Where are Dem "Leaders" While Barack Twists and Hillary Burns the Party Down?
For four days now Barack Obama has stood all but alone, valiantly defending himself against charges of elitism from multi-millionaires Bill and Hillary Clinton and dozens of their surrogates, untold numbers of Republicans, and the bulk of the media.
Where has the leadership of the Democratic Party been during these relentless attempts to slander and destroy the electability of their likely presidential nominee? About the only Democrat to publicly step forward to defend Obama is Bob Casey. Where is Nancy Pelosi? Where is John Edwards? Where is Al Gore? Where is Ted Kennedy? Where is Howard Dean, Joe Biden, Chris Dodd, Bill Richardson, John Kerry, Rahm Emanuel, Jim Webb, Chuck Schumer, Wesley Clark, and untold others.
It's not a matter of whether a Democratic leader has endorsed Obama, Clinton, or is still officially neutral. The son of an absent father and a single mother -- a man who, despite massive student loans, graduated from one Ivy League college to take a job for $8,000 a year helping unemployed steelworkers in Chicago; who chose to go from Harvard Law Review, not to a Wall Street law firm where he could soon earn millions advising corporation on how to offshore jobs and avoid taxes, but to a small civil rights firm in Chicago; who has devoted his entire adult life to helping the underdog -- stands accused by the wealthy and powerful of elitism while leading Democrats stand silently by.
Democratic "leaders": If you want to save the party, now is the time you must stand up and tell the truth. You can support Obama for the nomination, support Hillary, or remain neutral, but you must defend Obama from the slings and arrows of these outrageous charges. John Edwards can continue to maintain his neutrality as to an endorsement but he must say that he knows Barack Obama and Barack is a man who stands with John Edwards in fighting for the rights of the middle class and poor. Same for Al Gore. Even Clinton supporters like Chuck Schumer, Wesley Clark and Ed Rendel must stand up and say that they may back Clinton as their first choice for the nomination, but Barack Obama is no out of touch elitist. Stand up and speak to the media one by one. Better yet, hold a mass press conference with dozens of leading Democrats, regardless of which candidate they may endorse.
If Democratic leaders fail to come to the defense of one of their own, one of their best and brightest whether they support his nomination or not, then the Party will be torn apart and there may be little left of the Democratic Party to defend. We can all look forward to four or eight more years of McSame.
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Their silence is deafening....it also speaks volumes about their cowardice.
Absolutely! I'm going to start keeping track of these mealy-mouthed "leaders" so I know who NOT to support in the future. I'll be giving my dollars and energy only to those who are willing to show some personal integrity on behalf of the party.
Excellent! I am so disheartened by their complete failure of leadership. They should have denounced these Clintonian tactics immediately and publicly. They should have made it clear tht they are not taking sides but that character attacks are insupportable.
I think every democrat who is disgusted by Obama's being hung out to dry should write
Kerry, Kennedy, Gore, Dean, Eduwards et al.
I just got an email today from the DNC, signed by Dean, warning about Republican dirty tactics and asking for a donation. I sent an email back saying "Pressure Hillary to give up these same dirty tactics, and then we'll talk."
Ditto.
Double Ditto. I have responded this way to each of Dean's emails.
Thanks for this. It inspired me - I too got the email and responded much along the same lines having read your post.
I wanted this race over, really wanted it over. I think Obama has been the nominee since he won 11 races in a row. I despise Hillary Clinton even more so then I did in the first place. But every time they give him lemons he makes lemonade.
I take John McCain as an example, he's scared s***less. He can only say after 4 days that the comment was "elitist" not Obama. Look at Hillary, shots and a beer to prove she's one of the guys days after a starstudded Elton John benefit. Pathetic. Bill Clinton asking old ladies to donate $5 to her campaign, Pathetic. Annie Oakley with a gun control commercial coming out two days later, Pathetic. Hate to tell you this but no one has to say a word. People despise Hillary. But she makes Obama stronger. She rips him apart and rips apart herself even more.
The reps are nasty people, they will have 527's out there whether Hillary helped them out or not. But still he's standing.
So here's to Pennsylvania. They are smarter then any of the elitists reporting the news, or the elitists in congress, or the elitists running for President. They will vote for Barack Obama because while we pontificate and worry they know that they have not been treated kindly by Washington.
Well said deb813.
I support Obama 100% and I think he's doing a pretty good job of standing up for himself. He doesn't need to send out people to fight his battles for him, he's EARNING the nomination. He never said this was going to be easy.
Every time he stands up, doesn't prevaricate, doesn't quibble over the meaning of words like "is", he gains points with the voters. Anyone wanting to know how he'll handle a crisis in the White House, watch how he handles his campaign. He's not perfect, but he's shown he learns quickly.
The "democratic leadership" doesn't want to be seen taking sides, especially if Sen. Obama allows one of these issues to spiral out of control. Fortunately, in spite of her intentions, Sen. Obama had a great deal of help from Sen. Clinton on the "bitter" fiasco-- She managed to take something that shouldn't have been a story, and make it into a punchline featuring her with a bottle of crown, a shotgun, and a duck blind.
It's all good. I think many are saying things in their own way so as not to upset the Clintons or appear to be taking sides. But Harry Reid came out with a funny saying the whole dem primary process is making him bitter and Barney Frank, a Clinton supporter, said this thing should be over no later than June 3rd. My bet is by the time the Indiana/NC primary is over, superdels will start moving towards Obama en masse.
There is no cohesive Democratic Party Leadership ... it's a house divided between the DNC Dean Faction and the DLC "New Democrat" (not Democrat at all) Faction of the Clintons.
Add to that a vast number of Democrats, who are not officially aligned with either leadership group and you have the kind of paralysis that is being exhibited.
There isn't enough room in the sandbox for both groups to play ...
Good point that needs to be put out there more clearly and more often so that folks can understand. This Obama/Clinton thing is more about the dysfunction in the Democratic party than most realize or admit.
There is a fight going on between those who basically feel that we have to be more like Republicans in the way we do things and those who, I feel, rightfully realize that we have to do things in a completely different way. We cannot out-Republican the Republicans with their own tactics. Most Democrats would not stand for the stupidity, racism, sexism, and herdism necessary to run a "successful" Republican style campaign, but Clinton and the DLC are going to give it their very best shot anyway.
Well, they're Democrats. They're hiding under their desks, scared of the Clintons and the Repubs. That's why we've got to get rid of these people.
Let's make this clear, those who are complaining are not doing so because they care about how small towns are feeling or being perceived. Because they were the ones who have been labelling us all as they gather their predictions on how different peole will vote or at exit polls. They are the ones who classify each of us as either, white, black, hispanic, educated, uneducated, evangelical, gun right supporters etc The problem now is that Sen. Obama has stepped on their toes and reuse to back down to them, that why he's an elitist it has nothing to do with small towns. You are the scapegoats.
Well, first off - John Edwards is at home with the kids and letting Elizabeth get in 'their' last few licks in the press with her picture so that we all know she has a voice in something or other. He is one of the guys that lost - remember??? Who cares what he thinks?
That being said, Dem leaders like Pelosi and Reid DO have a roll to play and I agree they should be fending for the guy they are rooting for anyway. We already know they both go the Obama way.
By now it has to be embarrassing for any super dem to support Billary publically. Billary does IOU's and they call them in regularly (that is the ones they can find-most are hiding).
Ladies and Gentlemen - we the world are viewing our next president (President "O") in the throws of some real unneccessary stuff. And while he is our next president-the peoples choice, he is also the Dem's and Rep's new boss. Their juggling acts are about how long they can escape the Billary IOU. It is called job protection. In the meantime, our future courageous and brilliant leader is being showcased as a overtly capable and strong - honest and wise global leader.
WADDA COUNTRY!!!!
Sen. Obama can handle it, although he's biracial, he's seen as a black man. He has alreay overcome plenty of obstacles in his life. This will only show the character of the leader he is, willing to stand up for the cause of the people. Those complaining are only upset that the American people have been awaken- from the media to the politicians. The nail they thought would of been in his coffin isn't working. No longer will politics be as usual. This may be the issue to unify.
Great post.
What a bunch of wienees we have in the Democratic Party.
Always forever afraid of standing out.
I am especially disappointed in John Edwards. Where are you John?
What do you really really believe John? Isn't it time to come out and acknowledge that Barack
has something right now you were never able to really capture? Isn't it about time to make the right
decision for America!
Its ironic because Barack Obama is fighting Hilary, former President Bill, Ed Rendell and the republican nominee John McCain not to mention republicans like Geoff Davis who was condecending and insulting and this was the guy that Hilary said a few weeks back will fold under attacks from the republican machine. She said he is not vetted. Well he is getting a lesson in being vetted even from h is own party I guess thats what they call tough love. Obama said once that as long as he has the American people he can handle anything the Clintons, McCain the democratic pubars and the republicans. Looks like he'll be fine
B"TW democratic and leadership is an oxymoron theres no such thing. Ooh I guess I just slashed and burned my party shame on me.
Carol
Whoever would have thought vetting meant perusing every single thing he ever said or wrote and then taking out a statement or two for attack purposes?
Especially since nobody holds Clinton to that same standard.
It seems the only ones offended by Obama's supposed elitism are the Elite.
darn!
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