small business owners to create many more jobs, hire many more people.

The Republicans couldn't care less about those of us struggling to build small businesses. I can't wait to make the Republicans pay for what they've done to me, my clients, my subcontractors, and my employees.

[Tomlastliberalleft]

I suggest you talked to some of the small business owners here in Texas about taxes. Our Republican Gov. Perry is responsible for making them pay a business tax regardless of profit. If they lose money, like many will this year, they still have to pony up a tax. Can't tell you how many of these right-wing, NRA member, chamber of commerce types here are more than a little angry about this and will likely vote against the Republicans over this one issue alone, Obama has never done anything to them, but by God the Republicans sure have! You may think everything is Obama fault if you'd like, please do, go right ahead and live in denial, watch your evil party go down the drain for a generation, that is the least it deserves. And just for the record, I have seen exactly one McCain bumper sticker here. I live in one of the most Republican counties in all of Texas and he has no support here. Prepare for exile!

[Ranta]

Go out of business. Join the Republican party officially. You are irrelevant. The Democratic Party no longer wishes to be seen with you. And take the "Blue Dogs" with you.......my comment to the DLC.

http://www.dlc.org/cobrand/contact_us.cfm

[useyourbrain]

what about Obama's 180 on FISA?

Doesn't that bother anyone in the Democratic Party or is everyone now an apologist?

[Ranta]

Just when Obama's FISA stance was starting to piss me off, now this. Great news. Along with the DLC, I hope some of the "Blue Dogs" will start to pay attention. Being Republican-lite is no longer in fashion.

[init]

What has been uttered from the Clintons should not be taken lightly. You know what I mean. I wouldn't only keep a distance; I'd get lost. And I lived in Nashville. Yep, Hillbillies.