A RECIPE FOR FAILURE

http://timesargus.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060424/NEWS/604240341/1002/EDUCATION05

Times Argus published an Associated Press editorial today labeling Dean as doing a balancing act.  I guess it can be viewed that way but I dont see it like that.  Certainly he has to keep the people at the top happy and the people at the bottom and in between happy.  But, we all know what happens when we try to keep everyone happy.  Its a recipe for failure.

ITS NOT A BALANCING ACT

and ITS NOT AN ACT! ITS REAL!

I assume this article is published because Dean appeared at the DNC meeting over the weekend.

Dean is not performing a balancing act. He is re-building the party from the bottom up. Those at the top fear they wont get theirs.

VISUALIZE A PYRAMID

A pyramid needs to be built from the base, upward. It would be a balancing act if he tried to build the top first, without a foundation. He has the courage to do the job correctly, building the foundation first.

I have seen that foundation and it is sorely in need of repair. He is doing exactly what needs to be done.

Also, the TIMES ARGUS does not mention his message – his 6 point platform for the year. The Dems have been exorciated for not having a message and he has repeated our message over and over again: Maybe that’s too much too expect of the AP…

1) Honest Leadership and Open Government
2) Real Security
3) Jobs in America that stay in America
4) Strong Public Education System
5) Health Care System that works for everyone
6) Retirement and Pension Security

 

Dean doing a balancing act

April 24, 2006

By Liz Sidoti Associated Press

NEW ORLEANS — Howard Dean, long known for bucking the establishment, has spent much of his time as Democratic chairman trying to strengthen the party outside of Washington — and his rank and file loves him for it.

“He is truly nationalizing the Democratic Party and he’s looking to the future,” said Steve Achelpohl, head of the Nebraska state party.

Dean’s approach, however, does not sit well with some Democratic critics in the nation’s capital. They grumble, in private, that Dean perhaps is not focusing enough on fund-raising for House and Senate races in November, particularly when the party sees an opportunity to reclaim power in Congress.

“When you first elected me, I said that we would take our country back vote by vote, block by block, and neighborhood by neighborhood,” Dean told members of the Democratic National Committee on Saturday. “We are making progress toward our goal.”

He said the party no longer is just about building up presidential candidates.

In practice, that means part of the DNC’s attention — money and manpower — is going to state parties to try to elect Democrats to offices at all levels, from city hall to Capitol Hill and the White House in 2008.

In the speech that ended a three-day meeting, Dean drew comparisons to a late party chief, Ron Brown, who in 1989 pledged to rebuild so Democrats could win elections in every part of the country and at every level.

The current strategy, Dean said, has meant that more than 175 workers, paid for by the DNC, are scattered across all 50 states where they are organizing and reaching voters. He then listed mayoral and gubernatorial races where Democrats have won in states that lean Republican — the red states.

Dean gets high praise from state party leaders for sending resources their way in hopes of positioning Democrats to be competitive. While giving Dean some credit for that goal, some Democrats in Washington are concerned that congressional races this year may get short shrift.

“There’s a natural tension and I think we have to get beyond that,” said Iowa Lt. Gov. Sally Pederson, who also heads the state’s Democratic Party. “I don’t think it’s an either-or equation. We have to do both.”

“I think that Democrats will step up to the plate and put the money necessary” into House and Senate contests, she said.

Democrats see a chance to retake Congress this fall, encouraged by President Bush’s low approval rating and opinion polls that show public disapproval of the majority Republicans.

But fund-raising totals show that the Republican National Committee holds a huge edge over the DNC. That raises questions of whether the Democratic Party is raising enough money to supplement the efforts of the campaign committees for Senate and House candidates.

Dean congratulated Democrats for bringing in $18 million in the first three months of the year. He said it was a record for the DNC in that period in a nonpresidential election year.

Left unsaid, however, was that the DNC has $10.5 million on hand compared with almost the $43 million the RNC has available seven months before congressional elections.

Senate Democrats have $32.1 million and are maintaining a 2-to-1 advantage over their GOP Senate counterparts. House Democrats have $23 million in the bank and are slightly trailing the GOP House campaign committee.

DNC members at the New Orleans meeting defended Dean’s approach.

“He’s doing very well,” said Mitchell Ceasar, a former Florida Democratic Party chairman. “We’re winning races in red states, places where we, frankly, haven’t won anything in 30 or 40 years.”

Andrew O’Leary, executive director of the Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party in Minnesota, said that because of Dean, the DNC now is paying the salaries of four organizers now working in Minnesota.

“He’s raising the money necessary to be competitive. He’s just spending it in ways the party’s never seen before,” O’Leary said.

“Howard Dean has put his money where his mouth is,” added Jay Parmley, a former Oklahoma Democratic Party chairman who is working in Mississippi as a DNC-paid organizer. “He’s delivered on his promises to help state parties reach out to our counties and precincts.”

Dean has reason to keep state party chairmen and other DNC members happy. They are his constituency — the Democrats who will decide whether he gets to keep his job beyond his current four-year term. He was elected in 2005.

All 13 counties of Vermont were represented yesterday in Montpelier at an all day training meeting convened by the DNC, Democratic National Committee.  Howard Dean opened the meeting and AGAIN, used his FIVE POINT MESSAGE which I’ve posted elsewhere on this blog.  Chairman Dean has added a SIXTH point to the original FIVE – that of Pension Security Retirement Security – whether that be Social Security or some other form of pension.  I’ll obtain his exact wording and re-post all six.  He asked me if I had them memorized yet, and I said I didnt although I had them in front of me on paper.  I told him I was working on memorizing them. Peter Welch dropped in on the session and gave a powerful, forceful stump speech. 

The Rutland Herald published an editorial entitled “GOP Adrift” today.  Good you say?  On the surface it seems good, until you read it!  Embedded in the text is criticism of the Democrats as having no message.  This is blatantly false.  Howard Dean has repeatedly framed the Democrats Message which I post below the fold below. Howard Dean has repeated this message repeatedly, most recently at a speech he gave at the American Medical Association.  The challenge is to get this message into peoples’ mind so we can end these lies that the Dems do not have a message.  I’m mad as hell and I’m not going to take it anymore.

PLEASE TAKE A MINUTE OR TWO TO GO TO THE RUTLAND HERALD EDITORIAL AND POST A COMMENT

[URL]http://rutlandherald.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060321/NEWS/603210301/1038[/URL]

Howard Dean, speaking on Face the Nation, February 12, 2006 framed the
Democratic platform/agenda for election year 2006 as:

ONE, we want honesty and openness back in government again.

TWO, we want a strong national defense, first of all, based on telling the truth
to our citizens and our soldiers before we send troops abroad to defend America.

THREE, we want American jobs that will stay in America using energy Independence
as a new industry to create millions of construction and manufacturing jobs.

FOUR, we want a health-care system that works for everybody, just like 36 other
countries have in the world.

FIVE, we want a strong public education system so we can have optimism and
opportunity back in America.

This takes some time to go through, but, the exercise is worth it.  I would be interested to hear from all of you after you look at the data, what conclusions, big picture, you come to.  Also, any thoughts about the methodology described in this report card. 

To my knowledge, Vermont DOES NOT have a Report Card.  The link I am posting is for the Drum Major Institute’s NEW YORK STATE REPORT CARD.  Since I live within a few miles of New York State, I found it instructive. 

As a Progressive Democrat in Massachusetts, we put in place a similar process to scorecard our state legislators. We took this “radical” step because we found our legislators wanted to use the progressive base to get into office, but then, once firmly planted in office, did not adhere to what we considered the Democratic platform.

DINO, Democrats in Name Only, remain a challenge. The scorecard or report card, is one way to assess legislators who profess to be Democrats, but, don’t walk the talk and vote like a Democrat.

[url] http://www.drummajorinstitute.org/outerenvelope_exec.htm[/url]

State Senator Mark Shepard weighs in on the reasons we should mistrust Venezuela and CITGO. 

CITGO is dividing Americans according to the Senator?  uuummmm, I think America was divided well BEFORE the CITGO programs. 

Also, Senator Shepard DOES NOT address that a major leader of the Religious Right friendly with the Bush Administration, called for the outright assassination of the President of Venezuela. 

I don’t know about Senator Shepard, but I am really divided from the poor elderly widow that lives down the street getting fuel oil cheaper than me.  Why should she get the cheap oil?  I want some cheap oil!  I want my Maypo.

The Senator speaks of an OLIVE BRANCH?  An outright threat by a powerful American to assasinate the President of Venezuela is an OLIVE branch? 

  [url=]http://timesargus.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060315/NEWS/603150309/1022] TIMES ARGUS LETTER FROM SHEPARD HERE[/url]

Citgo oil deal a Trojan Horse

March 15, 2006

Thank you for your editorial (March 1, “Bad Company”) recounting my objection to the Vermont legislature honoring Chavez by formally thanking him for his “gift” of discount oil. And thank you for pointing out “The oil discount program shows Chávez clearly understands the value of the grand gesture.”

This “gift” was not about charity, in my opinion. It was and is propaganda used by Hugo Chávez, whom your editorial points out is “the most vocal and visible symbol of a rising tide of anti-American sentiment in Latin America.”

If any of the countries you mentioned in your article made a similar move and there were a resolution thanking them for it, I would have also objected to that. And it appears that after reviewing my objections, the sponsors of the Chávez resolution quickly came to agree with my position, as they did not even try to defend it, but rather sent it to committee to die.

As the world’s greatest power we must take extra care that our actions work toward building positive and confident relationships with the people (not just the leaders) in other countries, most especially our neighbors in the Americas.

The unrest and difficulties of life in many of the countries south of us is why people from those countries risk their lives to illegally enter the United States. Our foreign policy in South and Central America has often been very poor and has not focused on building long-term healthy relationships between nations. We can do better, and being consistent is the starting point. How can we just enjoy our freedoms and incomparable wealth, while at the same time we honor a man whose policies have reduced freedoms and increased poverty in other nations?

It is critical that our leaders differentiate between an olive branch of help and a Trojan horse designed with the intent to divide Americans.

State Senator Mark Shepard

North Bennington

But politics do not begin and end in Washington. So it is that the antiwar messages most likely to be heard and acted upon by Congressional Democrats and wavering Republicans trying to figure out how the war will play at the polls in November will come from their hometowns. It is there, at the grassroots, that a growing number of activists are organizing with an eye toward communicating to Congress that, as Wisconsinite Keith Schmitz says, “It’s OK to oppose the war.”

In daily conversations, with friends, neighbors, associates, in the grocery store line, we need to make mention how the war is hurting us here at home.  Here’s an example I used yesterday talking to friends from Shaftsbury VT.

Me:  ” I went to a meeting yesterday (Saturday) at the Bennington Public Library where Vermont House speaker Gaye Symington held a Town Meeting discussion. 

Friends:  “Oh, I heard about her, she’s quite attractive”…

Me: “Yes indeed, and smart too.  We had a very good discussion on the challenges of funding healthcare in Vermont and helping the uninsured”.
“The town meeting was videotaped by Catamount Public Access TV and will be playing on TV soon”

Friends: “If we could just get out of this war in Iraq, we’d have some money to do other things here at home”.

Me:  “Exactly!  That’s the first thing I said to some people when I left the meeting at the library”! 

This is an example of bringing the war home. We are setting the stage for letting friends know that its OK to oppose the war.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

url= BRINGING THE WAR HOME

(Promoted from the diaries, with a little format-editing. Hope thats okay… – promoted by odum)

A great question worthy of discussion here and elsehwere.  This question posed by the Rutland Herald and column follow below.

Are Democrats in trouble in Vermont politics?

March 9, 2006

By Darren M. Allen Vermont Press Bureau

MONTPELIER — She had the endorsements of the state’s political elite, outspent her opponents by nearly 8 to 1 and was widely expected to win an election in which Democratic National Committee Chairman Howard Dean cast his first in-person vote in years.

So why did Hinda Miller an entrepreneur who founded JogBra, a popular state senator and capable grassroots campaigner lose her race for mayor of Vermont’s largest city to a Progressive who got in the race months later and quipped at one time that he was running for Burlington’s top job because someone from his party had to?

And, more importantly, what does Miller’s loss ; an eight-point shellacking in which she failed to carry even one of the city’s seven wards — mean for Democrats as they head into elections all over Vermont?

Political observers, candidates and party operatives of all three parties were scratching their heads Wednesday to explain how Robert Kiss, a Progressive state representative who only reluctantly carried his party’s banner in the mayoral race, pumped out a decisive victory.

Democrats, of course, suggested that, in the end, some nasty press coverage about Miller soured many voters at the same time that Kiss was the beneficiary of an outstanding army of grass roots volunteers who canvassed the city ward-by-ward and door-by-door.

“The Progressive Party ran an excellent campaign, and they canvassed the city very effectively and very thoroughly,” said Ian Carleton, the chairman of the Vermont Democratic Party and a Burlington city councilor. “You don’t get to be the party in power in the city of Burlington without having a strong party operation in place.”

But that is exactly what most political observers say about the state’s Democrats and what gives them the ability, year-in and year-out, to keep their grasp on legislative seats.

In Burlington, however, it is important to remember that it is the Progressives who have held the mayor’s seat for the past quarter century. Since Rep. Bernard Sanders, I-Vt., defeated six-term incumbent Gordon Paquette in 1981, the Progressives have ruled the roost, with the exception of Peter Brownell’s two-year interruption of Peter Clavelle’s reign between 1993 and 1995.

Clavelle, who endorsed Miller, was a Progressive until he became a Democrat in his unsuccessful bid to oust Republican Gov. James Douglas. He was surprised by Miller’s defeat.

“It was a high road campaign, and Bob Kiss worked hard,” Clavelle said. “It was an issue-oriented effort that worked. Burlington voters looked at the Progressives and liked what they saw.”

Republicans put up a respectable showing in Tuesday’s race. Veteran city council member Kevin Curley placed third in the first round of balloting in the city’s debut of instant runoff voting, garnering 26 percent of the vote. It was about 5 points behind Miller, and 13 points behind Kiss. In the second round, Curley’s votes were redistributed between Miller and Kiss. The final tally gave Kiss 54 percent of the vote to Miller’s 46.

“Frankly, I think the results may point to the increasing irrelevance of the Democratic Party in Burlington and, frankly, in other parts of the state,” said James Barnett, the chairman of the Vermont Republican Party.

“Obviously, the Democrats are not irrelevant,” he said. “But, as they become increasingly leftist, it drives liberal voters to the Progressives, who are the true believers in the cause.”

In one sense, another Progressive at the top of City Hall in Burlington is a non-story. In another, of course, it is a big deal, particularly when the Democratic candidate had the backing of the state’s most influential Democratic machine: that of Sen. Patrick Leahy, D-Vt., who said Miller was “a leader in her community … a great state senator” with “a certain flair that separates her from your average politician.”

She also had the solid endorsement of Dean, who said earlier this winter that he was excited to participate in a Town Meeting Day election in person for the first time in years so he could try out the city’s experiment with instant runoff voting.

Indeed, he sent out a press release announcing when he was going to cast his Ward 5 vote early in the morning so that news photographers could capture the event.

In the end, Miller lost the ward to Kiss by 72 votes. It was a pattern repeated in the city’s other six wards. In her own ward, she lost to Kiss by 22 votes. In fact, Curley won two wards in the city’s new North End, and Miller ended up without a single ward victory.

One longtime political observer and participant in many behind the scenes electoral activities said it came down to Kiss’ ability to knock on doors, run an efficient campaign and rely on his association with the Progressives.

“The Democrats haven’t been in power in the city since 1980, and the Progs know how to do this,” said the observer, who asked not to be identified because of his employer. “But is there a statewide implication? I don’t think so. It really serves to keep the Progressive blood supply flowing. But, make no mistake: this was a decisive victory.”

Decisive, observers say, because the Progressives took a page out of the Democratic Party’s playbook. Build a ground-level base of support, knock on doors, call the right potential voters and do it all over again until election day. Except that it didn’t work for the Democrats in the state’s largest city.

Barnett, however, was reluctant to draw any big statewide inference from the mayor’s race, but he did suggest it wasn’t meaningless, either.

“I think it is a big defeat for Howard Dean,” Barnett said. “The Democratic candidate who had the support of the entire Democratic establishment lost in the liberal hometown of the chairman of the national Democratic Party.”

One candidate for whom the ability of the national Democratic Party to get its preferred candidates elected is Sanders. He raised the ire of many of his Burlington Progressive soul mates when he sought their support for his current run at the U.S. Senate. He raised even more by endorsing Peter Welch, the Democratic president pro tem of the Vermont Senate, in his run for Sanders’ House seat.

He purposely stayed out of the mayor’s race this time.

“I am running for U.S. Senate, and virtually all of my political energy is going to go into that race,” he said in a brief telephone interview from his Washington offices. “I want to make sure that a Republican does not get my seat.”

He took note that Kiss won an election with far less name recognition and far less money. His likely opponent in the U.S. Senate race is multimillionaire businessman Richard Tarrant.

“Vermont is a small state and Burlington is a small city, and ultimately people know who you are and where you are coming from,” he said. “There are lot more important things out there than money. People know Bob Kiss, and he was able to get around the city. More than any of the other candidates, he supported the direction Burlington has moved toward in the last 25 years.”

Contact Darren Allen at darren.allen@rutlandherald.com

 

“The Weakest Adminstration on Defense We Have Seen in Many, Many Years”
(From a speech given by Governor Dean earlier today 2/28/2006 at the the Annual Conference of the Jewish Council for Public Affairs. — Tim)

“Karl Rove says that the Republicans are going to win on the issue of defense. I submit to you that if the issue is defense, the Republicans will lose because this is the weakest Administration on defense that we’ve seen in many, many years. What I mean is this. For five years this President has been in the White House. For five years North Korea continues to possess nuclear weapons. For five years this Administration has been in the White House, Iran moves closer every day to producing nuclear weapons. For four years, Osama Bin Laden has been on the loose and remains so. And today we see the specter, as reported in the Jerusalem post- of a company that is about to take over American ports, which actively continues today to boycott Israel.

“The Democrats have a better idea. First we will conclude the negotiations with the Chinese and the North Koreans to disarm North Korea. Secondly, under no circumstances will a Democratic Administration ever allow Iran to become a nuclear power. Three, we will kill or capture Osama bin Laden and four, the authority and the control of the ports of the United States must be retained by American companies.

“We are not simply speaking about the United Arab Emirates — we are also speaking about the western ports which are controlled by companies controlled by the Chinese government. Foreign governments of any kind ought not to be controlling American ports, especially when the Coast Guard already recommended that they could not guarantee the security of the ports.”

“We will defend America.”

“Republicans have been in power long enough to show that they can’t be trusted with your money, your defense or power. The truth is today, 34% of the American people think that the President is doing a good job. So, we’re not talking about a fifty-fifty country- we’re simply talking about a country that wants competence and honesty in their leadership again”

“While the Republicans have done a good job winning elections the. . .way they win elections is the root cause for why they’ve done such a terrible job governing America. . .

“If you divide people in order to win elections, you can’t govern. . .The president has to understand that they are the President of all people, not just 50.1%.”

Together, America Can Do Better – A Positive Democratic Agenda

“So our strategy is very simple- we want to make it clear to the American people what the Republicans are about and what their discrepancies are between what they say and what they do. We also want to make sure the American people understand what we are going to do differently.

“One- we will pass ethics legislation within the first 100 days of our re-ascension to power, and eliminate the scandals and the corruption that the Republicans have brought to power. We want honest and open government in America again.

“Two- we want a strong national defense which begins with telling the truth to our citizens and our soldiers and our allies before we send troops abroad.

“Three- we want American jobs that will stay in America by creating a new energy independence industry, creating thousands of manufacturing jobs and construction jobs to retrofit our homes and businesses.

“Four- we want a health care system which works for everyone, just like 36 other countries in the world have.

“And five- we want a strong public education system so we can have opportunity and optimism back in America again. . .”

I NEVER RECALL SO MANY GOVERNORS (BOTH REPUBLICAN AND DEMOCRAT) DECLARING STATES OF EMERGENCY IN THEIR STATES AT THE SAME TIME AS IS CURRENTLY HAPPENING.

THANK YOU TIMES ARGUS and Associated Press for this important article. (introduction and link posted below)

Yes, the Governors of many states are concerned with the eroding fabric of our federal government.

First we had several states declaring emergencies because of the Medicare D prescription drug BOONDOGGLE!

Last evening, Governor Napolitano was on CNN and she has just declared a State of Emergency in Arizona because of the parade of illegal immigrants from Mexico streaming into Arizona. Governor Richardson in New Mexico declared a similar state of emegency although he was not on CNN last evening.

These STATES OF EMERGENCIES are not even WEATHER related which is usually what we see governors declaring emergencies for!

FOLKS! THIS IS A WAKE UP CALL! THIS IS THE CANARY IN THE COAL MINE! THE CANARY JUST DIED!

Bush’s missteps worry nation’s GOP governors

February 28, 2006

By Robert Tanner Associated Press

WASHINGTON — If President Bush thinks he has problems in the nation’s capital, he should hear what his allies are saying in the state capitals.

[http://www.timesargus.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060228/NEWS/602280354/1002]

Republican governors, more tuned to grassroots politics than their Washington counterparts, warn that the administration’s fumbles in the past few months are taking a toll back home. Their constituents are seeing mistake after mistake — from the slow response to a hurricane-ravaged New Orleans to prescription drugs and ports security.

I wanted to post a letter printed in the Rutland Herald newspaper here.  I have heard Mr. Tarrant’s radio adverts when I drive through Brattleboro on my way to Boston.  When I first listened to the biographical nature of his adverts, I thought it was an odd approach.  Giving him the benefit of the doubt, maybe he is trying to get people who don’t know him to learn about his salad days???????
On the other hand, officials of the Democratic party in Vermont have told me that “its early yet” and “the electorate is not paying attention”.  Seems like maybe Mr. Tarrant IS trying to get people to pay attention?????

Rich Tarrant’s wonderful life   [http://www.rutlandherald.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060224/NEWS/602240311/1037]

February 24, 2006

The second installment of Rich Tarrant’s wonderful life is appearing in his daily campaign ads on our local television stations. It appears that we are going to be subjected for the next eight months to Tarrant’s egocentric rendition of his accomplishments, inclusive of delivering soft drinks and playing basketball. At the rate these ads are running, the cost will probably be in the millions of dollars. The expense will not be any deterrent to Tarrant, as he is expected to infuse millions of his own money into his campaign in an attempt to buy the senatorial election.

We have been down this road before. A rich guy who doesn’t know what to do with himself tries to buy a Vermont election so that he can get his ego stroked in Washington, D.C. Rich Tarrant does not genuinely care about helping the people of this state. How can a candidate who isn’t even sure if he is a resident of Vermont or Florida represent our interests in Congress?

I hope that others will join me in supporting Congressman Bernie Sanders in his candidacy for the U.S. Senate. Bernie has continuously proven his commitment to Vermont’s citizens. He has worked tirelessly for years to help Vermonters obtain a livable wage, adequate health care and pharmaceutical drugs, affordable housing, food and heating assistance and benefits for veterans. When we eventually have the opportunity to view Bernie’s campaign ads on TV, he will not be touting what he has accomplished on behalf of himself, but will present what he has accomplished for the citizens of Vermont.

MONICA LITZELMAN

Northfield