The primary functions of the DNC, DCCC and DSCC are to raise money and ship it off to incumbent members of Congress to keep them employed in perpetuity. Ineffective Progressive Caucus member or tepid Blue Dog Dem (or, more accurately, "Republicrat"), it makes no difference -- if you're "in the club," they'll protect you (even if you're an unprincipled ex-Republican and soon-to-be ex-Senator named Arlen Specter in PA).
This practice of protecting the status quo is a major reason why Democrats are in so much trouble this cycle. The word "incumbent" is a four-letter word to most voters today, regardless of party, yet Democrats are still fighting to keep the same tired old names in jobs at which they have repeatedly proven to be pretty lousy. The DNC, et al must revise their approaches to identify the bums in their ranks and recruit, train and support the next generation of Democratic leaders to replace them.
Our political system has rarely created Statesmen or Stateswomen. True and bold leadership has usually come only when politicians have bucked their own party, and just as often those leaders have paid for it in the next election, losing due in part to a sudden lack of financial and logistical support from their party apparatus. The DNC, DCCC and DSCC must support and encourage leadership in their ranks, in part, by collaborating with each other to:
1. Create a cohesive campaigning system that can coordinate messaging, develop winning strategy, hire the best staff and consultants and produce effective communication - for candidates and campaigns - of values and policy proposals that support a dynamic Democratic and progressive brand.
2. Develop a mechanism for identifying, vetting and recruiting serious candidates for Congress that possess CORE Democratic and progressive values.
3. Place these candidates in a Camp Wellstone-style boot camp (http://www.wellstone.org/, named after the brilliant progressive Minnesota Senator Paul Wellstone) to teach them how to run winning campaigns and introduce them to the fundraisers, donors and progressive activist organizations that can help them win.
4. Provide each candidate with a team of mentors, including a current member of Congress, to advise them on policy and DC politics; policy experts from the political and academic worlds to help craft their platforms; and experts on media, branding and messaging to make a plan to get the word out.
5. Fund each candidate with jump-start contributions of $50-75K and provide steady financial support throughout the campaigns.
One potential pitfall with such a plan, however, is that these Dem orgs, as they stand right now, are kept on a tight leash to promote the agendas of the Congressional "leadership" and the President. More independence is needed before they can make any real changes. After all, they need the PEOPLE to support and vote for them, so they must make it clear that they represent the PEOPLE, not just their party.
The Democratic party must also return to its progressive roots and support real progressives for office. Note what happened when Republicrats supported by Rahm Emmanuel were placed on key committees in the House and Senate. Health care reform was gridlocked for a year, only to have these same Republicrats produce a weak and watered-down bill that brought no real reform to the current dysfunctional system.
Great, progressive candidates exist right now who would serve the people well, yet they receive no support from the party, and since it is all about "da money," they fail. I can think of one such candidate who, despite his previous experience running for office and unwavering commitment and passion to serve his community - huge positives, one would think - appears to have been deemed "untouchable" by the Dems. He is an ER doctor and a father of six who is running against incumbent Republican Tim Johnson. This man knows well what it is like to support and raise a family while holding a job in one of the most challenging branches of medicine. Every day he goes to work and campaigns for office, all with limited funding. His name is Dr. David Gill (http://www.gillforcongress.com/) and he is running in the 15th Congressional District in our President's home state of Illinois. He deserves the full support of the Democratic party.
Aside from the failures of the national party, there are some institutional problems facing Dems at all levels, which can be addressed as follows:
1. Democratic political clubs and state party organizations must identify and nurture talented public servants in town/city halls and county legislatures, then support them when they seek higher office in state houses and Congress. Republicans are masters of this, but Dems still don't get it.
2. Dems must pass the Fair Elections Now Act (S.752, H.R.1826; find out more at http://www.fairelectionsnow.org/), which would help level the playing field for new candidates, providing public funding with 4-1 matching funds and no contribution larger than $100 from any individual, eliminating special interest influence in elections.
3. Gerrymandering of congressional districts to further support incumbents' reelection must also be addressed in advance of redistricting in 2012. A documentary entitled "Gerrymandering" by Jeff Reichert (http://www.gerrymanderingmovie.com/) is an excellent resource for information on this issue.
4. Of course, we can't let the voting public off the hook. Registered Democrats must pay closer attention to the candidates for whom they are voting and to where their dollars are going when they donate to the Democratic party; and above all they must VOTE! How many districts/states with Democratic majorities in voter registration are represented by Republicans?
5. The Democratic party must also come clean about how much money it is supplying to each candidate and from where that money is coming. Bad money that only serves to elect lackeys for the rich and powerful should have no place in the Democratic party's coffers (yes, a pipe dream, but rules can be put in place by the party to at least show that Dems are trying to clean up their act!). There should be clear, up-to-date and easily accessible information on the websites of the DNC, DCCC and DSCC showing who is getting how much and why.
The good news in all of this is that the left is rapidly growing strong and committed organizations like Progressive Democrats of America (http://www.pdamerica.org/) - with chapters in 45 states, impressive national issue campaigns such as Healthcare Not Warfare and Improved Medicare For All on the national and state levels, as well as providing significant support to progressive candidates - and Bold Progressives (http://boldprogressives.org/), who in a little over one year of existence already has a membership of over 400,000 and who partnered with Act Blue (http://www.actblue.com/), Move On and Democracy For America to raise funds in support of Arkansas Lt. Governor Bill Halter in his primary against Republicrat Senator Blanche Lincoln. And let us not forget organized labor, who pumped $7 million into advertising against Lincoln. We look forward to them finishing the job for Bill Halter in Arkansas in the runoff!
Together, this emerging coalition of new and traditional progressive power is placing the "old guard" in the Democratic establishment on notice that the status quo is no longer acceptable, and they had best adapt or face the consequences.
Additional content by Jon Stone
Robert Creamer: Eight Lessons From Tuesday's Primaries
First and foremost, the results from Tuesday night were very bad news for the Republican leadership. Lesson #2: Dance with the ones that brung ya. Voters don't like people who they think have abandoned their core beliefs.
And where can I sign a petition to get Pearl Korn appointed as the Chairman of the DNC? How about as special advisor to help Obama fix-what's-ailing his Party?
Honestly, I'd say, "Pearl Korn for President!!!", but the Democratic Party needs her help before it, or she, can help the country.
Need I state the obvious? Okay, I will: FANNED! :)
If I were running for office I would sure want you in my campaign at a top level, since you clearly get it.
So that you can find me much faster here is my address, huffingtonpost.com/pearl-korn/
Please get all of your pals to check out this blog and get the word out. Our voice does matter.
Many thanks again and please work on a campaign for another voice that could matter.
Coakley would have been the 60th vote. Why would people being seriously harmed vote in favor of further damage to their lives (and the lives of fellow Americans) by allowing such a decree to become law of the nation if there might be a way to stop it?
Also, she did not investigate the collusion between Partners and BCBS or look into the mega bucks to outgoing BCBS CEO Van Fassen as she promised.
You say: "It is deeply troubling that ... supporting a Republican was a better choice than voting for a Dem ..."
Both parties dine at the same trough.
And: "One more seat ... that went to a Republican was not helpful."
This is devisive and what politicians thrive on - divide and conquer.
By the way, I unenrolled as a Dem last summer.
The Fair Elections Now Act will be business as usual disguised as something good. What little faith most Americans have left in their public servants is eroded more each day by theatrics and blatant lies.
If any of them, including Obama, were willing take leave of their corporate money masters, we might actually be on a road to recovery; we would not have been sold to the insurers and mandated to buy their failed products; and we would not be pumping billions into wars started for oil and empire building.
Supporting Progressives who just sold us a bill of goods is like going back to an abusive spouse.
There is obviously nothing more I can say I just hope you reconsider your thinking.
But if it passes it will give challengers an opportunity to run a competitive race, and that will have the effect of replacing "some" of the crooks and mitigating others. Being able to provide matching public funds will also discourage corporate spending.
I didn't vote for Obama but when he was elected I at least had hope. But he has turned out to be as corrupt as the rest of them and that hope is now gone. I look at the Fair Elections Now Act as a good effort, but will he sign it?
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Jack Lohman
http://MoneyedPoliticians.net
One of our President's once said MAKE ME DO IT. It will only happen from THE BOTTOM UP .
I have been critical of Progressives in congress in a previous blog. And yes, the gutless wonders must find their backbones.
Most troubling was the MA Democratic national legislators (Kerry, Olver, Kennedy, Kirk, Capuano, etc.) knew the MA plan was not working but looked the other way while their aides were rude when we voiced our concerns.
Move-On supported the bogus public option with not a word about single-payer. Howard Dean became its health care figurehead so we saw that it was bought and paid for. PDA rallied for HR676, and when Obamadontcare was signed into law continued to support the turncoat Progressives.
I will never again vote for anyone with a D after their name after what I witnessed including the method Pelosi used to ram this through against the will of the people. They all lack integrity right down to Kucinich who caved in after his ride on Air Force One. To quote a friend in MT: Good thing he wasn't the last yes vote to stop the bombing in Hiroshima.
Democrats pretend to be for the people; Republicans are up front about not giving a darn. Both play good cop, bad cop.
The only difference between Congress and the Mafia is that the latter has a code of honor.
I hope my blog went to the heart Dem party digressions and that must change. Certainly, the money controlling politics and D .C. must be removed. perhaps your efforts will turn to supporting the Fair Elections Now Act.The people have got to make govt. work for them and not corporate interests. It will take a big shove from the bottom up to accomplish this.
Perhaps they should not donate to the party at all. Give directly to candidates that support your issues and bypass the party apparatus. I have yet to see the "party" cast a vote on any issue.
Halter got a few bucks from me yesterday.
Support the American people on health care. Get your elected officials and candidates to fully support Improved Medicare for All via H.R. 676
In the final days before Massachusetts' Scott Brown was elected, I was in close contact with MA citizens with whom I work on health care reform. Lifelong Democrats were working as hard as they could to get Republican Scott Brown elected. They were and are revolting against the U.S. health insurance reform [Obama's appropriate title (insurance)] ... the national version of the Massachusetts' health insurance reform.
Well ... President Obama signed that legislation that he supported. All hell is going to break loose, in my opinion, unless the Democratic Party decides to support the will of the American people.
http://www.mforall.org/pages/Monitor_Popular_Support
Suggestion: hang in there and give Improved Medicare for All the support it deserves.
We, the American people, can and will get and keep Improved Medicare for All. Politicians and politician wanna-be's, if you want to be there for the action, support us
Bob Haiducek, Bob the Health and Health Care Advocate
http://www.mforall.org (that is, http://www.medicareforall.org)
18 studies confirm that single payer can control costs while delivering better health care. Our national health care cost is at 17.3% of the GDP. A number that is clearly unsustainable. And indeed the health reform bill recently signed into law will not contain those costs or make care accessible to one and all.
To the contrary with no lid on escalating costs it will continue to rise, thereby removing millions from health care.
The Dems did this to themselves.
If new and traditional progressives can't come together and get new blood into the Democratic party, reform it, and get legislators who are responsible to their constitutents, not to the lobbyists, the Democratic party is over. Republican and "Republican lite" do NOT, a two-party system, make! They've sold out. The "lesser of evils" is still evil!
To help the party along I sent my blog to the DNC and it is also on its way to the White House. Are they capable of listening, and changing course. That is the question??
I did the "lesser evil" thing for 20 years. All I got was evil no matter who won. From now on I support and vote for third parties. I may not win much but from now on I don't participate in my own mugging.
As for third party candidates,The Greens are small potatoes and Independents these days vote Republican. So that means we will have to rebuild the Dem party so that it gets back to its core values.
The last time I got a call from the DSCC, I kept the woman on the phone for 20 minutes explaining to her why they wouldn't get another dime out of me until the leadership stopped asking for the progressive vote at election time and then kicking us to the curb once in office. They haven't called since.
Mr. Gill I would love to send you some money but I'm really strapped for money and I want to make sure we get Perry out of office here in Texas so that's where my money is going..
Good wishes to you and hope the HuffPo article brings some $ your way.
One of my little techniques when I receive those annoying requests for money from the party organizations is to write across the donor slip why I am not sending money and what their position is an issue I disapprove of.
Amen brother. I'm not holding my breath but I'm on your side.
Both parties are screwing the people, all to stay in office and control. Rahm Emmanuel orchestrated the gridlock on health care reform because the D's got great sums of money from the insurers and Big Pharma, $20 million to Obama alone. The only way they could deliver gridlock for the industry was to introduce "bipartisanship'" even when they had a veto-proof senate majority. Duh...
Yes, you speak of Gill and "huge positives," but that's not what corporate funders want. They want "corruptible," and if you can't deliver that, don't give up your day job.
And you are absolutely correct by supporting the Fair Elections Now Act, but understand that politicians don't like "level the playing fields." They want the 95% re-election rate they currently enjoy, thus even "fair" faces a big battle.
Jack Lohman
http://MoneyedPoliticians.net
http://SinglePayer.info
We have to place enough pressure on our legislators to do the right thing, after all they work for us. The salaries we pay them and the perks are very generous and we will just have to remind them of that. In any other industry lousy performance would mean dismissal. So it shouldn't be acceptable from our legislators.